Debug system, electronic control unit, information processing unit, semiconductor package, and transceiver circuit

Abstract

An electronic control unit includes a microcomputer that controls an operation of a control target. A transceiver circuit is placed in a bench room to rapidly communicate data with the external unit for development, the external unit checking operation of the electronic control unit. A power supply unit supplying electrical power to the microcomputer is designed to operate the microcomputer under normal operation, using a battery, is insufficient to supply power at a speed sufficient during development testing of the electronic control unit using the wire coupling the transceiver to the external unit. The microcomputer includes a debug circuit that communicates data with the transceiver circuit during testing. The transceiver circuit operates on electrical power supplied from an external power supply unit, which differs from the power supply unit included in the electronic control unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic control unit comprising:
 a microcomputer that controls an operation of a control target;   a transceiver circuit that is arranged between the microcomputer and an external unit for development placed in a bench room to rapidly communicate data with the external unit for development, the external unit used to check operation of the electronic control unit; and   a power supply unit that supplies electrical power to the microcomputer, as designed with a capacity to operate the microcomputer under normal operation, using a battery, the electric control unit power supply being insufficient to supply power at a speed sufficient during development testing of the electronic control unit using the wire coupling the transceiver to the external unit;   wherein the microcomputer includes a debug circuit that communicates data with the transceiver circuit during testing,   wherein the transceiver circuit operates on electrical power supplied from an external power supply unit, which differs from the power supply unit included in the electronic control unit, through a wire coupling the transceiver circuit to the external unit for development, that is capable of reaching the bench room from the engine room.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the debug circuit operates in accordance with electrical power supplied from the transceiver circuit. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic control unit according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the transceiver circuit includes a built-in power supply unit that generates electrical power to be supplied to the debug circuit in accordance with the electrical power supplied from the external power supply unit, and   wherein the debug circuit operates on electrical power supplied from the built-in power supply unit without being dependent on the electrical power supplied from the power supply unit that supplies electrical power to the microcomputer.   
     
     
         4 . The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver circuit is arranged in a housing placed in an automobile that forms the electronic control unit. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the microcomputer is formed by a single microcomputer chip; wherein the transceiver circuit is formed by a single transceiver circuit chip, and   wherein the electronic control unit is formed by a SiP (system in package) module that includes the microcomputer chip and the transceiver circuit chip.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver circuit includes a buffer circuit for maintaining the performance of communication between the microcomputer and the external unit for development. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver circuit includes a input/output buffer that is to be coupled to the microcomputer, a transceiver that is to be coupled to the external unit for development through the wire, and a FIFO buffer arranged between the short-distance input/output buffer and the transceiver. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver circuit further includes a protocol conversion control circuit; and wherein the protocol conversion control circuit converts data supplied from the microcomputer into a long-distance communication protocol optimal for long-distance communication and converts data transmitted by the long-distance communication protocol into a communication protocol optimal for the microcomputer. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic control unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the debug circuit includes a trace section that directly reads an operation of a CPU provided for the microcomputer, a JTAG section that establishes communication required for debugging between the external unit for development and the microcomputer and controls the debug circuit, and a RAM monitor section that reads data from a RAM provided for the microcomputer.