Node configuration method, communication apparatus, and communication system

Abstract

The present application provides a node configuration method, a communication apparatus, and a communication system, which can achieve simple and efficient node configuration to establish a reliable and stable networking link. The node configuration method is used for a host to configure a plurality of nodes in a networking link, and the node configuration method comprises: the host sends a first configuration packet to a first node, so that a first PHY module and / or a second PHY module of the first node are / is a master device role(s) in a communication link; the host confirms, when the first PHY module of the first node is connected to a first PHY module of a second node, that the first node establishes a link with the second node; the host sends a third configuration packet to the second node, so that a second PHY module of the second node is a master device role in the communication link; and the host confirms, when the second PHY module of the second node is connected to a first PHY module of a third node, that the second node establishes a link with the third node.

Description

A node configuration method, communication device and communication system Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of electronic communication technology, and in particular, to a node configuration method, a communication device, and a communication system. Background Art

[0002] Nowadays, in-vehicle devices and functions tend to be diversified. The in-vehicle system may include a head node and multiple sub-nodes. The head node and multiple sub-nodes can be configured to form a networking structure, so that data can be transmitted in the networking structure to meet different application scenarios of the in-vehicle system.

[0003] However, how to more efficiently and simply configure the first node and sub-nodes in the network to make the network link more reliable has become a problem that needs to be solved.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a node configuration method, a communication device and a communication system, which can realize simple and efficient node configuration to establish a reliable and stable networking link, improve the fault tolerance of the system, and increase the flexibility of the link configuration.

[0006] In a first aspect, a node configuration method is provided, which is used by a host to configure multiple nodes in a networking link. The node configuration method includes: the host sends a first configuration packet to a first node, so that the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module of the first node plays the role of a master device in the communication link; after the host confirms that the first PHY module of the first node is connected to the first PHY module of the second node, the first node and the second node establish a link; the host sends a third configuration packet to the second node, so that the second PHY module of the second node plays the role of a master device in the communication link; after the host confirms that the second PHY module of the second node is connected to the first PHY module of the third node, the second node and the third node establish a link.

[0007] In a possible implementation, the first PHY module of the second node and the first PHY module of the third node default to a slave device role in the communication link.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner, the host controls the second node and / or the third node through the first node.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the first PHY module of the second node and the first PHY module of the third node are used to transmit data with the previous node, and the second PHY module of the second node and the second PHY module of the third node are used to transmit data with the next node.

[0010] In one possible implementation, before the host sends a first configuration package to the first node so that the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module in the first node plays the role of the master device in the communication link, the node configuration method also includes: the host sends a second configuration package to the first node, and the second configuration package is used to configure the first node with basic configurations such as the node number.

[0011] In one possible implementation, after the host confirms that the first PHY module of the first node is connected to the first PHY module of the second node, the first node and the second node establish a link, including: the host queries the link establishment status of the second node through software, or the second node reports a link establishment interruption feedback packet to the host to confirm that the first node and the second node have established a link, and the link establishment interruption feedback packet is used to inform the host of the current link establishment status.

[0012] In one possible implementation, before the host sends a third configuration package to the second node so that the second PHY module of the second node plays the master device role in the communication link, the node configuration method also includes: the host sends a fourth configuration package to the second node, and the fourth configuration package is used to configure the second node with basic configurations such as the node number.

[0013] After the host confirms that the second PHY module of the second node is connected to the first PHY module of the third node, the second node and the third node establish a link, including: the host queries the link establishment status of the third node through software, or the third node reports a link establishment interruption feedback packet to the host to confirm that the second node and the third node have established a link, and the link establishment interruption feedback packet is used to inform the host of the current link establishment status.

[0014] In one possible implementation, one or more of the first configuration package, the second configuration package, the third configuration package, and the fourth configuration package use a first data frame format, and the first data frame format includes an error detection field, and the error detection field is used to indicate a method for detecting data errors.

[0015] In one possible implementation, one or more of the first configuration package, the second configuration package, the third configuration package, and the fourth configuration package use a first data frame format, and the first data frame format includes a first control field, and the first control field is used to distinguish the transmission direction, and the transmission direction includes downlink transmission and uplink transmission.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the host sends a fifth configuration packet to the third node through the first node and the second node, the fifth configuration packet enables the second PHY module of the third node to play the master device role in the communication link, and the second node obtains and detects the fifth configuration packet and then discards the configuration packet.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the peripheral configuration interfaces of the first node and the second node are selected to be the same or different peripheral configuration interfaces through pin multiplexing.

[0018] In a possible implementation, service data is transmitted between the host, the first node, and the second node, and the service data includes real-time information, and the real-time information is used for real-time information interaction.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the business data includes at least one of audio data, radar data, image data, sensor data, and vehicle control and management data.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the host enables a configuration timer and sets an expected configuration of N nodes, where N is greater than or equal to 2. The configuration timer is used to determine whether the time for configuring the N nodes has timed out.

[0021] In a second aspect, a node configuration method is provided, which is used for multiple nodes in a networking link, and the node configuration method includes: a first node receives a first configuration packet sent by a host, and the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module of the first node plays the role of a master device in the communication link; the first PHY module of the first node is connected to the first PHY module of the second node to enable the first node and the second node to establish a link; the second node receives a third configuration packet sent by the host, and the second PHY module of the second node plays the role of a master device in the communication link; the second PHY module of the second node is connected to the first PHY module of the third node to enable the second node and the third node to establish a link.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the first PHY module of the second node and the first PHY module of the third node default to a slave device role in the communication link.

[0023] In a possible implementation manner, the host controls the second node and / or the third node through the first node.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the first PHY module of the second node and the first PHY module of the third node are used to transmit data with the previous node, and the second PHY module of the second node and the second PHY module of the third node are used to transmit data with the next node.

[0025] In one possible implementation, before the first node receives a first configuration package sent by the host and the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module of the first node plays the role of a master device in the communication link, the node configuration method further includes: the first node receives a second configuration package sent by the host, and the second configuration package is used to configure the first node with basic configurations such as a node number.

[0026] In one possible implementation, before the second node receives the third configuration package sent by the host and the second PHY module of the second node plays the role of the master device in the communication link, the node configuration method also includes: the second node receives the fourth configuration package sent by the host, and the fourth configuration package is used to configure the second node with basic configurations such as the node number.

[0027] In one possible implementation, one or more of the first configuration package, the second configuration package, the third configuration package, and the fourth configuration package use a first data frame format, and the first data frame format includes an error detection field, and the error detection field is used to indicate a method for detecting data errors.

[0028] In one possible implementation, one or more of the first configuration package, the second configuration package, the third configuration package, and the fourth configuration package use a first data frame format, and the first data frame format includes a first control field, and the first control field is used to distinguish the transmission direction, and the transmission direction includes downlink transmission and uplink transmission.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the third node receives a fifth configuration packet sent by the host through the first node and the second node, the fifth configuration packet enables the second PHY module of the third node to play the master device role in the communication link, and the second node obtains and detects the fifth configuration packet and then discards the configuration packet.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the peripheral configuration interfaces of the first node and the second node are selected to be the same or different peripheral configuration interfaces through pin multiplexing.

