Verification device for in-vehicle equipment

Abstract

This verification device for in-vehicle equipment for verifying a program mounted to the in-vehicle equipment comprises: a simulation device having a general-purpose CPU board on which a CPU and the peripheral circuit thereof are mounted, and an FPGA circuit; and a control device for controlling the simulation device. A power supply circuit supplied to the CPU in the general-purpose CPU board is controlled by a power supply control model provided to the FPGA circuit.

Description

Verification device for in-vehicle equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a verification device for an in-vehicle device.

[0002] The use of electronics in control technologies related to the operation and movement of automobiles (vehicles) is increasing year by year. For example, a single automobile may be equipped with several dozen electronic control units (ECUs). Furthermore, the overall size of the software (hereafter referred to as source code) implemented in these ECUs has reached 1 million to 10 million lines (mainly source code written in the C programming language).

[0003] As the scale of source code development increases, maintaining or improving the quality of source code has become a major challenge for automobile manufacturers and suppliers. A known solution to this challenge is a system for testing an ECU under test using Hardware In the Loop Simulation (HILS). HILS is a simulation device equipped with a general-purpose CPU board using a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) circuit. HILS operates the ECU under test in real time to perform a real-time simulation. Note that in the following description, the term "simulation device" refers to a HILS.

[0004] In a system equipped with such a simulation device, pseudo sensor signals and actuator drive signals are exchanged between the ECU and the simulation device, causing the ECU to operate in the same manner as if it were connected to the actual machine that is the intended control target. By checking whether the ECU processing results created at that time are normal, the simulation device can check whether the ECU functions normally when operating while exchanging signals with the actual machine, etc.

[0005] However, in recent years, in addition to the expansion of development scale, there has been a demand for shortening of development time, and there is also a demand for shortening of verification time.

[0006] JP 2023-12395 A

[0007] There are various reasons why it takes so long to start verification work, but one reason is that testing cannot be carried out until the ECU to be inspected is completed. ECUs are developed based on specifications provided by the customer, going through procedures such as specification design, circuit design, pattern design, and assembly, so they often take longer to complete than software. This issue could be solved if an ECU developed in another project were used, but currently specifications change for each project, so this is not a realistic solution.

[0008] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-124492 proposes a verification method using a virtual ECU that mimics the ECU to be verified. Virtual verification allows verification to be performed without using an ECU, which solves the problem of the time required for ECU development. However, because a real microcomputer is not used, there are problems such as an impact on verification coverage and a high load on the simulation environment, making real-time verification impossible.

[0009] On the other hand, it has been confirmed that the problem of inability to perform real-time verification can be solved by using a simulation device (HILS) equipped with a general-purpose CPU board using a real CPU and an FPGA circuit. However, it has been found that there are other issues arising from the use of a general-purpose CPU board. Specifically, the CPU requires several types of power supply depending on its application. The general-purpose CPU of course supplies all power, but these are not individually controlled; instead, all power supplies are turned on when the main power supply is turned on.

[0010] However, in actual vehicle ECUs, the timing of power supply to the ECU varies depending on the power source, such as the backup power source or the battery power source. In other words, in an actual vehicle, the timing of power supply to the ECU varies depending on the power source, such as the backup power source or the battery power source, after the engine key is turned on. Therefore, a general-purpose CPU board that receives all power sources simultaneously may not be able to satisfy the verification conditions, which may affect test coverage.

[0011] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a verification device for in-vehicle equipment that can verify electronic devices such as ECUs under conditions equivalent to the real environment.

