REDUNDANT MULTISTATE SIGNALING

• US 20130294530A1
• Filed: 08/12/2012
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Nathaniel Brian, Dimen, Ian Casimir, Crowder, Samuel Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/257
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/28 Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer EMC, EMP or similar testing of electronic circuits G01R31/002; testing for short-circuits, discontinuities, leakage or incorrect line connection G01R31/50; checking computers or computer components G06F11/00; checking static stores for correct operation G11C29/00 ; testing receivers or transmitters of transmission systems H04B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/54 Testing for continuity
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/59 while the cable continuously passes the testing apparatus, e.g. during manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4247 on a daisy chain bus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40052 High-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus bus transfer protocol on a daisy chain bus using an embedded synchronisation G06F13/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/437 Ring fault isolation or reconfiguration for SDH/SONET ring networks H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A data communications system having a plurality of communication devices including a host having a first receiver and a second receiver; and one or more clients, each client including a transmitter coupled between a signal node and a transmitter node, the transmitter selectively transmitting a multistate signal from the signal node to the transmitter node; and a single conductor daisy-chain loop redundantly communicating each multistate signal from each the transmitter to both receivers, the single conductor daisy-chain loop electrically communicating each transmitter node to the receivers. A data communications method including a) transmitting selectively a multistate signal from each of one or more clients; b) communicating electrically each multistate signal to a first location on a host using a single conductor coupled to each the client; and c) communicating electrically each multistate signal to a second location on the host using the single conductor.

Claims

1. A data communications system, comprising:

a plurality of communication devices including;

a host having a first receiver and a second receiver; and

one or more clients, each said client including a transmitter coupled between a signal node and a transmitter node, said transmitter selectively transmitting a multistate signal from said signal node to said transmitter node; and

a single conductor daisy-chain loop redundantly communicating each said multistate signal from each said transmitter to both said receivers, said single conductor daisy-chain loop electrically communicating each said transmitter node to said receivers.

2. The data communications system of claim 1 wherein said first receiver includes a first input having a first pull-up resistance coupling said first input to a first voltage, wherein said second receiver includes a second input having a second pull-up resistance coupling said second input to a second voltage node, wherein each said transmitter is configured to transmit a signal current for said multistate signal to said single conductor daisy-chain loop, said transmitter including an output coupled to said transmitter node wherein said single conductor daisy-chain loop electrically communicates each said transmitter node to said inputs.

3. The data communications system of claim 2 wherein each said transmitter includes a digital isolator having a transmission channel.

4. The data communications system of claim 3 wherein said host includes a power supply providing a first voltage at said voltage nodes and a second voltage and wherein each said digital isolator includes a client portion independently powered by each said client and a host portion independently powered from said power supply, further comprising:

a single conductor first voltage power daisy-chain loop coupled to said first voltage and a single conductor second voltage power daisy-chain loop coupled to said second voltage, each said power daisy-chain loop extending from a first location on said host to a second location on said host with each client coupled to each power daisy-chain loop between said locations and each host portion of said digital isolator of each client powered from said power daisy-chain loops.

5. The data communications system of claim 1 wherein one or more of said host and said one or more clients operate in an electrically noisy environment.

6. The data communications system of claim 1 further comprising a single conductor first voltage power daisy-chain loop and a single conductor second voltage power daisy-chain loop, each said power daisy-chain loop extending from a first location on said host to a second location on said host with each client coupled to each power daisy-chain loop between said locations.

7. The data communications system of claim 6 wherein said host includes a power supply coupled to said first locations of each said power daisy-chain loops.

8. The data communications system of claim 7 wherein said power supply includes an isolated direct current to direct current power converter (DC-DC converter).

9. The data communications system of claim 7 wherein the electrically noisy environment induces a noise signal between said locations, wherein said power supply provides a direct current to each said client using said single conductor power daisy-chain loops to operate a function of each said client, and wherein said host includes an impedance coupling said first location to said second location sufficient to operate said function of said clients from said first location when said single conductor daisy-chain loop from said first location to said clients is intact, said impedance passing said direct current from said first location to said second location with a sufficiently low voltage drop to continue to operate said function of a downstream set of said clients from said second location when said single conductor daisy-chain loop from said first location to said downstream set of said clients is impaired while isolating said noise signal at one said location from the other said location.

10. The data communications of claim 9 wherein said multistate signal on said first single data conductor daisy-chain loop is referenced to a first particular one power daisy-chain loop producing a pseudo-differential signal transmission.

11. The data communications of claim 10 wherein said particular one power daisy-chain loop is co-routed with said single conductor daisy-chain loop along a transmission path through a region of the electrically noisy environment having a time-varying magnetic field capable of generating a noise induced signal having a noise magnitude on an order of a data magnitude of signals over said first single data conductor daisy-chain loop wherein said single conductor daisy-chain loop and said particular one power daisy-chain loop are twisted together at least over a portion of said transmission path.