[0031] In a possible implementation, service data is transmitted between the host, the first node, and the second node, and the service data includes real-time information, and the real-time information is used for real-time information interaction.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the business data includes at least one of audio data, radar data, image data, sensor data, and vehicle control and management data.

[0033] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit for executing each step of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0034] In a fourth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a processing device and a chip, wherein the processing device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and the chip is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 16 to 27. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a system structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a network link topology structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG3 is a second schematic diagram of a network link topology structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG4 is a flowchart of a configuration method for a host provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG5( a ) is a first schematic diagram of a configuration process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG5( b ) is a second schematic diagram of a configuration process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG5( c ) is a third schematic diagram of a configuration process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG6 is a second flowchart of a configuration method for a host provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG7 is a flow chart of a configuration termination method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG8 is a flow chart of a configuration method for multiple nodes provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a data frame format provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a service data frame format provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Nowadays, in-vehicle devices and functions are becoming more diverse. An in-vehicle system may include a head node and multiple sub-nodes, which are connected via a physical transmission medium such as twisted pair cables. The head node and multiple sub-nodes can be configured to form a network link structure, allowing data to be transmitted within the network structure to meet the different application scenarios of the in-vehicle system. For example, in the in-vehicle audio data transmission scenario, the in-vehicle system includes an audio master device (head node) and multiple audio slave devices (sub-nodes), thereby realizing entertainment functions such as music playback, call functions for making or receiving calls, and voice control functions for voice recognition.

[0050] It should be understood that the terms "vehicle", "on-board" or "in-vehicle" or other similar terms used herein generally include various private or commercial vehicles such as sedans, sport utility vehicles, buses, trucks, etc., as well as various boats, ships, aircraft, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles.

[0051] However, how to more efficiently and simply configure the first node and sub-nodes in the network to make the network link more reliable and stable has become a problem that needs to be solved.

[0052] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, not all structures.

[0053] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "and / or" describes the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0054] As used throughout this description and in the claims, a list of items linked by the term "at least one of" or "one or more of" may mean any combination of the listed items. For example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, or C" may mean A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B, and C.

[0055] The term "circuit" or "module" may refer to one or more passive and / or active components that are arranged to collaborate with each other to provide desired functionality. The terms "coupling" and "connection," along with their derivatives, may be used to describe the functional or structural relationship between components in this article. It should be understood that these terms are not intended to be synonymous with each other. On the contrary, in a particular embodiment, "connection" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical, optical or electrical contact with each other. "Coupling" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct or indirect (with other intermediate elements between them) physical or electrical contact with each other, and / or that two or more elements collaborate or interact with each other (e.g., as in a causal relationship).

[0056] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system structure provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the system structure includes a host, a head node and multiple sub-nodes. The host can be connected to the head node through any peripheral interface such as an integrated circuit internal circuit (Inter-Integrated Circuit, I2C), a serial peripheral interface (Serial Peripheral Interface, SPI), a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART), and a system management interface (System Management Interface, SMI). The head node and multiple sub-nodes can be connected through a physical transmission medium. The physical transmission medium is, for example, a twisted pair cable. This application does not make specific restrictions on this. The host, the head node and multiple sub-nodes communicate with each other to form a networking link. The first node can directly receive data, control commands, etc. sent by the host, and can encapsulate, integrate, and process the data, information, and commands before transmitting them downlink to multiple child nodes. The first node can also directly generate data and transmit it downlink to multiple child nodes. The host controls and instructs multiple child nodes in the networking link through the first node. Specifically, the host processes the data through the first node and then transmits the data downlink to multiple child nodes or collects data transmitted uplink by multiple child nodes. In downlink transmission, data processing includes data encapsulation and unpacking, etc. In uplink transmission, data processing includes data decapsulation and packet assembly, etc. The child node can forward the data sent by the previous adjacent node to the next adjacent node, and can obtain data collected by peripheral devices and transmit it uplink to the first node. The first node can directly receive the collected data or further transmit it to the host after processing.

[0057] The host is a device that controls or processes the networking link. For example, the host can be or can include one or more of various processors such as a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), and a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit). The head node and the child node are used for data transmission in the networking link and can be any device, module or chip that can execute the solution of the present application, for example, a physical layer (PHY) chip. In order to achieve shorter latency, higher bandwidth utilization and higher precision data transmission, the networking link transmission in the embodiment of the present application can be based on the Ethernet protocol or based on a private Ethernet packet format definition to support full-duplex transmission and increase transmission bandwidth.

[0058] In addition, both the head node and the child node can be connected to peripheral devices. This application does not limit the connection method between the head node or the child node and the peripheral devices. For example, the child node 1 can be connected to one or more peripheral devices through an I2C bus, or it can be connected to multiple peripheral devices through multiple I2C buses. By connecting the head node and the child node to the peripheral devices, different functional applications can be achieved. The peripheral devices can be various communication sensing devices such as microphones, speakers, audio amplifiers, millimeter wave radars, lidars, ultrasonic radars, cameras, positioning systems, speed sensors, humidity sensors, light intensity sensors, speakers, etc. For example, when the system structure shown in Figure 1 is applied to an in-vehicle audio scenario, the peripheral devices can be speakers and / or microphones.

[0059] It should be understood that the features such as the host, first node, and sub-node involved in the embodiments of the present application can be logical concepts or physical concepts. Furthermore, multiple features can be multiple physical devices respectively, or multiple features can be combined into one physical device. For example, the host and the first node can be integrated into a circuit board or a physical device. This application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0060] The system structure shown in FIG1 can form various forms of topological connection structures, such as the daisy chain topological networking structure shown in FIG2 . Furthermore, it can also form a double daisy chain topological structure as shown in FIG3 .

[0061] As shown in FIG2 , the number of sub-nodes is 7 as an example. It should be understood that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of sub-nodes. In FIG1 , the first node and sub-node 1 are connected via a physical transmission medium, and then sub-nodes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are connected via a physical transmission medium in sequence. Sub-node 7 is connected to the first node via a physical transmission medium, thereby forming a complete single serial daisy chain topology structure. Communication data can be transmitted in this serial daisy chain topology structure. It should be understood that the first node and the sub-nodes can each be additionally connected to one or more peripheral devices as shown in FIG1 . For the sake of simplicity, this is not shown in FIG2 .