[0012] To solve the above problems, for example, the configurations described in the claims are adopted. The present application includes multiple means for solving the above problems, and one example thereof is a verification device for in-vehicle equipment of the present invention for verifying a program installed in an in-vehicle equipment, the verification device comprising a general-purpose CPU board equipped with a CPU and its peripheral circuits, a simulation device having an FPGA circuit, and a control device for controlling the simulation device. The verification device for in-vehicle equipment of the present invention controls a power circuit that supplies power to the CPU in the general-purpose CPU board using a power control model provided in the FPGA circuit.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to reproduce a power supply condition similar to the environment in which the in-vehicle device is used, and to perform a diagnosis similar to the actual usage condition of the in-vehicle device. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the description of the following embodiments.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an on-vehicle device verification device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of a power supply model in the on-vehicle device verification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an on-vehicle device verification device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of a power supply model in the on-vehicle device verification device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an on-vehicle device verification device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of a power supply model in the on-vehicle device verification device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] First Embodiment A vehicle-mounted device verification device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

[0016] The verification device for in-vehicle equipment according to the first embodiment includes a simulation device configured as a HILS and verifies a program installed in an ECU installed in a vehicle (automobile). The verification device for in-vehicle equipment has a plurality of independent power supply circuits and a power supply control model that can individually control the power supplies, and is able to control the power supply circuits according to the application.

[0017] 1 shows the configuration of an in-vehicle equipment verification device according to this embodiment. The electronic equipment verification device according to this embodiment comprises a HILS control PC (personal computer) 10, a HILS (simulation device) 20, and a CPU board 30. A CPU 34 within the CPU board 30 is installed with a program to be installed in the in-vehicle equipment to be verified, and the HILS 20 executes a simulation of the program installed in the CPU 34 under the control of the HILS control PC 10, which is a control device. Therefore, the HILS 20 and CPU board 30 can be considered as a simulation device.

[0018] The HILS control PC 10 is connected to the HILS 20 by electrical signals. The HILS 20 is also connected to the CPU board 30 via an electrical harness. The HILS control PC 10 stores instructions and values ​​such as driving instructions to the driver model 21 operated by the HILS 20, instruction methods to the power supply control model 23, power ON / OFF timing, and voltage values.

[0019] The HILS 20 is equipped with an FPGA circuit consisting of an FPGA board. The HILS 20 has a built-in driver model 21 and a power supply control model 23. The power supply control model 23 is arranged on the FPGA board. The driver model 21 is a model for simulating driving operations by a driver. When the driver model 21 receives instructions such as driving instructions from the HILS control PC 10, it selects a power supply control method that matches the instructions and supplies information about the control method to the power supply control model 23.

[0020] The power supply control model 23 incorporates a power supply control model 231 and a power supply IC (Integrated Circuit) model 232. The power supply control model 231 follows instructions from the driver model 21 or the HILS control PC 10 to manage the timing of turning the power on or off and give operation instructions to the power supply IC model.

[0021] The power supply control model 231 also has a switch 233 that receives a power supply instruction from the power supply IC model 232 and selects whether to supply power based on the timing management of power ON or OFF. The power supply control model 231 converts the selection result of the switch 233 into an electrical signal and outputs it from the HILS 20 to the CPU board 30. The power supply control model 231 also determines the voltage value to be input to the power supply monitor A / D (analog / digital) input terminal of the CPU board 30. The power supply control model 231 sets the specified value of each power supply voltage as the voltage value during normal operation, and sets the power supply voltage for fault operation as the voltage value during fault injection.

[0022] The power supply IC model 232 is a model that imitates a commonly used power supply control IC for a CPU. The power supply IC model 232 can perform sequence control and resetting when turning the power on and off in the same way as the power supply control IC, and outputs the control results to the power supply control model 231.

[0023] The CPU board 30 includes a CPU 34, an IC regulator 31 that drives the CPU 34, a switch 35 that switches the power supply to the CPU 34 in accordance with instructions from the power supply control model 23, and peripheral circuits (not shown). The power supply circuit of the CPU board 30 is made up of the IC regulator 31 and the switch 35. The CPU 34 is equipped with a program to be installed in the in-vehicle device to be verified.

[0024] The IC regulator 31 supplies a predetermined voltage to the CPU 34 from a power supply voltage, for example, a 12V power supply voltage, which is the source of the power supplied to the CPU 34. The switch 35 is a switch on the model that determines whether or not the power supply generated by the IC regulator 31 to the CPU 34 is actually supplied to the CPU 34 in accordance with instructions from the power supply model control 23. The CPU 34 has an input terminal for power supplied from the IC regulator 31 via the switch 35, and a power supply monitor A / D input terminal. The voltage value input to the power supply monitor A / D input terminal is determined by the power supply control model 231.

