Dual Network Electronic Device with Decoupling Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic apparatuses in motor vehicles, particularly those used in safety-critical applications, face challenges in ensuring reliable and safe operation due to interfering influences such as overvoltages, which can cause damage and affect the accuracy of sensor measurements.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus comprises two networks with separate microcontrollers and supply voltage sources, decoupled by resistors to isolate and manage overvoltages, allowing for error detection and redundancy in sensor elements to prevent critical failures, ensuring safe operation by deactivating affected networks and preventing erroneous signal transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two networks with separate microcontrollers and supply voltage sources are used, then reliability and safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic apparatus is divided into two independent networks, each with its own microcontroller and supply voltage source. This segmentation isolates interfering influences such as overvoltages to individual networks, preventing them from affecting the entire system and thereby improving reliability while managing complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Decoupling elements are introduced as intermediary components between the two networks to block interfering influences. These decoupling elements act as mediators that allow the networks to operate independently while still enabling controlled interaction when needed, thus improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
2Reliability
If decoupling elements are added to reduce interfering influences, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Decoupling elements serve as intermediary components placed between the two networks to block interfering influences such as overvoltages. These elements are specifically designed to prevent harmful electrical transients from crossing between networks while maintaining signal integrity, thus improving reliability with minimal impact on overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Interfering influences are extracted and isolated from the main system by introducing dedicated decoupling elements. These elements specifically target and remove harmful electrical interference between networks, allowing the core functional networks to operate independently and reliably without being burdened by each other's disturbances
3Measurement precision
If the second microcontroller processes measurement signals and detects errors, then measurement precision is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second microcontroller is designed with multi-functionality, serving both to process measurement signals from sensor elements and to detect errors in the first network. This universal approach allows a single component to perform multiple critical functions, maintaining measurement precision while avoiding the need for additional dedicated error detection hardware
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively reduces the impact of overvoltages, ensures reliable operation, and maintains system safety by identifying and mitigating faults, preventing damage and ensuring accurate sensor data processing, thereby enhancing the reliability of safety-critical systems in motor vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
the decoupling elements are resistors. This is effective in particularly simple and simultaneous fashion
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device, which for example includes a sensor element such as a rotational speed sensor, comprises a first network (4) having a first microcontroller (8) and a first supply voltage source (10). It also comprises a second network (4) having a second microcontroller (8) and a second supply voltage source (30). The electronic device is also provided with decoupling elements (42-50) which are adapted to decouple the networks (4, 6) form interferences.