[0062] Furthermore, the networking structure shown in FIG3 supports disconnection between subnodes to form a double daisy chain topology. Specifically, in FIG2 , the first node 0 and subnode 1 are connected via a physical transmission medium, while two adjacent nodes among subnodes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 can be disconnected, and the other nodes are connected in turn via a physical transmission medium. It should be understood that the disconnection of two adjacent nodes can be achieved by software configuration to disconnect the nodes, or by hardware, such as by disconnecting the physical transmission medium between the nodes. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the method of disconnection. For example, child node 3 and child node 4 can be disconnected, that is, child node 3 and child node 4 are not connected through a physical transmission medium, while the first node 0, child node 1, child node 2, and child node 3 are connected in sequence through a physical transmission medium, and child node 4, child node 5, child node 6, child node 7, and the first node 0 are also connected in sequence through a physical transmission medium. In other words, the overall network structure can be divided into two daisy chain links. One daisy chain link is called the right daisy chain link, including the first node 0, child node 1, child node 2, and child node 3. The other daisy chain link can be called the left daisy chain link, including the first node 0, child node 7, child node 6, child node 5, and child node 4.

[0063] The networking structure shown in Figure 3 supports disconnection between subnodes, improving the system's fault tolerance and shortening transmission latency to ensure synchronous and real-time transmission. Specifically, if, in a real-world in-car audio application scenario, a fault occurs in a car audio system, such as subnode 4, then in the complete daisy-chain network shown in Figure 2, only the first node 0, subnode 1, subnode 2, and subnode 3 can normally transmit audio data. If the networking structure shown in Figure 3 is used, if subnode 4 fails, subnodes 3 and 4 can be disconnected, resulting in the overall network structure being divided into two links. The first link includes the first node 0, subnode 1, subnode 2, and subnode 3, and the second link includes the first node 0, subnode 7, subnode 6, subnode 5, and subnode 4. A failure of subnode 4 will not affect data transmission in the right daisy-chain link, nor will it affect data transmission in the left daisy-chain link. Therefore, the networking structure shown in Figure 3 improves the system's fault tolerance and reduces the impact of subnode failures on data transmission. In addition, the networking structure shown in Figure 3 can support the disconnection between sub-nodes and thus divide them into two links. Then, the data sent by the first node can be transmitted on the left daisy chain and the right daisy chain at the same time. Compared with the networking structure of a complete serial link shown in Figure 2, the networking structure shown in Figure 3 for data transmission can shorten the data transmission delay, thereby ensuring the synchronization and real-time transmission of data between different nodes, and improving the user experience.

[0064] In the networking structures shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, there are two directions of transmission, namely downlink transmission and uplink transmission. Downlink transmission refers to data transmission in the transmission direction from the head node to the child node, and uplink transmission refers to data transmission in the transmission direction from the child node to the head node. For example, in the downlink transmission of the networking structure shown in Figure 2, after the host generates data, it is first sent by the host to the head node 0. The path of data transmission can be head node 0 → child node 1 → child node 2 → child node 3 ... → child node 7. It should be understood that data can also be generated by the head node and transmitted downward to the child node along the downlink transmission path; in the uplink transmission of the networking structure shown in Figure 2, the path of data transmission can be child node 7 → child node 6 → child node 5 → ... → head node 0. For another example, in the downlink transmission of the networking structure shown in FIG3 , after the host generates data, it is first sent by the host to the head node 0. The data transmission path can be a left daisy chain and a right daisy chain. The right daisy chain transmission path is head node 0 → child node 1 → child node 2 → child node 3, and the left daisy chain transmission path is head node 0 → child node 1 → child node 2 → child node 3 → child node 4. It should be understood that in the dual daisy chain networking structure shown in FIG3 , only one daisy chain can be selected for data transmission, or both the left and right daisy chains can be used for data transmission to improve transmission efficiency. In the uplink transmission of the networking structure shown in FIG3 , the right daisy chain transmission path is child node 3 → child node 2 → child node 1 → head node 0, and the left daisy chain transmission path is child node 4 → child node 3 → child node 2 → child node 1 → head node 0. It should be understood that in downlink or uplink transmission, only transmission between child nodes can be achieved. That is, a child node generates data on its own and transmits it to each child node in the downlink or uplink direction.

[0065] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a configuration method for the host in the system shown in Figure 1 to efficiently and simply configure the head node and child nodes, so that it can establish a networking link structure as described in Figures 1 to 3 above to form a reliable, stable and efficient link transmission, so that the networking link structure can be applied to different functional scenarios, such as in-vehicle audio playback, in-vehicle radar communication, in-vehicle image processing, etc.

[0066] FIG4 is a flow chart of a configuration method provided in an embodiment of the present application, and FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a configuration process provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG4 , the configuration method 100 includes:

[0067] In step 110 , the host sends a first configuration packet to the first node, so that the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module of the first node plays a master device role in the communication link.

[0068] It should be noted that, as shown in FIG5 (a), in the initial state of the system, that is, before the link configuration is performed, each node defaults to the initial state, and each node is an unknown node, that is, it does not have the functions of the first node and each child node described in FIG1 to FIG3 above, and is not distinguished as a first node or a child node. Each node is connected through a physical transmission medium such as a twisted pair. Before the link configuration is not performed, the nodes can be named as the first node, the second node, the third node, etc. according to the connection order on the physical transmission medium. Among them, the first node is the node closest to the host. The first node will be configured as the first node in FIG1 to FIG3 above. The first node and the host can be connected through any peripheral interface such as I2C. As shown in FIG5, each node includes two PHY modules, namely the first PHY module and the second PHY module. Before the link configuration is not performed, the first PHY module and the second PHY module of each node default to the slave role with no link connection established.

[0069] It should be understood that the first PHY module and the second PHY module can both be used as separate devices or chips, and thus be packaged together into one device or chip as a head node or a child node. Alternatively, the first PHY module and the second PHY module can also be integrated into one device or chip as a head node or a child node. It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific hardware form of the PHY module and the node.

[0070] The host sends a first configuration packet to the first node through any peripheral interface, such as an I2C interface, to perform a first configuration, thereby configuring the first PHY module and the second PHY module of the first node so that the first PHY module and the second PHY module both play the role of master devices in data communication. It should be understood that in the communication link of the present application, one party needs to be configured as the master device (master) before a link can be established between the master device and the slave device.

[0071] It should be noted that, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the embodiment of the present application supports a single daisy chain networking structure as shown in Figure 2, and also supports a dual daisy chain networking structure as shown in Figure 3. If the single daisy chain networking structure shown in Figure 2 is adopted, one side of the head node is connected to the child node, and the link configuration is initiated in sequence. If the dual daisy chain networking structure shown in Figure 3 is adopted, the left and right sides of the head node can be connected to the child node, and the link configuration is initiated in sequence from the right side to form a right daisy chain, and from the left side to form a left daisy chain. Therefore, in the method proposed in the present application, the link configuration can be initiated only from one side of the head node to form a single serial daisy chain structure, or the link configuration can be initiated from both the left and right sides of the head node to form two daisy chain structures.