[0025] Next, the processing performed by the electronic device verification device of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 2. First, the power supply control model 231 checks whether the power supply command input from the HILS control PC 10 is to turn the power on or off (step S10).

[0026] If the power supply is ON in step S10 (ON in step S10), it is checked whether a voltage value is specified in the power supply command input from the HILS control PC 10 (step S11). If a voltage value is not specified in step S11 (NO in step S11), it is determined that a specified voltage is to be output, and the power supply control model 231 sets a predetermined voltage value as a voltage value for voltage monitoring (step S12). On the other hand, if a voltage value is specified in step S11 (YES in step S11), the power supply control model 231 sets the voltage value instructed by the HILS control PC 10 as a voltage value for voltage monitoring (step S13).

[0027] After setting the voltage value for voltage monitoring in step S12 or step S13, the power supply control model 231 checks whether or not there is an instruction for an instantaneous power outage for the power supply voltage from the HILS control PC 10 (step S14). If there is an instruction for an instantaneous power outage in step S14 (YES in step S14), the power supply control model 231 measures the time since the processing was started upon receiving the instruction for an instantaneous power outage, and determines whether or not the time instructed by the HILS control PC 10 has elapsed (step S15).

[0028] If there is no instruction for a momentary power outage in step S14 (NO in step S14) or if time has not elapsed in step S15 (NO in step S15), the power supply control model 231 issues a command to the CPU board 30 to turn on the power supply voltage (step S16), thereby turning on the power supply voltage supplied to the CPU.

[0029] On the other hand, if the time has not elapsed in step S15 (NO in step S15) or if the power is OFF in step S10 (OFF in step S10), the power supply control model 231 issues a command to the CPU board 30 to turn off the power supply voltage (step S17), thereby turning off the power supply voltage to the CPU.

[0030] The electronic device verification device of the present embodiment described above can set the same power-on and power-off timing as the actual device. For example, if the device to be verified is an ECU installed in a vehicle, the electronic device verification device can achieve the same operation as when the start switch (engine key, etc.) is operated as if the ECU were used in the vehicle. This enables normal diagnosis through operation similar to that of the actual device, for example, by saving diagnostic results to a backup memory when the power is turned off and using the saved diagnostic results for the current diagnosis the next time the device is started.

[0031] Therefore, verification equivalent to that of an actual vehicle-mounted ECU is possible using the HILS 20 and CPU board 30 without manufacturing an ECU, enabling reliable verification at low cost and shortening the time required for verification. Furthermore, with this electronic device verification device, verification similar to that when an ECU is installed in an actual vehicle can be performed without manufacturing an ECU, thereby improving the test coverage of verification using HILS.

[0032] <Second Embodiment> Next, a verification device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. In Figures 3 and 4, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. The basic configuration of the verification device according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the verification device according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1.

[0033] 3, the verification device of the second embodiment includes, as the HILS 20, a power supply control model 24 for a second power supply and a power supply control model 25 for a third power supply in addition to the power supply control model 23 described in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the power supply control model 23 described in the first embodiment is referred to as the power supply control model for a first power supply.

[0034] Like the power supply control model 23 described in the first embodiment, each of the power supply control models 23, 24, and 25 is made up of a power supply control model 231 and a power supply IC 232. When the driver model 21 receives an instruction such as a driving instruction from the HILS control PC 10, it selects a power supply control method that suits the instruction and supplies information about the control method to each of the power supply control models 23, 24, and 25.

[0035] The CPU board 30 also includes a second IC regulator 32 and a third IC regulator 33 in addition to the IC regulator 31. In this embodiment, the IC regulator 31 is referred to as a first IC regulator. That is, the power supply control models 23, 24, and 25 of the HILS 20 correspond individually to the IC regulators 31, 32, and 33 of the CPU board 30, and operate individually as sets. For example, the power supply control models 23, 24, and 25 of the HILS 20 can turn on the first power supply control model 23 and the second power supply control model 24 and turn off the third power supply control model 25, in response to instructions from the driver model 21.

