External Daisy-Chain Interfaces for Fast Fault Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional daisy chain configurations face difficulties in efficiently detecting and locating faults, requiring time-consuming troubleshooting and often necessitating the cutting of signal wires, which complicates the process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle arrangement with external interfaces and connectors that allow for efficient fault detection by isolating and monitoring signal transmission between electrical units, enabling easier identification of fault locations without dismantling units or cutting wires, and allowing for modular and flexible interconnections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional daisy chain configurations are used, then electrical units can be interconnected in sequence, but fault detection becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
A test device is introduced as an intermediary component that connects to the daisy chain through available interfaces. This external device enables fault detection by injecting test signals and monitoring responses without requiring modifications to the electrical units themselves, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining conventional daisy chain structure and enabling efficient fault detection
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical units are designed with built-in interfaces that can be utilized for fault detection purposes. These interfaces allow the system to self-diagnose by enabling external test equipment to interact with the existing communication bus, turning the system's own communication capabilities into a fault detection resource without requiring additional dedicated test infrastructure
2Measurement precision
If fault detection requires cutting signal wires, then fault location can be identified, but system complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Test interfaces are preliminarily established as part of the conventional daisy chain design, positioned at accessible locations on electrical units. These pre-configured interfaces enable future fault detection operations without requiring any wire cutting or system disassembly, thereby achieving precise fault location identification while maintaining system integrity and reducing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The fault detection functionality is extracted from the electrical units themselves and placed in an external test device. This separation allows the test device to be connected to the daisy chain through standard interfaces without requiring modifications to the electrical units or signal wires, enabling precise fault location while avoiding system complexity increases
3Ease of operation
If electrical units are tightly integrated in daisy chain, then compact configuration is achieved, but accessibility for monitoring is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The communication interfaces in electrical units are designed to serve dual purposes: normal data communication within the daisy chain and fault detection/testing operations. This multi-functionality allows the same physical interfaces to provide both operational connectivity and diagnostic accessibility, achieving ease of operation for monitoring without increasing device complexity or requiring additional interfaces
Data Source
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AI summary
An arrangement (100; 200; 300; 400; 500) for signal transmission between a plurality of electrical units (102a-f) of a daisy chain (104). The arrangement (100) comprises a plurality of electrical units (102a-f); one or more signal wires (106) for interconnecting the electrical units (102a-f) of the plurality of electrical units (102a-f) to form a daisy chain (104); and one or more interfaces (112a-e) for providing a signal connection between two electrical units (102a-f) of the plurality of electrical units (102a-f). The interface (112a-e) comprises one or more connectors (114). The connector (114) is connected to a signal wire (106) of the one or more signal wires (106). The interface (112a-e) is external to the electrical units (102a-f) of the plurality of electrical units (102a-f). The connector (114) is connectable to a device (982) configured to monitor signal transmission between two electrical units (102a-f) of the plurality of electrical units (102a-f).