[0072] As shown in Figure 5, the first PHY module in the first node (first node) is connected to the child node on the right, and the second PHY module is connected to the child node on the other side (not shown in the figure). For the daisy chain topology shown in Figure 2, the first PHY module or the second PHY module is configured as the master device role in data communication, so that a single link connection can be established in the first node in the right direction or the left direction. For the dual daisy chain topology shown in Figure 3, both the first device and the second device need to be configured as the master device role in data communication, so that two link connections can be established to form a dual daisy chain link. Only when the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module in the first node (first node) are configured as the master device role in the communication link can data be transmitted downlink. The embodiment of the present application takes the link configuration initiated in the right direction as an example to explain the detailed chain configuration process. It should be understood that this example satisfies the networking structures shown in Figures 2 and 3 at the same time.

[0073] Therefore, through step 110, the networking link can be flexibly configured to realize various daisy chain topology transmission modes, which can be applied to data transmission scenarios under different requirements, such as the single daisy chain transmission in Figure 2, or the double daisy chain transmission shown in Figure 3, to improve the system fault tolerance of the network, and shorten the transmission delay to ensure the synchronization and real-time performance of the transmission.

[0074] Optionally, as shown in FIG6 , before step 110 , method 100 further includes step 101 : the host sends a second configuration package to the first node, where the second configuration package is used to configure basic configurations such as a node number for the first node.

[0075] In step 101, the host can connect to the first node via, for example, an I2C bus and send a second configuration package to the first node via the I2C interface for second configuration. The second configuration package is used to perform basic configuration on the first node and enable it to function as a primary node. The basic configuration includes configuring one or more of the node number, interface, and transceiver cycle. It should be understood that the number of second configuration packages can be one or more to meet the basic configuration requirements of different applications. Only through the basic configuration of the second configuration package can the host identify the primary node and send data to the primary node for transmission, and the primary node can also perform functions such as issuing control commands, instruction information, and data encapsulation.

[0076] Therefore, after step 101, after the host sends all the second configuration packages to the first node, that is, after completing the basic configuration of the first node, step 110 is performed to configure the first PHY module and the second PHY module of the first node, thereby avoiding the node being unable to distinguish the configuration packages sent by the host, so as to ensure the normal and reliable configuration of the networking link.

[0077] Optionally, the first configuration package and the second configuration package in the embodiments of the present application may be the same configuration package. That is, a configuration package is sent to the first node, in which the basic configuration of the second configuration package is first performed, and then the first configuration package is used to configure the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module to play the master role in the communication link. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the first configuration package and the second configuration package.

[0078] Step 120: After the host confirms that the first PHY module of the first node is connected to the first PHY module of the second node, the first node and the second node establish a link.

[0079] Specifically, before the first configuration is performed, the first PHY module and the second PHY module of all nodes are defaulted to the slave device role in the communication link. After the first PHY module of the first node is configured as the master device role, the first PHY module of the first node, which is the master device, can automatically connect to the first PHY module of the second node, which is the slave device role, thereby establishing a link connection between the first node and the second node. It should be understood that in step 120, the second node is a node adjacent to the first node on the physical transmission medium.

[0080] In step 120, as shown in FIG5(b), the first PHY module in the first node, as the master device, can automatically connect to the first PHY module in the second node, which is the slave device, indicating that a link connection has been established. In step 120, in order to ensure that the link is successfully established, the host will confirm whether the second node has successfully established the link after the first PHY module in the first node automatically connects to the first PHY module in the second node. Only after ensuring that the link is successfully established will the configuration of the second node be initiated. Specifically, the host can periodically query the link status of the second node through software to confirm whether the link is successfully established, or it can confirm whether the link is successfully established by having the second node report a link interruption feedback packet to the host. The link interruption feedback packet is used by the node to inform the host of the current link status, that is, to inform the host whether the link has been established or not.

[0081] Through steps 110 and 120, the host configures the above-mentioned first node and efficiently and simply establishes a link between the first node and the child node 1, so that the host can send data to the first node or further send it to the child node 1 through the first node, and the child node 1 can also transmit data upward to the first node or the host.

[0082] Step 130: The host sends a third configuration packet to the second node, so that the second PHY module in the second node plays the role of a master device in the communication link.

[0083] Specifically, the second node may be a node adjacent to the first node (the first node), and the second node will be configured as the child node 1 in Figures 1 to 3 above. Since the first node (the first node) and the second node have successfully established a link after steps 110 and 120, in step 130, the host may send a third configuration packet to the second node through the first node (the first node), so that the second PHY module in the second node plays the role of the master device in the communication link.

[0084] Optionally, as shown in FIG6 , before step 130 and after step 120 , method 100 further includes step 121 : the host sends a fourth configuration package to the second node, where the fourth configuration package is used to configure basic configurations such as a node number for the second node.

[0085] In step 121, since the host has successfully established a link with the first node (first node) and the second node after steps 110 and 120, in step 130, the host can send a fourth configuration package to the second node through the first node (first node). The fourth configuration package is used to perform basic configuration on the second node and enable it to have the function of a child node. The basic configuration includes, for example, configuration registers, node numbers, interfaces, transceiver cycles, etc. It should be understood that the number of fourth configuration packages can be one or more to meet the basic configuration requirements of different applications. Only by performing basic configuration with the fourth configuration package can the host recognize the second node as a child node and send data to be transmitted to the second node, and the second node can have functions such as data forwarding and obtaining data collected by peripheral devices.

[0086] Therefore, after step 121, after the host sends all the fourth configuration packages to the second node, that is, after completing the basic configuration of the second node, it configures the second PHY module of the second node through step 110, thereby avoiding the node being unable to distinguish the configuration packages sent by the host, so as to ensure the normal and reliable configuration of the networking link.

[0087] Optionally, the third and fourth configuration packages can also be the same configuration package. That is, a configuration package is sent to the second node, in which the basic configuration of the fourth configuration package is first performed, and then the third configuration package is used to configure the second PHY module to play the master role in the communication link. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the third and fourth configuration packages.

[0088] Step 140: After the host confirms that the second PHY module of the second node is connected to the first PHY module of the third node, the second node and the third node establish a link.

[0089] Specifically, after the second PHY module of the second node is configured as the master device role, the second PHY module in the second node as the master device role can be automatically connected to the first PHY module in the third node as the slave device role, thereby establishing a link connection between the second node and its adjacent third node.

[0090] In step 140, as shown in FIG5(c), the second PHY module in the second node, as the master device, can automatically connect to the first PHY module in the third node, which is the slave device, indicating that a link connection has been established. In step 140, as described in step 120, in order to ensure that the link is successfully established, the host will confirm whether the third node has successfully established the link after the second PHY module in the second node automatically connects to the first PHY module in the third node. Only after ensuring that the link is successfully established will the configuration of the next adjacent node of the second node, i.e., the third node, be initiated. Optionally, the host can periodically query the link status of the third node through software to confirm whether the link is successfully established, or can confirm whether the link is successfully established by having the third node report a link interruption feedback packet to the host. The link interruption feedback packet is used by the node to inform the host of the current link status, i.e., to inform the host whether the link has been established or not.