[0036] Here, a DC 12V power supply is supplied to each of the IC regulators 31, 32, and 33, generating a power supply of a voltage assigned to each of the IC regulators 31, 32, and 33. Although not shown in Fig. 3, each of the IC regulators 31, 32, and 33 is individually connected to a switch 35 (Fig. 1) in the same manner as the IC regulator 31 described in the first embodiment.

[0037] The power generated by each of the IC regulators 31, 32, and 33 is supplied via a switch (not shown) to a first power supply input terminal, a second power supply input terminal, and a third power supply input terminal of the CPU 34. In addition, monitor voltages obtained at a first power supply monitor A / D input terminal, a second power supply monitor A / D input terminal, and a third power supply monitor A / D input terminal of the CPU 34 are also supplied from the HILS 20 to the CPU 34.

[0038] Next, the processing performed by the electronic device verification device of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 . First, the first power supply power control model 23 checks whether the power command input from the HILS control PC 10 is power ON or OFF (step S20). If the power command is power ON in step S20 (ON in step S20), the first power supply power control model 23 executes power control processing (step S21). This power control processing in the first power supply power control model 23 in step S21 is the processing described in steps S11 to S15 of the flowchart of FIG. 2 (the processing shown in the upper right corner of FIG. 4 ). By the processing of step S21 in FIG. 4 , the first power supply power control model 23 sends a command to turn on the first IC regulator 31 (step S22).

[0039] On the other hand, in step S20, when the power command input from the HILS control PC 10 is to turn the power off (OFF in step S20), the power supply control model 23 for the first power supply sends a command to turn off the first IC regulator 31 (step S23).

[0040] Thereafter, the second power supply control model 24 checks whether the power command input from the HILS control PC 10 is power ON or OFF (step S24). If the power command is power ON in step S24 (ON in step S21), the second power supply control model 24 executes power control processing (step S25). The power control processing in the second power supply control model 24 in step S25 is the same as the processing in step S21 (i.e., the processing in steps S11 to S15 in FIG. 2). By processing step S25, the second power supply control model 24 sends a command to turn on the second IC regulator 32 (step S26).

[0041] On the other hand, when the power command is to turn the power off in step S24 (OFF in step S24), the power control model 24 for the second power supply sends a command to turn off the second IC regulator 32 (step S27).

[0042] Furthermore, the third power supply control model 25 checks whether the power command input from the HILS control PC 10 is power ON or OFF (step S28). If the power command is power ON in step S28 (ON in step S28), the third power supply control model 25 executes power control processing (step S29). The power control processing in the third power supply control model 25 in step S29 is the same as the processing in step S21 (i.e., the processing in steps S11 to S15 in FIG. 2). In executing the processing in step S28, the third power supply control model 25 sends a command to turn on the third IC regulator 33 (step S30).

[0043] On the other hand, when the power command is to turn the power off in step S28 (OFF in step S28), the power supply control model 25 for the third power supply sends a command to turn off the third IC regulator 33 (step S31).

[0044] According to the second embodiment described above, the three IC regulators 31, 32, and 33, which are the three power supply circuits, can be controlled individually, making it possible to perform verification in the HILS 20 and the CPU board 30 using a plurality of power supplies.

[0045] <Third Embodiment> Next, a verification device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. In Figures 5 and 6, the same components as those in the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. The basic configuration of the verification device according to the third embodiment shown in Figure 5 is the same as that of the verification device according to the second embodiment shown in Figure 3.

[0046] 5 differs from the second embodiment in that the power supplies 31, 32, and 33 of the CPU 34 correspond to specific functions based on the operation of the vehicle's start switch (such as an engine key). That is, in the power supply control models 23-25, the first IC regulator 31 serves as a backup power supply for the CPU 34, the second IC regulator 32 serves as a 5V power supply for the CPU 34, and the third IC regulator 33 serves as a 3.3V power supply for the CPU 34. Because the power supply control models 23-25 ​​operate in conjunction with the IC regulators 31-33, the first power supply control model 23 serves as a backup power supply, the second power supply control model 24 serves as a 5V power supply, and the third power supply control model 25 serves as a 3.3V power supply.

