Method of diagnosing an electronic control unit

• US 20040215378A1
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hedges, Mary T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,985,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2268 Logging of test results

Abstract

An electronic control unit and a method of diagnosing an electronic control unit on a vehicle are provided. The method includes the steps of storing in memory information on variables to collect, selecting a trigger, monitoring for a predetermined event, activating the trigger based on the detection of the event, collecting the variables upon activation of the trigger, and storing the collected variables in memory. The collected variable may be read via a pre-existing production serial link to diagnose the electronic control unit.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing an electronic control unit, said method comprising the steps of:

storing in memory information on variables to collect;

selecting a trigger;

monitoring for a predetermined event;

activating the trigger based on the detection of the event;

collecting the variables upon activation of the trigger; and

storing the collected variables in memory.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of reading the collected variables stored in memory.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 further comprising the step of downloading a read message to initiate the step of reading the collected variables.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is employed on a vehicle, and the electronic control unit communicates messages on a vehicle bus.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a memory buffer.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the memory buffer is a circular buffer.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of saving in memory a time stamp for the event.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of storing variables for a plurality of events.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the debug method is implemented in a production configuration.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the debug method is implemented in a development configuration.

11. An electronic control unit comprising:

a processor;

memory for storing variables;

an interrupt service routine for performing a software interrupt; and

a debug handler for performing a debug operation, wherein the debug handler detects an event, activates a trigger based on the detection of the event to initiate the interrupt service routine, collects predetermined variables, and stores the collected variables in memory.

12. The electronic control unit as defined in claim 11 further comprising an input for receiving a message containing information on the variables to collect.

13. The electronic control unit as defined in claim 12, wherein the input further receives a read message to initiate reading of the collected variables.

14. The electronic control unit as defined in claim 11, wherein the memory comprises a memory buffer.

15. The electronic control unit as defined in claim 14, wherein the memory buffer comprises a circular buffer.

16. The electronic control unit as defined in claim 11, wherein the memory further stores a time stamp for the event.

17. The electronic control unit as defined in claim 11, wherein the debug handler stores variables for a plurality of events.

18. The electronic control unit as defined in claim 11, wherein the debug handler performs a debug operation in a production configuration.

19. The electronic control unit as defined in claim 11, wherein the debug handler performs a debug operation in a development configuration.

20. The electronic control unit as defined in claim 11, wherein the electronic control unit is employed on a vehicle.