12. The data communications system of claim 9 wherein said first receiver includes a first input having a first pull-up resistance coupling said first input to a first voltage, wherein said second receiver includes a second input having a second pull-up resistance coupling said second input to a second voltage node, wherein each said transmitter is configured to transmit a signal current for said multistate signal to said single conductor daisy-chain loop, said transmitter including an output coupled to said transmitter node wherein said single conductor daisy-chain loop electrically communicates each said transmitter node to said inputs.

13. The data communications system of claim 12 wherein each said client includes a digital isolator having a transmission channel.

14. The data communications system of claim 13 wherein each said digital isolator includes a client portion independently powered by each said client and a host portion wherein said host portion includes said client function independently powered from said power supply using said power daisy-chain power loops.

15. The data communications system of claim 3 wherein said host includes a first digital isolator coupled to said first receiver and includes a second digital isolator coupled to said second receiver.

16. The data communications system of claim 15 wherein one or more of said host and said one or more clients operate in an electrically noisy environment, further comprising a first low-pass filter coupled between said transmitters and said first digital isolator of said host and a second low-pass filter coupled between said transmitters and said digital isolator of said host.

17. The data communications system of claim 1 wherein said host includes a printed circuit board (PCB) including said receivers, a first connector with a first plurality of electrical couplers electrically communicated to said first receiver, and a second connector with a second plurality of electrical couplers electrically communicated to said second receiver, wherein each client includes a PCB having a connector with a plurality of electrical couplers including a first electrical coupler and a second electrical coupler, a plurality of PCB components including said transmitter, and a plurality of traces communicating said plurality of electrical couplers to one or more of said plurality of PCB components including coupling said electrical couplers to said transmitter node;

and wherein said single conductor daisy-chain loop includes a plurality of conductor segments, each particular one conductor segment having a first end joined to a particular one electrical coupler of an upstream communications device and having a second end joined to a particular one electrical coupler of a downstream communications device.

18. The data communications system of claim 17 wherein each said PCB includes an isolator electrically disposed between said connector and said transmitter and wherein for each particular PCB said isolator includes a transmission channel having a first port coupled to said electrical couplers and having a second port coupled to said transmitter node.

19. The data communications system of claim 18 wherein said first voltage is a supply voltage, wherein said second voltage is a reference voltage, wherein said host includes a power supply providing said supply voltage and said reference voltage, and wherein each said digital isolator includes a client portion independently powered by each said client and a host portion independently powered from said power supply, further comprising:

a single conductor supply voltage power daisy-chain loop coupled to said supply voltage and a single conductor reference voltage power daisy-chain loop coupled to said reference voltage, each said power daisy-chain loop extending from a first location on said host to a second location on said host with each client coupled to each power daisy-chain loop between said locations and each host portion of said digital isolator of each client powered from said power daisy-chain loops;

wherein said plurality of electrical couplers of each said client includes a first supply electrical coupler, a second supply electrical coupler, a first reference electrical coupler, and a second reference electrical coupler, wherein said single conductor supply voltage power daisy-chain loop includes a plurality of supply voltage conductor segments, each particular one supply voltage conductor segment having a first end joined to a particular one supply electrical coupler of an upstream communications device and having a second end joined to a particular one supply electrical coupler of a downstream communications device, and said single conductor reference voltage power daisy-chain loop includes a plurality of reference voltage conductor segments, each particular one reference voltage conductor segment having a first end joined to a particular one reference electrical coupler of an upstream communications device and having a second end joined to a particular one reference electrical coupler of a downstream communications device.

20. The data communications system of claim 6 wherein said host includes a first power supply connected to said first locations of each said power daisy-chain loops and a second power supply connected to said second locations of each of said power daisy-chain loops without a route, internal to said host, coupling said first location to said second location.

21. The data communications system of claim 20 wherein said host includes a first digital isolator coupled to said first receiver and includes a second digital isolator coupled to said second receiver.

22. The data communications system of claim 6 wherein said host includes a power supply connected to said first locations of each said power daisy-chain loops.

23. The data communications system of claim 22 wherein said host includes a digital isolator coupled to said first receiver and said host provides a ground-reference for said second receiver.

24. The data communications system of claim 1 wherein said multistate signal includes a FAULT signal.

26. The data communications method of claim 21 wherein a power supply is coupled to said first location and wherein an impedance couples said first location to said second location sufficient to isolate a noise signal at one said location from the other said location, the method further comprising:

c) powering a function of each said client from said first location using said power supply to supply an operating current over said single conductor when said single conductor is intact; and

d) powering said function of a downstream set of said one or more clients through said impedance whenever said operating current from said first location to said downstream set of said one or more clients is impaired while continuing to power an upstream set of said one or more clients from said first location.

25. A data communications method, comprising:

a) transmitting selectively a multistate signal from each of one or more clients;

b) communicating electrically each said multistate signal to a first location on a host using a single conductor coupled to each said client; and

c) communicating electrically each said multistate signal to a second location on said host using said single conductor.