Data bus interface for a control unit, and control unit having a data bus interface

• US 20060106966A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Joos, Eugen, Michelberger, Steffen
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices

Abstract

A data bus interface for a control unit, in particular for a motor vehicle control unit is described, as well as a control unit, in particular a motor vehicle control unit, having a data bus interface for accessing a data bus for communicating with another control unit via the data bus. A data bus interface may be used with a particularly high degree of flexibility and be manufactured economically. The data bus interface includes two arithmetic units, in particular two microprocessors, which communicate with each other via an internal data bus; and two transceivers which are connected either to the same external data bus or to two different external data buses and are interconnected with the two arithmetic units in such a way that the two arithmetic units are connected either to the same external data bus or to the two different data buses.

Claims

1. A data bus interface for a control unit of a motor vehicle control unit, the interface comprising:

two arithmetic units which communicate with each other via an internal data bus; and

two transceivers which are connected to either a same external data bus or to two different external data buses, the two transceivers being interconnected with the two arithmetic units in such a way that the two arithmetic units are connected either to the same external data bus or to the two different data buses.

2. The data bus interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the two arithmetic units are microprocessors.

3. The data bus interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the internal data bus includes two lines which are connected to the two arithmetic units without transceivers.

4. The data bus interface as recited in claim 2, wherein the two lines are connected to the two arithmetic units via open collector terminals.

5. The data bus interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the two arithmetic units are connected to the transceivers via push-pull terminals.

6. The data bus interface as recited in claim 1, wherein a first terminal of the two arithmetic units is connected to a first terminal of one of the two transceivers via an AND gate.

7. The data bus interface as recited in claim 6, wherein a second terminal of the two arithmetic units is connected directly to a second terminal of the one of the two transceivers.

8. The data bus interface as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a first jumper element parallel to the AND gate, the first jumper element being provided between the first terminal of the first arithmetic unit and the first terminal of the one of the two transceivers.

9. The data bus interface as recited in claim 6, wherein a second terminal of the second arithmetic unit is connected via a second jumper element to a connecting line between a second terminal of the first arithmetic unit and a second terminal of the one of the two transceivers.

10. The data bus interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the internal data bus is connected to one of the two transceivers via a switching element, a connection between the internal data bus and the one transceiver being established and interrupted via the switching element.

11. The data bus interface as recited in claim 10, wherein the switching element is a third jumper element provided between the two lines of the internal data bus.

12. The data bus interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the internal data bus operates according to a Controller Area Network (CAN) standard.

13. The data bus interface as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the external data buses operates according to a Controller Area Network (CAN) standard.

14. A control unit for a motor vehicle, the control unit comprising:

a data bus interface for accessing a data bus for communicating with at least one other control unit via the data bus, the data bus interface including two arithmetic units which communicate with each other via an internal data bus and two transceivers which are connected to either a same external data bus or to two different external data buses, the two transceivers being interconnected with the two arithmetic units in such a way that the two arithmetic units are connected either to the same external data bus or to the two different data buses.