Communication Module Interface Selection via Serial Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication modules are not adaptable to different host devices, requiring separate implementations for each network connection, which increases development effort and limits reusability across various devices.
Innovation Solution
A communication module with a processor for identifying and selecting suitable physical interfaces via serial communication, allowing host devices to identify and select the appropriate interface, enabling modularization and standardization independent of individual host devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If communication modules are implemented separately for each host device and network, then each device can be optimized for its specific application, but development effort increases and reusability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication module is designed with a standardized host interface that can work with multiple different host devices and network types. The module provides multiple physical interfaces (Ethernet, CAN, UART, SPI, I2C) that can be selected based on the host device requirements, allowing one module design to serve multiple applications without requiring separate implementations for each device-network combination.
Solution Approach 2:
The module incorporates dynamic interface selection capability where the host device can identify the communication module type and automatically select the appropriate physical interface through serial communication. This dynamic adaptation allows the same hardware module to function differently based on the host device it is connected to, eliminating the need for static, device-specific implementations.
2Productivity
If communication modules are designed independently of individual host devices, then reusability across multiple devices increases, but the ability to optimize for specific application demands decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication module implements a universal standardized host interface that maintains compatibility across different host devices while providing multiple network interface options. This universality allows the same module to be reused across multiple devices without loss of optimization capability, as the module can adapt its interface selection based on the specific application demands of each host device.
Solution Approach 2:
The module includes preliminary identification and configuration capabilities where the host device identifies the communication module type before operation and pre-selects the appropriate physical interface. This preliminary action ensures that the module is optimally configured for the specific application demands before actual communication begins, maintaining optimization while enabling reusability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple physical interfaces are provided in the communication module, then adaptability to different networks increases, but the complexity of the communication module increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication module segments its functionality by providing separate, standardized physical interfaces for different network types (Ethernet, CAN, UART, SPI, I2C) rather than implementing a single complex multi-protocol interface. Each interface is independently optimized for its specific network type, and the host device selects the appropriate segment based on its requirements, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized host interface acts as an intermediary between the host device and the multiple physical interfaces. This intermediary layer abstracts the complexity of multiple interfaces from the host device, allowing the host to communicate through a single standardized interface while the communication module handles the complexity of selecting and managing the appropriate physical interface for the specific network type.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication module for connecting electrical host devices, each with an individual physical interface, to different external networks, where the communication module is connected to the host device via an interface and provides at least two physical interfaces, and where the communication module has a network connector which is adapted to the respective external network. In order to enable development of communication modules independently of the individual host device and to reuse them for many different host devices, provision is made for the host device to have a processor for identifying the communication module and for selecting the at least one physical interface which is suitable for the host device by means of serial communication.