Squib driver circuit diagnostic system and method
First Claim
1. A squib driver module comprising:
- a squib circuit for deploying a squib, the squib circuit including a high side driver and a low side driver in combination for driving a firing signal to the squib;
a control circuit coupled to the squib circuit for activating the firing signal in response to a firing condition by sending an HSD control signal to the high side driver and an LSD control signal to the low side driver;
squib diagnostic circuits coupled to the high side driver and to the low side driver for conducting diagnostic tests without activating the firing signal to the squib and without delivering a diagnostic signal equivalent of the firing signal to the squib, the squib diagnostic circuits for generating digital fault information based on the diagnostic tests;
diagnostic registers for storing the digital fault information;
logic for recognizing a fault condition based on the digital fault information; and
a communication module for communicating the fault condition over a communication channel to a microprocessor unit.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A squib driver module comprises a squib circuit for deploying a squib, e.g., in an airbag assembly, the squib circuit including a high side driver and a low side driver in combination for driving a firing signal to the squib; a circuit for activating the firing signal in response to a firing condition; squib diagnostic circuits for conducting diagnostic tests without activating the firing signal and without delivering a diagnostic signal equivalent of the firing signal to the squib, and for generating digital fault information based on the tests; registers for storing the fault information; logic for recognizing a fault condition based on the fault information; and a communication module for communicating the fault condition to a microprocessor unit. The squib diagnostic circuit may include node voltage diagnostic circuits, HSD and/or LSD open/short circuits, HSD and/or LSD driver fault diagnostic circuits, squib-squib short diagnostic circuits, and/or squib resistance diagnostic circuits.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A squib driver module comprising:
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a squib circuit for deploying a squib, the squib circuit including a high side driver and a low side driver in combination for driving a firing signal to the squib; a control circuit coupled to the squib circuit for activating the firing signal in response to a firing condition by sending an HSD control signal to the high side driver and an LSD control signal to the low side driver; squib diagnostic circuits coupled to the high side driver and to the low side driver for conducting diagnostic tests without activating the firing signal to the squib and without delivering a diagnostic signal equivalent of the firing signal to the squib, the squib diagnostic circuits for generating digital fault information based on the diagnostic tests; diagnostic registers for storing the digital fault information; logic for recognizing a fault condition based on the digital fault information; and a communication module for communicating the fault condition over a communication channel to a microprocessor unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method in a squib driver module, the method comprising:
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determining whether a firing condition for deploying a squib has been satisfied; if the firing condition has been satisfied, causing a squib circuit to generate a firing signal to the squib; and if the firing condition has not been satisfied, initiating a squib diagnostic circuit coupled to the squib circuit to perform a diagnostic scan of the squib circuit; generating by the squib diagnostic circuit digital diagnostic fault information indicative of a fault status; storing the digital diagnostic fault information in a local register; and sending the fault status to an external microprocessor unit at least if a fault is diagnosed. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A squib driver module, comprising:
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means for determining whether a firing condition for deploying a squib has been satisfied; means for causing a squib circuit to generate a firing signal to the squib if the firing condition has been satisfied; means for initiating a squib diagnostic circuit coupled to the squib circuit to perform a diagnostic scan of the squib circuit if the firing condition has not been satisfied, the squib diagnostic circuit for generating by the squib diagnostic circuit digital diagnostic fault information indicative of a fault status; local register means for storing the digital diagnostic fault information; and means for sending the fault status to an external microprocessor unit at least if a fault is diagnosed.
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33. An electronic controller module, comprising:
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a microprocessor unit; a squib-controlled device including a squib; a controller for recognizing a firing condition; and a squib driver module coupled to the microprocessor unit and to the squib-controlled device, the squib driver module including a squib circuit for deploying a squib, the squib circuit including a high side driver and a low side driver in combination for driving a firing signal to the squib; a control circuit coupled to the squib circuit for activating the firing signal in response to a firing condition by sending an HSD control signal to the high side driver and an LSD control signal to the low side driver; squib diagnostic circuits coupled to the high side driver and to the low side driver for conducting diagnostic tests without activating the firing signal to the squib and without delivering a diagnostic signal equivalent of the firing signal to the squib, the squib diagnostic circuits for generating digital fault information based on the diagnostic tests; diagnostic registers for storing the digital fault information; logic for recognizing a fault condition based on the digital fault information; and a communication module for communicating the fault condition over a communication channel to a microprocessor unit.
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Specification