[0091] After the link is established using the above method, the host can control and instruct multiple sub-nodes (second node and / or third node) in the networking link through the first node (first node). Specifically, the host processes the data through the first node (first node) and then transmits the data downlink to multiple sub-nodes (second node and / or third node) or collects data transmitted uplink by multiple sub-nodes (second node and / or third node). In downlink transmission, data processing includes data encapsulation, unpacking, etc., and in uplink transmission, data processing includes data decapsulation, packet assembly, etc.

[0092] Therefore, through the above method 100, the host can efficiently and simply configure multiple nodes to achieve a reliable and stable networking link structure for data transmission, and improve the fault tolerance of the system, increase the flexibility of the link configuration, and realize various daisy chain topology transmission modes to suit data transmission scenarios under different requirements.

[0093] Furthermore, as shown in FIG6 , method 100 may also include steps 150 and 160, wherein step 150 is used to configure the next node of the second node, that is, to configure the third node, and step 160 is used to establish a link between the third node and the next node of the third node. After configuration, the third node becomes the subnode 2 in FIG1 to FIG3 .

[0094] Step 150: The host sends a fifth configuration packet to the third node, so that the second PHY module in the third node plays the role of a master device in the communication link.

[0095] Before step 150 and after step 140, method 100 further includes step 141:

[0096] The host sends a sixth configuration packet to the third node, where the sixth configuration packet is used to configure basic configurations such as a node number for the third node.

[0097] Step 160: The second PHY module of the third node is connected to the first PHY module of the next node, so that a link is established between the third node and the next node.

[0098] The specific processes of step 141, step 150 and step 160 can refer to the relevant operations and descriptions of the second node (sub-node 1) in step 130 and step 121, and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0099] In addition, as shown in Figure 5, in steps 141 and 150, since all nodes that have established a link can receive the configuration package sent by the host during downlink transmission, the host sends the fifth configuration package and the sixth configuration package to the third node via the first node and the second node. Specifically, the first node transmits the sixth configuration package and the fifth configuration package sent to the third node downward. After the second node receives the sixth configuration package and the fifth configuration package sent to the third node, it also transmits the sixth configuration package and the fifth configuration package sent to the third node downward, and obtains the sixth configuration package and the fifth configuration package for data packet detection. Since the second node has completed link establishment and configuration, it detects that the sixth configuration package and the fifth configuration package do not contain its own node number and other information. Therefore, it determines that the sixth configuration package and the fifth configuration package are not packets sent by the host or the first node to itself, and then discards the sixth configuration package and the fifth configuration package sent to the third node.

[0100] After all the above steps, the configuration and chain building process of the first node (first node), the second node (sub-node 1), and the third node (sub-node 2) are completed. By analogy, the configuration and chain building process of N nodes can be completed to form a complete daisy chain link structure. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of N.

[0101] Therefore, through the method 100 shown in Figure 6 above, any number of nodes can be configured efficiently and simply to achieve a reliable and stable networking link structure for data transmission, and the fault tolerance of the system is improved, the flexibility of the link configuration is increased, and various daisy chain topology transmission modes can be realized to suit data transmission scenarios under different requirements.

[0102] Furthermore, as shown in FIG7 , the embodiment of the present application further provides a method 200 for determining whether the link establishment configuration is completed. The method 200 is used by the host to determine whether the link establishment configuration process of the above method 100 is completed. Specifically, the method 200 includes:

[0103] Step 210: The first node is powered on and the configuration process is started. After the first node is powered on, it is in an initial state and becomes the first node in the daisy chain after being configured by the above method 100.

[0104] Step 220: The host starts the configuration timer and sets the expected maximum node number. When the configuration process begins, the host starts the configuration timer and sets the expected maximum node number. That is, it sets the maximum number of child nodes expected to be configured. The configuration timer has a time threshold, which is the time required for all child nodes to establish a link. Optionally, the time threshold can be set according to the networking protocol. For example, if a maximum of five nodes are expected to be configured, and the 100M automotive Ethernet protocol stipulates that the time required for each child node to establish a link is 100ms, the time threshold can be set to 500ms. For another example, the time threshold can also be set to 600ms, with some additional time reserved for fault tolerance based on the time specified by the networking protocol.

[0105] Step 230: The host determines whether the link establishment time of the currently configured node has timed out. Specifically, the host can periodically query the link establishment status of the node or determine whether the link is successfully established based on the link establishment interruption feedback packet replied by the node. The link establishment interruption feedback packet is used by the node to inform the host of the current link establishment status, such as from the state of not establishing a link to the state of establishing a link or from the state of establishing a link to the state of broken link. If the time for the node to successfully establish a link is determined to exceed the time threshold set in step 220 in step 230, it is determined to be timed out, and step 230 jumps to step 270. In step 270, an alarm is reported, that is, a configuration error is reported to the host, or only the nodes that have been successfully configured to establish a link are used for data transmission; if the time for the node to successfully establish a link is determined to not exceed the time threshold in step 230, then step 240 is continued.

[0106] Step 240: Checks whether the configured node number is equal to the expected maximum node number. After the host determines in step 230 that the node link is successfully established and has not timed out, it then checks whether the configured node number is equal to the expected maximum node number set in step 220. If so, it proceeds to step 250, stopping and completing the configuration, and resetting the configuration timer to 0. If not, it proceeds to step 260, indicating that the configuration process is not complete and proceeding to the next node.

[0107] Step 260: Continue configuring the next node. After configuring the next node, the process returns to step 230 and continues to determine whether the link establishment time for the configured node has timed out in step 230. This process continues until the configured node number equals the expected maximum node number, indicating that all nodes have been configured. The process then stops and the configuration timer is reset to 0.

[0108] Therefore, through the above method 200, a configuration timer is set, and an alarm is reported once it times out, or only nodes that have been successfully configured to establish a link are used for data transmission. This can promptly detect errors that occur during the configuration process and report faults in a timely manner, and non-faulty nodes can work normally, ensuring a reliable link configuration process and increasing the fault tolerance of the link configuration.

[0109] After the link configuration is complete, except for the first node (head node), the first PHY module of other nodes (child nodes) plays the role of a slave device in the data communication link, used to receive data from the previous node in downlink transmission and send data to the previous node in uplink transmission. The second PHY module plays the role of a master device in the data communication link, used to send data to the next node in downlink transmission and receive data from the next node in uplink transmission. In other words, the first PHY module is used for data transmission with the previous node, and the second PHY module is used for data transmission with the next node.

