Engine Control Module Driver Banks with FPGA
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional large engine electronic control modules (ECMs) face limitations in thermal efficiency and flexibility, particularly in generating multiple simultaneous waveforms for different injectors and ignition coils, and lack backward compatibility and customized diagnostics for gas engines.
Innovation Solution
The ECM incorporates a plurality of driver banks with shared high side driver circuits and paired low side driver circuits, coupled with a field programmable gate array (FPGA) to provide simultaneous firing signals to multiple combustion control elements, enabling flexible and efficient control of fuel combustion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional large engine ECMs are scaled up from medium engine controls, then the existing control architecture is maintained, but thermal efficiency deteriorates and flexibility in generating multiple simultaneous waveforms is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The driver circuit is segmented into multiple independent driver banks, where each driver bank can independently generate waveforms for different combustion control elements. This segmentation allows multiple simultaneous waveforms to be generated without thermal interference, as each driver bank can be thermally managed separately while maintaining control flexibility.
2Ease of operation
If ASIC based solutions are used to control output waveforms, then waveform control capability is improved, but flexibility for gas engines and customized diagnostics is lost and backward compatibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a programmable logic device instead of a fixed ASIC, allowing the waveform generation and control logic to be dynamically reconfigured. This enables the ECM to adapt to different engine types including gas engines, provide customized diagnostics, and maintain backward compatibility with previous ECM waveform standards while preserving excellent waveform control capability.
3Reliability
If blocking diodes are used in conventional ECM drivers, then circuit protection is provided, but thermal efficiency is reduced and the operating window of engine crank angles is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking diodes are extracted and removed from the driver circuit. Instead of using diodes for circuit protection, the patent employs alternative protection mechanisms that do not introduce thermal losses, thereby improving thermal efficiency while expanding the operating window of engine crank angles without compromising circuit reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An engine control module (ECM) having a plurality of driver banks is provided. Each of the driver banks is configured to drive a plurality of combustion control elements. The driver banks include two low side driver circuits and a high side driver circuit, the high side driver circuit in each of the plurality of driver banks being shared pairwise by two combustion control elements. Each one of said at least two low side driver circuits is respectively associated with the two combustion control elements. The ECM includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) coupled to the plurality of driver banks and configured to provide firing signals to at least twelve high side driver circuits to simultaneously drive at least twelve combustion control elements respectively coupled to the at least twelve high side driver circuits.