ECU to Fuel Injector Pre-Driver Unit Serial Data Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel injector control systems require additional hardware for short circuit protection and diagnostics, increasing cost and board space due to the need for external line drivers for serial data transmission between the ECU and injector.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a pre-driver unit between the microcontroller and power stage to send multiplexed signals along two wires, combining injector activation pulse data and auxiliary data, with integrated short circuit protection and diagnostics, eliminating the need for external line drivers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external line drivers are used for serial data transmission between ECU and injector, then short circuit protection and diagnostics are provided, but hardware complexity and board space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of external line drivers, short circuit protection circuits, and diagnostics circuits into the integrated pre-driver unit. This merging eliminates the need for separate external components while maintaining all necessary protection and diagnostic capabilities, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-driver unit is designed as a multi-functional integrated circuit that performs multiple roles: serial data transmission, activation pulse generation, short circuit protection, and diagnostics. This universal design reduces the overall number of components needed in the system while ensuring reliable operation
2Ease of operation
If external line drivers are used for serial data transmission, then communication between ECU and injector is enabled, but cost and board space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the serial data transmission functionality with the pre-driver unit, eliminating the need for separate external line drivers. This integration maintains full communication capability between ECU and injector while significantly reducing the board space required for communication hardware
3Reliability
If separate protection and diagnostics circuits are used, then reliability standards are met, but hardware cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines protection circuits and diagnostics circuits into the integrated pre-driver unit, eliminating the need for separate external components. This integration reduces the total component count and assembly complexity, directly lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining compliance with reliability standards
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-driver unit is designed as a multi-functional integrated circuit that performs multiple roles: serial data transmission, activation pulse generation, short circuit protection, and diagnostics. This universal design reduces the overall number of components needed in the system while ensuring reliable operation
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling the operation of one or more fuel injectors includes a microcontroller, a pre-driver unit, and a power unit. The system is connectable to an electrically actuated fuel injector via at least two wires from the power unit, wherein the pre-driver unit is located between the microcontroller and the power stage, and wherein the microcontroller unit is adapted to send data to the pre-driver unit. The pre-driver unit is adapted to receive the data and control the power stage dependent on the data such that the power stage is adapted to output a corresponding signal along the wires to the fuel injector. The data includes both injector activation pulse data and other auxiliary data for the injectors.