[0110] In the above implementation, since the first PHY module and the second PHY module correspond to the device network port respectively, when the current sub-node has not established a link, that is, when the first PHY module of the current sub-node has not successfully connected to the second PHY module of the previous sub-node, the link establishment process between the current sub-node and the next sub-node will not be started, that is, the connection between the second PHY module of the current sub-node and the first PHY module of the next sub-node will not be started. Therefore, if the device network port is assembled incorrectly, it can be quickly identified during assembly, thereby improving the efficiency of problem solving.

[0111] In the above implementation, the configuration interface between the host and the head node, between the head node and the child node, and between the child node and the child node can be any peripheral interface, for example, it can be configured through I2C, SPI, UART, SMI and other configuration interfaces. Optionally, the peripheral configuration interface of the head node and the child node can be selected as the same or different peripheral configuration interfaces through pin multiplexing. Optionally, the peripheral configuration interface of the head node can be configured through strapping technology, and the peripheral configuration interface type of the child node can also be configured through strapping technology, or configured by sending a configuration command from the host or the head node.

[0112] In the above implementation, when the host sends a configuration package to each node for configuration, each node can reply with an uplink response packet to the host after receiving the configuration package, or a child node can reply with an uplink response packet to the head node. The uplink response packet includes a normal response packet and a retransmission request packet. Optionally, the configuration package can carry error detection information to verify the integrity of the configuration package during transmission, improve the reliability of the configuration process, and reduce problems caused by configuration package errors. Error detection information can specifically include a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) or an error correction code (ECC). The CRC approach is simpler, reduces the data complexity of the configuration package, and is more suitable for scenarios with low bit error rates. Furthermore, after receiving the configuration package with error detection information, each node can reply with a normal response packet to the host if the error detection is correct. If the CRC is incorrect or the ECC cannot perform error correction, each node can choose to send a retransmission request packet to the host to inform the host of the configuration package error or further request the host to retransmit the configuration package. By carrying detection information in the configuration package and the uplink response mechanism of the child node, reliable configuration transmission can be achieved. Optionally, in some implementations, the uplink response packet that each node replies to the head node may also only include a retransmission request packet or a normal response packet.

[0113] Through the above method, node chain configuration can be achieved to form a network link structure. Furthermore, after the chain configuration is completed, the network link structure can be used to transmit business data, including various business data such as audio data, radar data, image data, sensor data, and vehicle control and management data, to implement different functional applications. Furthermore, during the process of transmitting business data, the host can perform read and write operations on each node, and / or the head node can perform read and write operations on each child node. Specifically, read and write operations can be performed by issuing read and write packets. During read operations, each node will reply with a read response packet based on the read and write packets. Through read operations, the host and / or head node can read the status of each node and / or each child node, thereby implementing functions such as scheduling coordination, monitoring management, data analysis, and decision-making. Through write operations, the host and / or head node can rewrite each node and / or child node to implement functions such as data distribution, configuration updates, centralized control, and fault handling. Therefore, read and write operations can achieve collaborative work and management between nodes, thereby establishing an efficient network link structure and improving the performance and reliability of the network link.

[0114] Correspondingly, an embodiment of the present application also provides a configuration method 300, which is used for multiple nodes in the system shown in Figure 1, including the first node and each child node. The configuration method 300 shown in Figure 8 enables multiple nodes to establish a networking link structure as described in Figures 1 to 3 above to form a reliable, stable and efficient link transmission, so that the networking link structure can be applied to different functional scenarios, such as in-vehicle audio playback, in-vehicle radar communication, in-vehicle image processing, etc.

[0115] As shown in FIG8 , the configuration method 300 includes:

[0116] Step 310: The first node receives a first configuration packet sent by the host, and the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module of the first node plays the role of a master device in the communication link.

[0117] The specific implementation process of step 310 can refer to the relevant process and description of step 110 in the above method 100, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0118] Through step 310, the networking links can be flexibly configured to implement various daisy chain topology transmission modes, which can be applied to data transmission scenarios under different requirements, such as the single daisy chain transmission in Figure 2 or the double daisy chain transmission in Figure 3, to improve the system fault tolerance of the network and shorten the transmission delay to ensure the synchronization and real-time performance of the transmission. Before step 310, method 300 also includes step 301:

[0119] The first node receives a second configuration package sent by the host, where the second configuration package is used by the first node to perform basic configurations such as configuring a node number.

[0120] The specific implementation process of step 301 can refer to the relevant process and description of step 101 in the above method 100, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0121] After step 301, after the host sends all the second configuration packages to the first node, that is, after completing the basic configuration of the first node, step 310 is performed to perform basic configuration on the first PHY module and the second PHY module of the first node, thereby avoiding the node being unable to distinguish the configuration packages sent by the host, so as to ensure the normal and reliable configuration of the networking link.

[0122] Step 320: The first PHY module of the first node is connected to the first PHY module of the second node to establish a link between the first node and the second node.

[0123] The specific implementation process of step 320 can refer to the relevant process and description of step 120 in the above method 100, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0124] Through steps 310 and 320, the configuration of multiple nodes including the head node and sub-nodes is realized, and the link between the head node and sub-node 1 is established efficiently and simply, so that data can be transmitted downlink through the head node or uplink through the sub-node.

[0125] Step 330: The second node receives the third configuration packet sent by the host, and the second PHY module of the second node plays the role of a master device in the communication link.

[0126] The specific implementation process of step 330 can refer to the relevant process and description of step 130 in the above method 100, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0127] Before step 330 and after step 320 , the method 300 further includes step 321 : the second node receives a fourth configuration package sent by the host, where the fourth configuration package is used to configure basic configurations such as a node number for the second node.

[0128] The specific implementation process of step 321 can refer to the relevant process and description of step 121 in the above method 100, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0129] After step 321, after the second node receives all the fourth configuration packages sent by the host, that is, after the basic configuration of the second node is completed, the second PHY module of the second node is configured through step 310, so as to avoid the node being unable to distinguish the configuration packages sent by the host, so as to ensure the normal and reliable configuration of the networking link.

[0130] Step 340: The second PHY module of the second node is connected to the first PHY module of the third node, so that a link is established between the second node and the third node.

[0131] The specific implementation process of step 340 can refer to the relevant process and description of step 140 in the above method 100, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0132] Therefore, the above method 300 can be used to efficiently and simply configure multiple nodes including the head node and sub-nodes to achieve a reliable and stable networking link structure for data transmission, and improve the fault tolerance of the system, increase the flexibility of the link configuration, and realize various daisy chain topology transmission modes to suit data transmission scenarios under different requirements.

[0133] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a data frame format provided in an embodiment of the present application. This data frame format can be applicable to various link establishment configuration packets and read-write packets transmitted downlink in the above description, or various configuration-related data such as uplink response packets and read response packets transmitted uplink by nodes in the above method.

[0134] The data frame format shown in FIG9 includes a first preamble, a first control field, a first repetition control field, a destination node number, node information, an address field, a data field, and an error detection field.

[0135] Specifically, the first preamble is used to identify the start of a frame. The first preamble may be a first preamble specified by various communication protocols, such as a first preamble specified by Ethernet.

