ON-TARGET RAPID CONTROL PROTOTYPING

• US 20100192122A1
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Kumar, Satish, Boehner, Shane M., Esfahan, Hamid M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23389 Modular program, each process has corresponding program module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

An on-target rapid control prototyping (RCP) system includes a host control module that generates a first RCP model based on selected function blocks in a block library. A target language compiler converts the first RCP model into source code. A cross-compiler coverts the source code into object code. A download module performs an on-target download of the object code from a host that includes the host control module to a production control module of a production system that is separate from the host.

Claims

1. An on-target rapid control prototyping (RCP) system comprising:

a host control module that generates a first RCP model based on selected function blocks in a block library;

a target language compiler that converts the first RCP model into source code;

a cross-compiler that coverts the source code into object code; and

a download module performs an on-target download of the object code from a host that comprises the host control module to a production control module of a production system that is separate from the host.

2. The on-target RCP system of claim 1, wherein the object code is executable by the production control module and is directly downloaded from the host to the production control module.

3. The on-target RCP system of claim 1 further comprising a prototype monitor that communicates with the production control module and monitors states of the production system based on execution of the object code by the production control module.

wherein the host control module controls operation of the production control module based on the states.

4. The on-target RCP system of claim 1 further comprising a graphical user interface,

wherein the host control module displays a block window on the graphical user interface for the selection and connection of the function blocks.

5. The on-target RCP system of claim 1, wherein the host control module generates the first RCP model based on a system target file and target language compiler options.

6. The on-target RCP system of claim 5, wherein the target language compiler options comprise at least one of a variable value setting option and a template selector option.

7. The on-target RCP system of claim 1 further comprising a linker that converts function identifiers in the source code to function addresses associated with functions stored in a target memory of the production system.

8. The on-target RCP system of claim 7, wherein the linker converts the function identifiers during cross-compiling of the source code.

9. The on-target RCP system of claim 1, wherein the host control module includes a real-time workshop module that generates a math model based on the selected function blocks.

10. The on-target RCP system of claim 1 further comprising an attribute selector that selects attributes for one of the selected function blocks,

wherein code associated with the one of the function blocks is generated based on the selected attributes.

11. The on-target RCP system of claim 10, wherein the attributes comprise an address and a data type of data stored in memory of the production system.

12. The on-target RCP system of claim 1 further comprising a configuration module that selects the production control module from a list of production control modules stored in memory of the host,

wherein the target language compiler and the cross-compiler generate the source code and the object code based on the selected production control module.

13. The on-target RCP system of claim 1 further comprising a task schedule generator that generates a task schedule for N RCP models including the first RCP model, where N is an integer,

wherein the target language compiler and the cross-compiler generate the source code and the object code based on the task schedule.

14. The on-target RCP system of claim 1 further comprising the production control module that communicates with the host control module.

15. The on-target RCP system of claim 14 wherein the production control module receives the object code directly from the host control module.

16. The on-target RCP system of claim 14 wherein the host comprises a prototype monitor and the production control module comprises a status output module that communicates with the prototype monitor,

wherein the prototype monitor monitors states of a production system based on execution of the object code by the production control module and output of the status output module, and

wherein the host control module generates a second RCP model based on the states.

17. A production system comprising:

memory that stores an on-target rapid control prototyping (RCP) process code that is downloaded from a host;

an application control module that executes an application code;

a RCP control module that executes the on-target RCP process code; and

a target control module that communicates with the application control module and the RCP control module and controls operation of the production system based on the execution of the application code and the on-target RCP process code.

18. The production system of claim 17 further comprising a task scheduler that schedules execution of on-target RCP processes including execution of the on-target RCP process code.

19. The production system of claim 17 further comprising a status output module that monitors states of actuators and sensors of the production system and generates a status signal that is transmitted to the host.

20. The production system of claim 17 wherein the production system comprises at least one of an engine, a transmission, an exhaust system, and a vehicle electronic control system, and

wherein the target control module controls operation of the at least one of an engine, a transmission, an exhaust system, and a vehicle electronic control system based the execution of the on-target RCP process code.

21. The production system of claim 18 wherein the memory stores an address of the on-target RCP process code in a jump table of the memory that stores addresses of on-target RCP processes, and

wherein the RCP control module looks-up the address before executing the on-target RCP process code.