CALIBRATION TOOL ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF USING SAME

• US 20170161970A1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrepid Control Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intrepid Control Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Correa, Colt, Venugopal, Dhanasekaran, Robins, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,779,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A calibration tool assembly is operatively connected to a control unit of a vehicle. The calibration tool assembly includes a plug on device (POD) that is electrically connected to the control unit of the vehicle. The POD includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and a debugger port, which is controlled by the FPGA. The POD is operatively connected to the control unit of the vehicle. The debugger port bidirectionally transmits instructions between the FPGA and the control unit for the vehicle to debug and send instructions to the control unit. The calibration tool assembly also includes a hub, which is removably connected to the FPGA. The hub receives all measurement variable data from the control unit through the FPGA for analysis.

Claims

1. A calibration tool assembly to be operatively connected to a control unit of a vehicle, said calibration tool assembly comprising:

a plug on device electrically connected to the control unit of the vehicle, said plug on device including a field programmable gate array and a debugger port controlled by said field programmable gate array and operatively connected to the control unit of the vehicle, said debugger port bidirectionally transmitting instructions between said field programmable gate array and the control unit for the vehicle to debug and modify instructions for the control unit; and

a hub removably connected to said field programmable gate array for receiving all measurement variable data from the control unit through said field programmable gate array for analysis.

2. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hub includes a logging device for logging all of the measurement variable data received from said field programmable gate array.

3. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said hub includes a converter for converting all of the measurement variable data from a first format to a second format readable by a computer.

4. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said hub includes hub memory to store the measurement variable data received by said field programmable gate array.

5. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said hub memory is selectively removable from said hub.

6. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said debugger interface further includes a primary measurement interface to receive the measurement variable data output by the control unit of the vehicle synchronous with a calculation rate of the measurement variable data.

7. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 including a plug on device debugging port to debug, program and download code bidirectionally between said field programmable gate array and a programming tool.

8. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said plug on device debugging port and said debugger port are separate ports.

11. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hub includes a converter for converting all of the data from a first format to a second format readable by a computer.

9. A calibration tool assembly to be operatively connected to a control unit of a vehicle, said calibration tool assembly comprising:

a plug on device electrically connected to the control unit of the vehicle, said plug on device including a field programmable gate array and a debugger port controlled by said field programmable gate array and operatively connected to the control unit of the vehicle, said debugger port bidirectionally transmitting instructions between said field programmable gate array and the control unit for the vehicle to debug and transfer instructions for the control unit; and

a hub removably connected to said field programmable gate array for receiving all data from the control unit through said field programmable gate array for analysis.

10. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said hub includes a logging device for logging all of the data received from said field programmable gate array.

12. A calibration tool assembly to be operatively connected to a control unit of a vehicle, said calibration tool assembly comprising:

a plug on device electrically connected to the control unit of the vehicle, said plug on device including a field programmable gate array and a debugger port controlled by said field programmable gate array and operatively connected to the control unit of the vehicle, said debugger port bidirectionally transmitting instructions between said field programmable gate array and the control unit for the vehicle to debug and transfer instructions for the control unit; and

a computing device electrically connected to said plug on device adapted to receive all data from the control unit through said field programmable gate array for analysis.

15. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 12 including a plug on device debugging port to debug, program and download code bidirectionally between said field programmable gate array and a programming tool.

16. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said plug on device debugging port and said debugger port are separate ports.

13. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said computing device includes memory for storing data and receiving software to allow said computing device to receive all of the data from the plug on device.

14. A calibration tool assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said debugger interface further includes a primary measurement interface to receive the data output by the control unit of the vehicle.