[0136] The first control field is used to distinguish the data transmission direction of the data frame, that is, to distinguish whether it is downlink data or uplink data. Downlink data may include link configuration packets, read and write packets, etc., and uplink data may include uplink response packets, read response packets, etc., and / or, to distinguish whether it is left daisy chain transmission or right daisy chain transmission.

[0137] The first repeated control field. Optionally, the data frame format may include a first repeated control field to ensure that the first control field can be normally identified, or to expand the first control field for multiple controls.

[0138] The destination node number is used to identify each node so that the host can identify the role of each node and ensure accurate data transmission. Optionally, node number 0 represents the first node, and the node numbers of other child nodes are configured according to the above method 100.

[0139] Node information is used to indicate the specific information of the current data frame, including one or more indications of the error detection method of the current data frame, the configured target device, and the data frame type. Specifically, the node information can indicate that the error detection method of the current data frame is CRC or ECC, etc., and the configured target device can include one or more of the first device, the second device, and the peripheral device. The data frame type includes an indication that the current data frame is a link configuration, a read operation, a write operation, an uplink response, or a read response. As shown in Figure 5, each node includes two PHY modules. For the first node (the first node), the first PHY module is used to initiate the link configuration from the right side of the first node to form a right daisy chain, that is, the first PHY module acts as the master device of the right daisy chain, and the second PHY module is used to initiate the link configuration from the left side of the first node to form a left daisy chain, that is, the second PHY module acts as the master device of the left daisy chain; for the child node, the first PHY module is used to communicate data with the previous node, and the second PHY module is used to communicate data with the next node. Therefore, it is necessary to indicate the target device configured for the current data frame in the node information.

[0140] Among them, since the link configuration or read-write operation is the information that needs to be indicated in the data frame of downlink transmission, and the uplink response and read response are the information that needs to be indicated in the data frame in uplink transmission, in order to reduce the complexity of the data frame, the link configuration or read-write operation and the uplink response and read response can share the same bit. For example, when bit3 in this field can be used to indicate the link configuration or read-write operation in downlink transmission, as well as the uplink response and read response in uplink transmission, during downlink transmission, bit3=0 indicates that the data frame is a link configuration or a "write" operation, bit3=1 indicates that the data frame is a "read" operation, and when during uplink transmission, bit3=0 indicates that the data frame is a normal response or a read response, and bit3=1 indicates that the data frame is a request for retransmission.

[0141] The address field is used to indicate the register address for link configuration or read / write operations.

[0142] The data field is used to indicate the specific data of the link configuration or read / write operation. For example, in downlink transmission, it indicates the data to which the register at a certain address is changed. In uplink transmission, the data field can be the specific data of the register being read.

[0143] The error detection field is used to indicate the error detection method of the data frame, for example, it can be various check and error correction methods such as CRC or ECC. Specifically, multiple error correction algorithms can be set according to the configuration of the node.

[0144] The data frame format described in Figure 9 is applicable to various link establishment configuration packets, read-write packets for downlink transmission in the above description, or uplink response packets, read response packets and other configuration-related data for uplink transmission of nodes in the above method. It can reduce the complexity of data transmission in the networking link structure, improve the transmission and configuration efficiency of the networking link, and improve the reliable transmission of configuration, reading and writing data.

[0145] In the above implementation, optionally, in order to perform periodic maintenance on the networking link after configuration and link establishment, and to efficiently handle link exceptions, the present application can add real-time information to the business data for real-time information interaction between the host and the head node, sub-nodes, and real-time information interaction between sub-nodes.

[0146] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of a service data frame format provided by an embodiment of the present application. The service data frame can be used for both uplink and downlink service data. The service data frame format shown in Figure 10 includes a second preamble, a second control field, a second repetition control field, a main data field, and real-time information.

[0147] Specifically, the second preamble is used to identify the start of a frame. The preamble may be a preamble specified by various communication protocols, such as a preamble specified by Ethernet.

[0148] The second control field is used to distinguish the data transmission direction of the data frame and / or to distinguish whether it is left daisy chain transmission or right daisy chain transmission.

[0149] Second repeated control field: Optionally, the service data frame format may include a repeated control field to ensure that the control field can be normally identified, or to expand the control field for multiple controls.

[0150] The main data field is specific business data, such as audio data, radar data, image data, sensor data, etc. Optionally, the main data field may include slot0, slot1, slot2...slotN, which respectively represent the business data of the head node 0, child node 1, child node 2...child node N.

[0151] Real-time information is used for real-time information exchange between nodes to facilitate link maintenance and anomaly detection and reporting. Specifically, during downlink transmission, each subnode can periodically obtain real-time information from the service data packet to send important real-time internal register information and general purpose input / output (GPIO) data to the peripheral devices connected to the subnode. During uplink transmission, the subnode can include the information it needs to report in the real-time information of the service data and report it. The information to be reported may include: interrupt information, GPIO information input by the subnode, and important register values ​​of the subnode.

[0152] Therefore, by carrying real-time information through business data, it is easy to interact with information between nodes in real time. The first node and the host can know the status of the sub-nodes in the link in real time. The sub-nodes can report abnormal situations to the first node in a timely manner through the real-time information of the business data and further report them to the host, so that abnormal situations can be resolved in time, which is conducive to efficient link maintenance and abnormality detection reporting, and realizes a stable and reliable networking link structure.

[0153] In order to realize the above functions, other sub-nodes such as the host, the first node (first node) and the second node (sub-node 1) may include hardware structures and / or software modules that perform the corresponding functions. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the algorithmic steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driven hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present application.

[0154] In the embodiment of the present application, the host, the first node (primary node), the second node (subnode 1), and other subnodes can be divided into functional units according to the above method example. For example, each functional unit can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one unit. The above integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0155] As shown in Figure 11, this embodiment also provides a communication device 400, which includes a processing unit 410 and a transceiver unit 420. The processing unit 410 is used to perform data and signal processing, and the transceiver unit 420 is used to send and / or receive data and signals. The processing unit 410 and the transceiver unit 420 are used to perform the corresponding operations and processes implemented by the host in the method 100 and method 200 of the embodiment of the present application, or to perform the corresponding operations and processes implemented by each node including the first node (first node), the second node (subnode 1), and the third node (subnode 2) in the method 300 of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, no further details are given here. Optionally, the communication device 400 may further include a storage unit for storing a computer program for the processing unit 410 to call and run.

[0156] As shown in Figure 12, this embodiment also provides a communication system 500, which includes a processing device 510 and a chip 520. The processing device 510 is used to execute the corresponding operations and processes implemented by the host in method 100 and method 200 of the embodiment of the present application, and the chip 520 is used to execute the corresponding processes and operations implemented by each node in method 300 of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, no further details are given here.

