DRIVE CONTROL DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRIC LOAD

• US 20110133715A1
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Ishii, Akihiko, ZUSHI, Yuji, Suzuki, Shinsuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,513,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/285
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/42 AC power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/50 Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections testing of sparking plugs H01T13/58
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0822 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/18 Modifications for indicating state of switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/0806 against excessive temperature

Abstract

Provided is a drive control device capable of surely detecting, by a monitoring/controlling unit, an abnormality of a short circuit and a disconnection in a power supply circuit to an electric load, and of decreasing a load required for a quick response imposed on the monitoring/controlling unit. A switching element is controlled to open/close by a control output signal generated by a monitoring/controlling unit, and a determination storing circuit determines whether circuit opening and circuit closing have been correctly carried out and stores a result of the determination, and periodically reports to the monitoring/controlling unit. While the stored content of the determination is periodically reset, the determination operation is updated and continues. The monitoring/controlling unit does not need to immediately monitor the determination storing signal when the open/closing command is generated.

Claims

1. A drive control device for an electric load, comprising:

a switching element serially connected to an electric load to which a power is supplied from a drive power source; and

monitoring/controlling means for controlling opening/closing of the switching element, and monitoring presence/absence of an abnormal state of a power supply circuit for the electric load, wherein;

the monitoring/controlling means generates a control output signal serving as one of a circuit closing command and a circuit opening command and supplies the switching element and a determination storing circuit with the control output signal;

the switching element generates a state detection signal according to open/closed-circuit states of the switching element, and supplies the determination storing circuit with the state detection signal;

the determination storing circuit is configured to;

detect, when the control output signal is the circuit closing command, whether the switching element has normally been brought into a closed-circuit state and store a result of the detection, thereby generating a closed-circuit determination storing signal;

detect, when the control output signal is the circuit opening command, whether the switching element has normally been brought into an open-circuit state and store a result of the detection, thereby generating an open-circuit determination storing signal; and

one of reset the stored information by itself when the monitoring/controlling means has read the determination storing signal and periodically reset forcedly the stored information by a command of the monitoring/controlling means; and

the monitoring/controlling means further periodically reads and stores the closed-circuit determination storing signal and the open-circuit determination storing signal serving as the determination storing signal before the determination storing circuit is reset, thereby determining the presence/absence of the abnormal state according to a combination of logics relating to a signal voltage level of the determination storing signal stored before.

2. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring/controlling means is configured so that a determination signal read timing of periodically reading the closed-circuit determination signal and the open-circuit determination signal is before and after a command supply timing at which the monitoring/controlling means generates the control output signal serving as the one of the circuit closing command and the circuit opening command directed to the switching element, and that a time zone for determination made by the determination storing circuit extends from reset processing of the stored information of the determination storing circuit caused by a completion of the reading of the determination storing signal for a previous time to a completion of the reading/storing by the monitoring/controlling means reading the determination storing signal for a next time; and

when the control output signal changes one of from the circuit opening command to the circuit closing command and from the circuit closing command to the circuit opening command within the determination time zone, the determination storing signal read for the next time contains both the closed-circuit determination storing signal and the open-circuit determination storing signal, and when the control output signal holds at least one of the circuit closing command and the circuit opening command within the determination time zone, as the determination storing signal read for the next time, at least one of the closed-circuit determination storing signal and the open-circuit determination signal is effective.

3. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 2, wherein:

the monitoring/controlling means is configured to;

periodically read/store the determination storing signal generated by the determination storing circuit, thereby determining the presence/absence of the abnormal state;

carry out recheck processing of checking again, when the abnormality determination made by the reading/storing for this time results in an abnormality, whether the abnormality determination made by the reading/storing for the next time results in an abnormality again or not; and

carry out abnormality handling when the abnormality determination results in an abnormality for a plurality of times; and

the abnormality handling stops the control output signal when the abnormality determination result is at least a short-circuit abnormality of the electric load, and supplies the switching element with the circuit opening command.

4. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 1, wherein:

the determination storing circuit further includes a command history storing circuit to which the control output signal directed to the switching element is input;

the command history storing circuit stores information that the control output signal reaches a logic level corresponding to the circuit closing command, thereby outputting an on-command storing signal at the logic “

1”

, and stores information that the control output signal reaches a logic level corresponding to the circuit opening command, thereby outputting an off-command storing signal at the logic “

1”

;

the determination storing circuit includes, as the closed-circuit determination storing signal, one of a normal closed-circuit storing signal and an abnormal closed-circuit storing signal, and, as the open-circuit determination storing signal, one of a normal open-circuit storing signal and an abnormal open-circuit storing signal;

along with the determination storing circuit, the command history storing circuit is further configured to one of reset the stored information by itself when the monitoring/controlling means has read the determination storing signal and periodically reset forcedly the stored information by the command of the monitoring/controlling means;

the monitoring/controlling means includes;

a first normality memory for storing a preliminary determination that a content of the closed-circuit determination storing signal is one of a normality determination and a non-abnormality determination when the on-command storing signal is at the logic “

1”

upon the reading;

a first abnormality memory for storing information that the content is the one of the non-normality determination and the abnormality determination when the on-command storing signal is at the logic “

1”

upon the reading;

a second normality memory for storing a preliminary determination that a content of the open-circuit determination storing signal is one of a normality determination and a non-abnormality determination when the off-command storing signal is at the logic “

1”

upon the reading; and

a second abnormality memory for storing information that the content is the one of the non-normality determination and the abnormality determination when the off-command storing signal is at the logic “

1”

upon the reading;

when both the first normality memory and the second normality memory store the normality preliminary determinations, and neither of the first abnormality memory nor the second abnormality memory stores the abnormality determination, a normality determination is made, when at least one of the first abnormality memory and the second abnormality memory stores the abnormality determination, an abnormality determination of one of a closed-circuit abnormality and an open-circuit abnormality is made, and one of when the first normality memory does not store the normality determination and the first abnormality memory does not store the abnormality determination, and when the second normality memory does not store the normality determination and the second abnormality memory does not store the abnormality determination, an uncertainty determination is made; and

the first normality memory, the second normality memory, the first abnormality memory, and the second abnormality memory are periodically reset after the result of one of the normality preliminary determination, the normality determination, the abnormality determination, and the uncertainty determination is stored while categorized by a cause.

5. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 4, wherein, in a state in which a reset signal directed to the command history storing circuit is cleared, any one of when both the on-command storing signal and the off-command storing signal are at the logic “

0”

, when the on-command storing signal is at the logic “

0”

while the closed-circuit determination storing signal is at the logic “

1”

though the storing resulting in the on-command storing signal has not been carried out, and when the off-command storing signal is at the logic “

0”

while the open-circuit determination storing signal is at the logic “

1”

though the storing resulting in the off command storing signal has not been carried out, the monitoring/controlling means makes a preliminary determination of a logic abnormality, carries out the recheck processing, then makes a logic abnormality determination, and determines that the logic abnormality is one of an abnormality of any one of a signal transmission system from the monitoring/controlling means to the switching element, the determination storing circuit, and the command history storing circuit, and malfunctions due to a noise.

6. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 4, wherein:

the determination storing circuit generates the normal closed-circuit storing signal and the normal open-circuit storing signal;

the normal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit closing command signal, and a voltage between terminals of the switching element is equal to or less than a predetermined closed-circuit voltage, so as to make the preliminary normality determination considering that the switching element has normally carried out a circuit closing operation, while leaving a possibility that an abnormality of an element internal/external short circuit which is one of an internal short circuit and an across-element wiring short circuit of the switching element is present;

the normal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

when the control output signal is the circuit closing command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is more than the predetermined closed-circuit voltage, so as to make a determination of an abnormality of a load internal/external short circuit which means any one of an internal short circuit of the electric load, a short circuit across the electric load by external wiring, and a fused state in which the switching element is disabled to be closed;

the normal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit opening command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is equal to or more than a predetermined open-circuit voltage, so as to make the preliminary normality determination considering that the switching element has normally carried out a circuit opening operation, while leaving a possibility that abnormality including the load internal/external short circuit is present;

the normal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

when the control output signal is the circuit opening command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is less than the predetermined open-circuit voltage, so as to make a determination that the abnormality includes the element internal/external short circuit is present;

the monitoring/controlling means is configured to;

when both the normal closed-circuit storing signal and the normal open-circuit storing signal are at the logic “

1”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, determine that all the electric load, the switching element, and external wiring are normal;

when the normal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, and the normal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

, which represents the non-normality determination, determine that the abnormality caused by the element internal/external short circuit is present; and

when the normal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

, which represents the non-normality determination, and the normal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, determine that the abnormality caused by the load internal/external short circuit is present; and

the logic “

1”

represents that a logic level of a signal voltage is one of “

H” and

“

L”

while the logic “

0”

represents that the logic level of the signal voltage is another one of “

L” and

“

H”

, so as to implement an inverted logic.

7. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 6, further comprising:

a pull-up resistor and a pull-down resistor which are connected to a connection point between the switching element and the electric load; and

a disconnection detection circuit to which a monitored voltage at the connection point is input, wherein;

the disconnection detection circuit includes;

voltage dividing resistors for generating a first voltage and a second voltage, which is a set value higher than the first voltage; and

a zone comparison circuit;

the zone comparison circuit, when the monitored voltage is between the first voltage and the second voltage, determines that a load internal/external disconnection which is one of an internal disconnection of the electric load and a disconnection of load wiring occurs, thereby generating a disconnection detection signal; and

when the disconnection detection circuit detects the electric load internal/external disconnection, both the normal closed-circuit storing signal and the normal open-circuit storing signal are set to the logic “

0”

, which represents the non-normality determination.

8. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 4, wherein:

the determination storing circuit generates the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal;

the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit closing command signal, and a voltage between terminals of the switching element is more than a predetermined closed-circuit voltage, so as to make a determination of an abnormality of a load internal/external short circuit which means any one of an internal short circuit of the electric load, a short circuit across the electric load by external wiring, and a fused state in which the switching element is disable to be closed;

the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

when the control output signal is the circuit closing command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is equal to or less than the predetermined closed-circuit voltage, so as to make the preliminary normality determination considering that the switching element has normally carried out a circuit closing operation, while leaving a possibility that an abnormality of an element internal/external short circuit which is one of an internal short circuit and an across-element wiring short circuit of the switching element is present;

the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit opening command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is less than a predetermined open-circuit voltage, so as to make a determination that the abnormality of the element internal/external short circuit is present;

the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

when the control output signal is the circuit opening command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is equal to or more than the predetermined open-circuit voltage, so as to make the preliminary normality determination considering that the switching element has normally carried out a circuit opening operation, while leaving a possibility that abnormality including the load internal/external short circuit is present;

the monitoring/controlling means is configured to, in a state in which a reset command directed to the determination storing circuit is cleared;

when both the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal are at the logic “

0”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, determine that all the electric load, the switching element, and external wiring are normal;

when the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the abnormality determination, determine that the abnormality caused by the element internal/external short circuit is present; and

when the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the abnormality determination, and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, determine that the abnormality caused by the load internal/external short circuit is present; and

the logic “

1”

represents that a logic level of a signal voltage is one of “

H” and

“

L”

while the logic “

0”

represents that the logic level of the signal voltage is another one of “

L” and

“

H”

, so as to implement an inverted logic.

9. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 4, wherein:

the determination storing circuit generates the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal;

the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit closing command signal, and a current flowing through the switching element is more than a predetermined upper limit valve, so as to make a determination of an abnormality of a load internal/external short circuit which is one of an internal short circuit of the electric load and a short circuit across the electric load by external wiring;

the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

when the control output signal is the circuit closing command signal, and the current flowing through the switching element is less than the predetermined upper limit valve, so as to make the preliminary normality determination considering that the switching element has normally carried out a circuit closing operation, while leaving a possibility that an abnormality of an element internal/external short circuit which is one of an internal short circuit and an across-element wiring short circuit of the switching element is present;

the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit opening command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is less than a predetermined open-circuit voltage, so as to make a determination that the abnormality of the element internal/external short circuit is present;

the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

when the control output signal is the circuit opening command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is equal to or more than the predetermined open-circuit voltage, so as to make the preliminary normality determination considering that the switching element has normally carried out a circuit opening operation, while leaving a possibility that abnormality including the load internal/external short circuit which means any one of an internal short circuit of the electric load, a short circuit across the electric load by external wiring, and a fused state in which the switching element is disable to be closed is present;

the monitoring/controlling means is configured to, in a state in which a reset command directed to the determination storing circuit is cleared;

when both the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal are at the logic “

0”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, determine that all the electric load, the switching element, and external wiring are normal;

when the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the abnormality determination, determine that the abnormality caused by the element internal/external short circuit is present; and

when the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the abnormality determination, and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

0”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, determine that the abnormality caused by the load internal/external short circuit is present; and

the logic “

1”

represents that a logic level of a signal voltage is one of “

H” and

“

L”

while the logic “

0”

represents that the logic level of the signal voltage is another one of “

L” and

“

H”

, so as to implement an inverted logic.

10. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 4, further comprising:

a pull-up resistor and a pull-down resistor which are connected to a connection point between the switching element and the electric load; and

a disconnection detection circuit to which a monitored voltage at the connection point is input, wherein;

the disconnection detection circuit includes;

voltage dividing resistors for generating a first voltage and a second voltage, which is a set value higher than the first voltage; and

a zone comparison circuit;

the zone comparison circuit, when the monitored voltage is between the first voltage and the second voltage, determines that a load internal/external disconnection which is one of an internal disconnection of the electric load and a disconnection of load wiring occurs, thereby generating a disconnection detection signal; and

when the disconnection detection circuit detects the electric load internal/external disconnection, both the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal are set to the logic “

1”

, which represents the abnormality determination.

11. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 1, wherein:

the determination storing circuit includes, as the closed-circuit determination storing signal, a normal closed-circuit storing signal and an abnormal closed-circuit storing signal, and, as the open-circuit determination storing signal, a normal open-circuit storing signal and an abnormal open-circuit storing signal;

the monitoring/controlling means periodically reads the determination storing signal of the determination storing circuit, and determines the presence/absence of the abnormal state according to a combination of signal voltage levels of a normal closed-circuit storing signal, an abnormal closed-circuit storing signal, a normal open-circuit storing signal, and an abnormal open-circuit storing signal; and

the stored information on all the respective determination storing signals is one of reset by itself when the monitoring/controlling means has read the determination storing signal and forcedly reset periodically by the command of the monitoring/controlling means.

12. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 11, wherein:

the monitoring/controlling means, in a state in which neither the normal closed-circuit storing signal nor the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal read from the determination storing circuit does not store the closed-circuit determination signal, and neither the normal open-circuit storing signal nor the abnormal open-circuit storing signal does not store the open-circuit determination signal, makes a preliminary determination of a logic abnormality, carries out recheck processing, and then makes a logic abnormality determination; and

the logic abnormality determination determines one of an abnormality of one of a signal transmission system from the monitoring/controlling means to the switching element and the determination storing circuit, and malfunctions due to a noise.

13. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 11, wherein:

the normal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit closing command signal, and a voltage between terminals of the switching element is equal to or less than a predetermined closed-circuit voltage, so as to make a preliminary normality determination considering that the switching element has normally carried out a circuit closing operation, while leaving a possibility that an abnormality of an element internal/external short circuit which is one of an internal short circuit of the switching element and an across-element wiring short circuit is present;

the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit closing command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is more than the predetermined closed-circuit voltage, so as to make a determination of an abnormality including a load internal/external short circuit which means any one of an internal short circuit of the electric load, a short circuit across the electric load by external wiring, and a fused state in which the switching element is disabled to be closed;

the normal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit opening command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is equal to or more than a predetermined open-circuit voltage, so as to make the preliminary normality determination considering that the switching element has normally carried out a circuit opening operation, while leaving a possibility that the abnormality including the load internal/external short circuit is present;

the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

when the control output signal is the circuit opening command signal, and the voltage between the terminals of the switching element is less than the predetermined open-circuit voltage, so as to make a determination that the abnormality of the element internal/external short circuit is present;

the monitoring/controlling means is configured to;

when both the normal closed-circuit storing signal and the normal open-circuit storing signal are at the logic “

1”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, and both the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal are at the logic “

0”

, determine that all the electric load, the switching element, and external wiring are normal;

when the normal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the abnormality determination, determine that the abnormality caused by the element internal/external short circuit is present; and

when the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the abnormality determination, and the normal open-circuit storing signal is at the logic “

1”

, which represents the preliminary normality determination, determine that the abnormality caused by the load internal/external short circuit is present; and

the logic “

1”

represents that a logic level of a signal voltage is one of “

H” and

“

L”

while the logic “

0”

represents that the logic level of the signal voltage is another one of “

L” and

“

H”

, so as to implement an inverted logic.

14. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 13, further comprising:

a pull-up resistor and a pull-down resistor which are connected to a connection point between the switching element and the electric load; and

a disconnection detection circuit to which a monitored voltage at the connection point is input, wherein;

the disconnection detection circuit includes;

voltage dividing resistors for generating a first voltage and a second voltage, which is a set value higher than the first voltage; and

a zone comparison circuit;

the zone comparison circuit, when the monitored voltage is between the first voltage and the second voltage, determines that a load internal/external disconnection which is one of an internal disconnection of the electric load and a disconnection of load wiring occurs, thereby generating a disconnection detection signal; and

when the disconnection detection circuit detects the electric load internal/external disconnection, both the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal are set to the logic “

1”

, which represents the abnormality determination.

15. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 1, wherein:

the switching element is incorporated into each of a plurality of intelligent power switches for controlling drive of a plurality of the electric loads;

the plurality of intelligent power switches each include the determination storing circuit, thereby constituting an intelligent power module as a whole;

the intelligent power module includes a communication control circuit for serially communicating a controlling/monitoring signal via a serial/parallel converter with the monitoring/controlling means;

the communication control circuit supplies each of the switching elements with a plurality of the control output signals received from the monitoring/controlling means individually, and transmits the closed-circuit determination storing signal and the open-circuit determination storing signal input from the each of the intelligent power switches to the monitoring/controlling means.

16. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 15, wherein:

the communication control circuit includes block command output means and split monitoring/reading means;

the block command output means supplies, by a single serial communication from the monitoring/controlling means, the each of the plurality of intelligent power switches with an individual control output signal, thereby serving as transmission means for write data for bringing the each switching element into one of the closed-circuit state and the open-circuit state in response to a logic level of the control output signal; and

the split monitoring/reading means reads, by a single serial communication to the monitoring/controlling means, read data input from a part of the plurality of intelligent power switches, and reads, while sequentially changing the intelligent power switch to be monitored, by a plurality of numbers of transmission, determination storing signal data relating to all the plurality of intelligent power switches.

17. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 16, wherein:

the block command output means supplies, by a single serial communication from the monitoring/controlling means, the each of the plurality of intelligent power switches with an individual control output signal, and includes therein a self-reset permission signal directed to the plurality of intelligent power switches; and

the self-reset permission signal includes a command signal for determining, in response to a logic level of the self-reset permission signal, whether, upon completion of reading, to reset or not the closed-circuit determination storing signal and the open-circuit determination storing signal in the plurality of intelligent power switches.

18. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring/controlling means includes a microprocessor cooperating with a program memory, and including a RAM for arithmetic processing;

the program memory contains a control program serving as;

command output generation means for the control output signal directed to the switching element;

determination information reading means for one of reading the closed-circuit determination storing signal and the open-circuit determination storing signal generated by the determination storing circuit and the on-command storing signal and the off-command storing signal generated by the command history storing circuit, and reading the normal closed-circuit storing signal, the abnormal closed-circuit storing signal, the normal open-circuit storing signal, and the abnormal open-circuit storing signal; and

abnormality handling means for determining, according to a combination of logic levels of the read signals by the determination information reading means, the presence/absence of the abnormal state, and, when a short-circuit abnormality of the electric load is detected, setting at least the control output signal to the circuit closing command;

the switching element is provided with a protection circuit including at least one of an over-current suppression circuit, an over-current interruption circuit, and an overheat interruption circuit;

the over-current suppression circuit includes a negative feedback control circuit for controlling a conduction state of the switching element so as to restrain a current flowing through the switching element from exceeding a predetermined threshold;

the over-current interruption circuit includes a circuit for maintaining the switching element in the open-circuit state when the current flowing through the switching element exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

the overheat interruption circuit includes a circuit for interrupting the switching element when temperature of the switching element exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 18, wherein the abnormality handling means further includes abnormal history storage means for one of generating an abnormality report output signal, thereby carrying out an alarm display, and preliminarily storing at least a determined abnormality content categorized by a cause in a specific area of the RAM, to thereby transfer/store the at least the determined abnormality content, in a delayed power supply period after a power supply switch is brought into an open-circuit state, to a non-volatile data memory.

20. The drive control device for an electric load according to claim 18, wherein:

the program memory further contains a control program serving as recheck processing means;

the recheck processing means carries out check processing of checking, when the abnormality determination made by the reading/storing of the determination storing signal for this time results in an abnormality, whether the abnormality determination made by the reading/storing for the next time again results in an abnormality or not, and, when the abnormality determination results in an abnormality for a plurality of times, confirms/stores an abnormality generation state; and

the abnormality handling means is carried out when the recheck processing means confirms/stores the abnormality generation state.