Bus Transceiver Self-Configuration via Wake-Up Detector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automotive bus transceivers lack the ability to efficiently manage power consumption by selectively activating and deactivating control units during different vehicle operations, leading to unnecessary energy usage, and existing solutions either provide limited modes of operation or are incompatible with existing systems.
Innovation Solution
A transceiver with a wake-up detector and acknowledge generator that configures itself based on signals from a microcontroller, allowing for selective wake-up operations and mode changes, while maintaining compatibility with existing pin layouts, and includes a mechanism to verify configuration success, preventing system deadlocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional dedicated mode control pins are added to increase the number of control modes, then the device functionality is improved, but the device cost increases and compatibility with existing devices is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The transceiver enables a single control pin to perform multiple functions by interpreting different signal types (configuration signals vs. normal data signals) on the same pin. The device can operate in configuration mode where the control pin receives wake-up codes, and in normal mode where it participates in standard bus communication, eliminating the need for separate dedicated control pins for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The transceiver dynamically switches between different operational modes (configuration mode and normal bus mode) based on the state of the control pin. When the control pin is held in a specific state (e.g., low level), the transceiver operates in configuration mode to receive wake-up codes; when released, it switches to normal bus communication mode, allowing adaptive functionality without additional hardware pins.
2Measurement precision
If the transceiver configures itself based on signals from the microcontroller, then the configuration accuracy is improved, but the risk of system deadlock increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transceiver incorporates an acknowledge generator that provides feedback to the microcontroller to confirm successful configuration. After receiving and processing a wake-up code through the control pin, the transceiver generates an acknowledge signal that is transmitted back to the microcontroller via the receive pin, allowing the system to verify that configuration occurred correctly and preventing deadlock by ensuring proper state transitions.
Data Source
AI summary
A transceiver includes a transmit pin configured to receive a signal from a microcontroller, a receive pin configured to transmit a signal to the microcontroller, at least one bus pin configured to transmit and receive signalling to or from the network, a wake-up detector, an acknowledge and/or wake-up generator, and at least one switch is operable to put the transceiver in a first mode of operation. In the first mode of operation the transmit pin is connected to the wake-up detector, and the wake-up detector is configured to activate a wake-up code in accordance with configuration information received at the transmit pin, and the receive pin is connected to an acknowledge and/or wake-up generator, which is configured to provide an acknowledge and/or wake-up signal to the receive pin based on a comparison of actual configuration information stored in the transceiver with the received configuration information from the transmit pin.