[0157] During implementation, each step of the above-mentioned method embodiment can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in a processor or instructions in the form of software. The above-mentioned processor or processing device can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component. The various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above-mentioned method in combination with its hardware.

[0158] The aforementioned memory may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. The non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM) and direct RAM bus random access memory (DR RAM). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0159] The “connection” in the embodiments of the present application includes but is not limited to various connection methods such as communication connection and electrical connection.

[0160] The specific examples in the embodiments of this application are only intended to help those skilled in the art better understand the embodiments of this application, rather than to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. Those skilled in the art may make various improvements and modifications based on the above embodiments, and these improvements or modifications shall fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0161] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A node configuration method, the node configuration method is used by a host to configure multiple nodes in a networking link, the node configuration method include: The host sends a first configuration packet to the first node, so that the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module of the first node plays the role of a master device in the communication link; After the host confirms that the first PHY module of the first node is connected to the first PHY module of the second node, the first node and the second node establish a link; The host sends a third configuration packet to the second node, so that the second PHY module of the second node plays the role of a master device in the communication link; After the host confirms that the second PHY module of the second node is connected to the first PHY module of the third node, the second node and the third node establish a link. 2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first PHY module of the second node and the first PHY module of the third node default to a slave device role in the communication link.

3. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The host controls the second node and / or the third node through the first node.

4. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first PHY module of the second node and the first PHY module of the third node are used for data transmission with the previous node, and the second PHY module of the second node and the second PHY module of the third node are used for data transmission with the next node.

5. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Before the host sends a first configuration packet to the first node so that the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module in the first node plays the role of a master device in the communication link, the node configuration method further includes: The host sends a second configuration package to the first node, where the second configuration package is used to perform basic configurations such as a node number on the first node.

6. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that After the host confirms that the first PHY module of the first node is connected to the first PHY module of the second node, the first node and the second node establish a link, including: The host queries the link establishment status of the second node through software, or the second node reports a link establishment interruption feedback packet to the host to confirm that the first node and the second node have established a link The link establishment interruption feedback packet is used to inform the host of the current link establishment status.

7. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Before the host sends a third configuration packet to the second node so that the second PHY module of the second node plays the role of a master device in the communication link, the node configuration method further includes: The host sends a fourth configuration package to the second node, where the fourth configuration package is used to configure basic configurations such as a node number on the second node.

8. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that After the host confirms that the second PHY module of the second node is connected to the first PHY module of the third node, the second node and the third node establish a link, including: The host queries the link establishment status of the third node through software, or the third node reports a link establishment interruption feedback packet to the host to confirm that the second node and the third node have established a link, and the link establishment interruption feedback packet is used to inform the host of the current link establishment status.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, It is characterized in that One or more of the first configuration package, the second configuration package, the third configuration package, and the fourth configuration package use a first data frame format, and the first data frame format includes an error detection field, and the error detection field is used to indicate a method for detecting data errors.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, It is characterized in that One or more of the first configuration package, the second configuration package, the third configuration package, and the fourth configuration package use a first data frame format, and the first data frame format includes a first control field, and the first control field is used to distinguish a transmission direction, and the transmission direction includes downlink transmission and uplink transmission.

11. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The method further comprises: The host sends a fifth configuration packet to the third node via the first node and the second node, wherein the fifth configuration packet enables the second PHY module of the third node to play the role of a master device in the communication link, and the second node obtains and detects the fifth configuration packet and then discards the configuration packet.

12. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The peripheral configuration interfaces of the first node and the second node are selected to be the same or different peripheral configuration interfaces through pin multiplexing.

13. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The host, the first node and the second node transmit service data, wherein the service data includes real-time information, and the real-time information is used for real-time information interaction.

14. The method according to claim 13, It is characterized in that The business data includes at least one of audio data, radar data, image data, sensor data, and vehicle control management data.

15. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The host enables a configuration timer and sets an expected configuration of N nodes, where N is greater than or equal to 2. The configuration timer is used to determine whether the time for configuring the N nodes has timed out.

16. A node configuration method, the node configuration method is used for multiple nodes in a networking link, the node configuration method include: The first node receives a first configuration packet sent by the host, wherein the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module of the first node plays the role of a master device in the communication link; The first PHY module of the first node is connected to the first PHY module of the second node to enable the first node and the second node to establish a link; The second node receives a third configuration packet sent by the host, and the second PHY module of the second node plays a master device role in the communication link; The second PHY module of the second node is connected to the first PHY module of the third node to enable the second node and the third node to establish a link.

17. The method according to claim 16, It is characterized in that The first PHY module of the second node and the first PHY module of the third node default to a slave device role in the communication link.

18. The method according to claim 16, It is characterized in that The host controls the second node and / or the third node through the first node.

19. The method according to claim 16, It is characterized in that The first PHY module of the second node and the first PHY module of the third node are used for data transmission with the previous node, and the second PHY module of the second node and the second PHY module of the third node are used for data transmission with the next node.

20. The method according to claim 16, It is characterized in that Before the first node receives a first configuration packet sent by the host and the first PHY module and / or the second PHY module of the first node play the role of a master device in the communication link, the node configuration method further includes: The first node receives a second configuration package sent by the host, where the second configuration package is used to configure a basic configuration such as a node number for the first node.

21. The method according to claim 16, It is characterized in that Before the second node receives the third configuration packet sent by the host and the second PHY module of the second node plays the role of a master device in the communication link, the node configuration method further includes: The second node receives a fourth configuration package sent by the host, where the fourth configuration package is used to perform basic configurations such as a node number on the second node.

22. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 21, It is characterized in that One or more of the first configuration package, the second configuration package, the third configuration package, and the fourth configuration package use a first data frame format, and the first data frame format includes an error detection field, and the error detection field is used to indicate a method for detecting data errors.

23. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 21, It is characterized in that One or more of the first configuration package, the second configuration package, the third configuration package, and the fourth configuration package use a first data frame format, and the first data frame format includes a first control field, and the first control field is used to distinguish a transmission direction, and the transmission direction includes downlink transmission and uplink transmission.

24. The method according to claim 16, It is characterized in that The method further comprises: The third node receives the fifth configuration packet sent by the host through the first node and the second node, the fifth configuration packet enables the second PHY module of the third node to play the role of the master device in the communication link, and the second node obtains and detects the fifth configuration packet and then discards the configuration packet. 25 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the peripheral configuration interfaces of the first node and the second node are selected to be the same or different peripheral configuration interfaces through pin multiplexing.

26. The method according to claim 16, It is characterized in that The host, the first node and the second node transmit service data, wherein the service data includes real-time information, and the real-time information is used for real-time information interaction.

27. The method according to claim 26, It is characterized in that The business data includes at least one of audio data, radar data, image data, sensor data, and vehicle control management data.

28. A communication device, It is characterized in that The communication device comprises means for performing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

29. A communication system, It is characterized in that The communication system comprises a processing device and a chip, wherein the processing device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and the chip is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 16 to 27.

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