On-Board Connector With CAN Driver Interface for Flexible Actuator Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automobile designs face challenges in integrating power supply and control circuits for various actuators, limiting design flexibility and requiring extensive changes when specifications are altered.
Innovation Solution
A connector that mediates between an ECU and an actuator, incorporating a power terminal, bus terminal, driver terminal, driver circuit, transceiver circuit, and control section, allowing for flexible actuator compatibility and indirect control by the ECU through a CAN bus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the ECU incorporates power supply and control circuits, then control capability is improved, but design flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into three independent modules: ECU (control unit), connector (interface unit with driver circuit), and actuator (execution unit). The connector serves as an independent intermediary that houses the driver circuit, separating control functions from actuator control, thereby maintaining design flexibility while preserving automation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector acts as an intermediary device between the ECU and the actuator. It receives control signals from the ECU via CAN bus and power supply, then uses its internal driver circuit to control the solenoid actuator. This mediator approach allows the ECU to maintain simple control logic while the connector handles the complexity of actuator-specific requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the actuator incorporates power supply and control circuits, then design flexibility is improved, but control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector serves as a professional intermediary that houses the driver circuit with precise control capabilities. This allows the actuator to remain simple while the connector provides the necessary control precision through its driver circuit, which can be optimized for specific actuator types without complicating the actuator design itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed with universal functionality to accommodate different types of actuators (solenoids, motors, etc.) through its driver circuit. The same connector design can interface with various actuators, providing both design flexibility and precise control through the standardized driver circuit interface.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a connector mediates between ECU and actuator, then design freedom is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector merges multiple functions into a single device: it serves as a physical connector, houses the driver circuit for actuator control, provides power supply interface, and implements CAN bus communication. This consolidation reduces the overall system complexity by eliminating the need for separate components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed as a universal interface that can work with multiple actuator types through its driver circuit. The standardized design with power terminal, bus terminal, and driver terminal allows it to interface with different actuators without requiring custom designs, thereby managing complexity through standardization.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for an on-board device is provided with: an input section including a power terminal and a bus terminal for receiving a binary signal; an output section including a driver terminal; a driver circuit for converting an electric power through the power terminal into a modulated power output to the driver terminal; a transceiver circuit for converting the binary signal to a digital signal; a control section for reading an operation instruction from the digital signal and controlling the driver circuit in accordance with the operation instruction; and a case so dimensioned as to support the input section and the output section, and accommodate the transceiver circuit, the driver circuit, and the control section.