[0047] Next, the processing performed by the electronic device verification device of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In this embodiment, vehicle control is simulated to verify actual vehicle control. First, the HILS 20 checks whether the power command input from the HILS control PC 10 is to turn the battery power ON or OFF (step S301).

[0048] When the power supply command is to turn off the battery power supply in step S301 (OFF in step S301), the vehicle is in a state where there is no power supply to the entire vehicle. First, the power supply control model 23 for the first power supply, which is the backup power supply, executes a process to turn off the battery power supply (step S302).

[0049] Next, the second power supply control model 24 turns off the 5V power supply (step S305), and the third power supply control model 25 executes processing to turn off the 3.3V power supply (step S306). As a result, the backup power supply, the 5V power supply, and the 3.3V power supply are turned off, and the vehicle enters a state in which the battery supply is stopped.

[0050] Furthermore, when the power command in step S301 is to turn on the battery power (ON in step S301), the power supply control model 23 for the first power supply, which is the backup power supply, executes power-on processing (step S303). After the power supply control model 23 for the first power supply executes the backup power-on processing in step S303, the HILS 20 checks whether the power command input from the HILS control PC 10 is to turn on or off the ignition power supply (ING power supply) (step S304).

[0051] When the ignition power supply is OFF in step S304 (OFF in step S304), the vehicle is placed in a sleep state, and steps S305 and S306 are executed. That is, the backup power supply is ON, the 5V system power supply is OFF, and the 3.3V system power supply is OFF, and the vehicle state is placed in a sleep state.

[0052] Furthermore, when the ignition power is ON in step S304 (ON in step S304), the power supply control model 24 for the second power supply turns on the 5V power supply (step S307), and further the power supply control model 25 for the third power supply turns on the 3.3V power supply (step S308). As a result, the backup power supply, the 5V power supply, and the 3.3V power supply are turned on, and processing is performed to set the vehicle state as running.

[0053] As described above, the verification device of this embodiment can individually control the backup power supply, the 5V power supply, and the 3.3V power supply, and can reproduce a power supply state equivalent to the actual vehicle state, enabling a simulation similar to that of actual driving. In particular, as described in the flowchart of Figure 6, it is possible to appropriately control the ignition power supply and the like in the same way as when the vehicle start switch (engine key, etc.) is operated, making it possible to reproduce a power supply state equivalent to the actual vehicle state.

[0054] [Modifications] The embodiments described above have been described in detail to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. For example, in the configuration diagrams shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5, only control lines and information lines considered necessary for explanation are shown, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In reality, it may be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. Furthermore, the processing flow of the flowcharts shown in Figures 2, 4, and 6 is merely an example, and as long as the processing results are the same, the order of some processing may be changed or multiple processing may be performed simultaneously.

[0055] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... HILS control PC, 20... HILS (simulation device), 21... driver model, 23... power supply control model for power supply (power supply control model for first power supply), 24... power supply control model for second power supply, 25... power supply control model for third power supply, 30... CPU board, 31... IC regulator, 31... first IC regulator, 32... second IC regulator, 33... third IC regulator, 34... CPU, 35... switch, 231... power supply control model, 232... power supply IC model, 233... switch

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device verification device for verifying a program installed in an in-vehicle device, comprising: a simulation device having a general-purpose CPU board equipped with a CPU and its peripheral circuits, and an FPGA circuit; and a control device for controlling said simulation device, said control device controlling the power supply circuit that supplies power to the CPU in said general-purpose CPU board using a power supply control model provided in said FPGA circuit.

2. The in-vehicle equipment verification device according to claim 1, wherein the CPU in the CPU board is supplied with a plurality of power sources, each of the plurality of power sources being supplied from an individual power supply circuit, and the power supply control model in the FPGA circuit individually controls the start and stop of power supply from each of the individual power supply circuits.

3. The vehicle-mounted equipment verification device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of power sources supplied to the CPU are a backup power source, a 5V power source, and a 3.3V power source, and the device is provided with a power source circuit for each of the power sources.

4. The vehicle-mounted device verification device according to claim 3, wherein the power supply control model in the FPGA circuit reproduces the power supply state when a start switch of the vehicle is operated.

Images