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CN-121996450-A - Fault condition write back

CN121996450ACN 121996450 ACN121996450 ACN 121996450ACN-121996450-A

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to fault condition write back. An electronic device (112) is presented. The electronic device (112) includes a non-volatile memory (118) configured to store power-independent information. The electronic device (112) further comprises a plurality of write-back registers (120) configured for storing information in parallel with the operation of the electronic device (112). The electronic device (112) further comprises a fault condition detector (122) configured to detect a fault condition of the main power supply (114), to activate an alternative power supply path (124) to the alternative power supply (116) in case of the fault condition, and to initiate a transfer of information (126) from the write back register (120) to the non-volatile memory (118) in case of the fault condition. Furthermore, a system (110) comprising the electronic device (112) and a method for operating the electronic device (112) are presented.

Inventors

  • M. BRAND

Assignees

  • 英飞凌科技股份有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20251031
Priority Date
20241104

Claims (20)

  1. 1. An electronic device (112), comprising: a non-volatile memory (118) configured to store power-independent information, A plurality of write-back registers (120) configured to store information in parallel with operation of the electronic device (112), and A fault condition detector (122) configured to: A fault condition of the primary power source (114) is detected, In the event of the fault condition, activating an alternate power supply path (124) to an alternate power supply (116), and In the event of the fault condition, an information transfer (126) from the write-back register (120) to the non-volatile memory (118) is initiated.
  2. 2. The electronic device (112) of claim 1, wherein the fault condition is selected from the group consisting of an under-voltage condition, an over-temperature condition.
  3. 3. The electronic device (112) of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a controller (132) in the alternative power path (124), wherein the controller (132) is configured to control the transfer of information (126) from the write-back register (120) to the non-volatile memory (118).
  4. 4. The electronic device (112) of claim 3, wherein the controller (132) comprises a state machine (134), wherein the state machine (134) is configured to gradually process a predefined state for another operation of the electronic device (112) in case of the fault condition.
  5. 5. The electronic device (112) of claim 3 or 4, wherein the controller (132) is further configured to disable one or more components in the electronic device (112).
  6. 6. The electronic device (112) of claim 5, wherein the electronic device (112) further comprises at least one dedicated component (136), wherein the controller (132) is configured to disable the dedicated component (136) in case of the fault condition.
  7. 7. The electronic device (112) of any one of claims 3-6, wherein the controller (132) further comprises an adapter (138), the adapter (138) configured to adapt power provided by the alternative power source (116).
  8. 8. The electronic device (112) of claim 7, wherein the alternative power source (116) is a capacitor, wherein the adapter (138) is configured to adapt the power provided by the capacitor.
  9. 9. The electronic device (112) of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the information stored in the write-back register (120) in parallel with the operation of the electronic device (112) and transferred to the non-volatile memory (118) in the event of the fault condition comprises diagnostic information regarding the operation of the electronic device (112).
  10. 10. The electronic device (112) of claim 9, wherein the diagnostic information comprises information about at least one of a temperature of the electronic device (112) or at least a portion thereof, a voltage provided to the electronic device (112), an operating time of the electronic device (112), a time stamp, a power consumption of the electronic device (112), a dedicated state of the electronic device (112).
  11. 11. The electronic device (112) of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the write-back register (120) comprises: at least one write-back data register (128) configured to store data, and At least one write-back address register (130) configured to store an address.
  12. 12. The electronic device (112) of claim 11, wherein the information transfer (126) comprises transferring the data stored in the write-back data register (128) to an address in the non-volatile memory (118), wherein the address is stored in the write-back address register (130).
  13. 13. A system (110) comprising an alternative power source (116) and an electronic device (112), wherein the electronic device (112) comprises: a non-volatile memory (118) configured to store power-independent information, A plurality of write-back registers (120) configured to store information in parallel with operation of the electronic device (112), and A fault condition detector (122) configured for: A fault condition of the primary power source (114) is detected, In the event of the fault condition, activating an alternate power supply path (124) to an alternate power supply (116), and In the event of the fault condition, an information transfer (126) from the write-back register (120) to the non-volatile memory (118) is initiated.
  14. 14. The system (110) of claim 13, wherein the alternative power source (116) is a capacitor.
  15. 15. The system (110) according to claim 13, the capacitor being arranged such that the capacitor is charged by the main power supply (114) during operation of the electronic device (112).
  16. 16. The system (110) according to any one of claims 13-15, further comprising the primary power source (114).
  17. 17. The system (110) of claim 16, wherein the primary power source (114) and the alternate power source (116) are configured to provide equal power to the electronic device (112).
  18. 18. A method, comprising: a) Storing information in a write-back register (120) of an electronic device (112) in parallel with operation of the electronic device (112), B) A fault condition of the primary power source (114) is detected, C) An alternate power path (124) to the alternate power source (116) is activated, D) An information transfer from the write-back register (120) to a non-volatile memory of the electronic device (112) is initiated.
  19. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein step d) is prioritized during remaining operation of the electronic device (112).
  20. 20. Use of an electronic device (112) according to any one of claims 1-12, a system according to any one of claims 13-17, an automotive application according to at least one of the methods of any one of claims 18-19.

