Abstract:
A method is described for operating a control apparatus (20) with a programmable memory unit (22) for storing data and programs for the operation of the control apparatus. The described method is characterized in that data, which document the programming operation, are stored when the programmable memory unit is programmed.
Abstract:
A vehicle control device has an PROM with a first and second memory area. The contents of the PROM are updated by erasing locations for a vehicle control program, writing part of the vehicle control program into the PROM, checking for abnormalities in the writing process, and then writing the remaining part of the vehicle control program into the PROM only when the result of writing the part first is determined not to have been abnormal. This determination may be based on a checksum, of the program codes that were expected to have been written into the first memory area as the first part of the vehicle control program, compared with the checksum of the program codes actually written. In the event of an abnormality, only the part of the vehicle control program first written is in the PROM, and the area in which the remaining part of the vehicle control program would have been written remains erased. The remaining part of the vehicle control program is a part of the program necessary for proper functioning, such as the reset vector. If the reset vector of the vehicle control program is used as the remaining part, and the remaining part is not written due to the detection of an abnormality, then any attempt to execute the abnormally updated control program will result in performance that is manifestly abnormal and easy to detect in subsequent production steps.
Abstract:
A flash programmable microprocessor-based control module is operated in a manner to protect the integrity of event data stored in the programmable memory of the module while permitting authorized manufacturing and field alteration of the programmable memory with a Download and Execute routine. The Download and Execute routine is resident in a designated sector of the module's read-only memory, and download access to the module's random access memory after module manufacture has been completed is denied. During manufacture of the module, and during field programming of the controller prior to the writing of event data, the programmable memory may be externally altered by an authorized service tool by transferring the Download and Execute routine from read-only memory to random access memory for execution by the module's microprocessor, and downloading the new data or code over a data link coupling the service tool to the module. After event data has been written to the programmable memory, external requests to alter the programmable or read-only memories are denied, and the transfer of the Download and Execute routine to random access memory is not permitted.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus is described for operating a control apparatus (20) having a control unit (21) coupling to a first programmable memory unit (22) for storing data and programs for controlling the operation of the control apparatus and a non-volatile second memory unit (23). The described method is characterized in that data, which document the programming operation, are stored therein when the programmable memory unit is programmed.
Abstract:
In a controller, a method for operating a controller, a computer program, and a computer program product, data are saved in a memory, a setpoint is defined, an actual value is identified, the actual value is compared with the setpoint, and the data is saved as a function of the comparison result.
Abstract:
A flash programmable microprocessor-based control module is operated in a manner to protect the integrity of event data stored in the programmable memory of the module while permitting authorized manufacturing and field alteration of the programmable memory with a Download and Execute routine. The Download and Execute routine is resident in a designated sector of the module's read-only memory, and download access to the module's random access memory after module manufacture has been completed is denied. During manufacture of the module, and during field programming of the controller prior to the writing of event data, the programmable memory may be externally altered by an authorized service tool by transferring the Download and Execute routine from read-only memory to random access memory for execution by the module's microprocessor, and downloading the new data or code over a data link coupling the service tool to the module. After event data has been written to the programmable memory, external requests to alter the programmable or read-only memories are denied, and the transfer of the Download and Execute routine to random access memory is not permitted.
Abstract:
A data storage device has associated therewith a removable storage medium. The data storage device has a main control unit with a microprocessor. The system is designed such that an internal control program for control of the media is stored directly on the media itself. By use of a boot program which can be stored in the microprocessor or separately from the microprocessor, the control program is read off of the media by the microprocessor and is stored in a main control program storage within the data storage device. The main control program storage is an erasible storage like an EEPROM, RAM, or flash memory.