OTA Master ECU Update Sequencing for Signal Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software updates for multiple electronic control units (ECUs) in vehicles often face restrictions on the order of updates, leading to potential errors when an updated ECU sends signals to unupdated ECUs, causing them to misinterpret the signals as unknown.
Innovation Solution
An OTA master system that receives update data and order information from an OTA center, determining the order and priority of software updates for ECUs based on updatability information, allowing controlled execution of updates while ensuring compatibility and preventing errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If software updates are executed simultaneously on multiple ECUs, then update efficiency is improved, but signal compatibility errors occur between updated and unupdated ECUs
Solution Approach 1:
The OTA master determines and establishes the update order for multiple ECUs before executing the updates. By planning the sequence in advance based on signal compatibility requirements, the system ensures that ECUs are updated in an order that prevents communication errors, while still enabling batch updates for improved efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The software update process is divided into separate update tasks for different ECUs, with each task assigned a specific execution order. This segmentation allows the system to manage multiple updates independently while maintaining overall coordination through the determined sequence, preventing compatibility issues between updated and unupdated ECUs.
2Reliability
If software updates follow a strict predetermined order, then signal compatibility is maintained, but update time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The update order is determined dynamically by the OTA master based on the specific update campaign requirements and ECU dependencies, rather than following a fixed predetermined sequence for all cases. This dynamic determination allows optimization of update time while ensuring signal compatibility is maintained through reasoned sequencing.
Data Source
AI summary
An OTA master configured to control software updates on a plurality of target ECUs mounted on a vehicle includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to receive update data of software on the target ECUs and update order information from an OTA center. The update order information defines an order of the software updates on the target ECUs. The one or more processors are configured to control execution of the software updates on the target ECUs by using the update data, based on the order of the software updates.