Description

Fault condition write back Technical Field The present disclosure relates to electronic devices, systems, and methods. The electronic device, system and method may be particularly useful for automotive applications, such as for controlling a vehicle or at least a portion thereof. However, other applications are of course possible in principle. Background Indeed, electronic devices may suffer from fault conditions during operation, such as suffering from a power failure. The electronic device is often required to store diagnostic information about such events, such as for later analysis. It is often also required to do so immediately, for example due to a loss of power, or to avoid data loss in general. However, applications controlled by electronic devices often also need to continue to operate at least in a special mode of operation. For example, an application controlled by the electronic device may enter a secure state, which may be an off state, such as through the use of a soft-off. In order to store information immediately while continuing the operation of an application, it is often necessary to read and write memory architectures simultaneously. Typically, a read operation is not possible when the memory is busy with a write operation. However, if the system is unable to fetch and execute subsequent instructions, this may significantly interfere with overall performance. The simultaneous read and write memory may allow simultaneous reading and writing. Such a read-while-write memory may be implemented using multiple sets of devices, such as multiple sets of NOR flash memory devices. Then, in the first group, a write operation may be performed, and in the second group, a read operation may be performed. However, such devices are often quite expensive. Thus, there is a particular need to reduce costs while still ensuring proper fault condition handling. Disclosure of Invention In a first aspect, an electronic device is presented. The electronic device includes a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory is configured to store information independent of the power source. The electronic device also includes a plurality of write-back registers. The write-back register is configured to store information in parallel with operation of the electronic device. The electronic device further comprises a fault condition detector. The fault condition detector is configured to detect a fault condition of the primary power source. The fault condition detector is further configured to activate an alternate power supply path to the alternate power supply in the event of a fault condition. The fault condition detector is further configured to initiate a transfer of information from the write-back register to the non-volatile memory in case of a fault condition. In another aspect, a system is presented. The system includes an alternate power source. The system also includes an electronic device. The electronic device includes a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory is configured to store information independent of the power source. The electronic device also includes a plurality of write-back registers. The write-back register is configured to store information in parallel with operation of the electronic device. The electronic device further comprises a fault condition detector. The fault condition detector is configured to detect a fault condition of the primary power source. The fault condition detector is further configured to activate an alternate power supply path to the alternate power supply in the event of a fault condition. The fault condition detector is further configured to initiate a transfer of information from the write-back register to the non-volatile memory in case of a fault condition. In another aspect, a method is presented. The method comprises the following steps: a) Information is stored in a write-back register of the electronic device in parallel with the operation of the electronic device, B) A fault condition of the primary power source is detected, C) An alternate power supply path to an alternate power supply is activated, D) An information transfer from the write-back register to the non-volatile memory of the electronic device is initiated. In another aspect, use of an electronic device, system, and/or method for automotive applications is presented. Additional features and advantages will be recognized by those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description and viewing the accompanying drawings. Drawings The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar or identical elements. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Features of the various illustrated examples may be combined unless they are excluded from each other. Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a system including an elect