RU2610681C1 - Method for saving information in fault recorders - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radio engineering, communication.

SUBSTANCE: method for storing information in the fault recorders is to record the digital data about, at least, one current physical process in the drive, made on the basis of the two flash-memories, each of them with the USB-connection and matching the parameters, and to save subsequently the data recorded in these flash-memories. Recording is performed in blocks of the digital data, wherein each block of the digital data, to be recorded, is recorded first in one and then in the other flash-memory, and recording in any of the flash-memory is performed after completion of recording and saving it in the other flash-memory.

EFFECT: improving operational reliability by ensuring the best possible volume of the memorized data, in case of the registrar efficiency loss.

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Description

The invention relates to the field of on-board emergency data recorders used on vehicles (cars, trains, ships, aircraft). The flight information collection and registration system relates to information-measuring equipment and can be used to collect and record flight data, and to save this information in case of flight accidents.

A modern on-board data logger is an electronic computer system that collects information from various sources (sensors, microphones, video cameras, etc.) and writes it to the information storage device. Information storage is understood as a registrar subsystem that ensures the preservation of a given amount of information for a given time (the amount of information and storage time are determined by the operating conditions of the vehicle, the needs of services that use the information, and other factors).

Thus, a data recording system is known that contains a small-sized on-board recorder (ICBM), consisting of modules: a collection and conversion module based on switch microcircuits, analog-to-digital converters and microprocessors, a control module, which, in particular, can be built on the basis of microprocessor sets, digital-to-analog converters as sources of analog test signals and shapers of one-time test signals, a module for processing audio information, which can be constructed On the basis of specialized microchips of codecs and a microprocessor with built-in special software for processing audio information, a protected drive made on the basis of non-volatile memory microcircuits, and a total operating time module. The accumulated operating time module is a chipset with non-volatile memory, in which the average operating time and the mean time between failures in flight are recorded to confirm reliability indicators and control the life of the unit, in addition, the total operating time module can record both the total operating time of the engine and the operating time engine in various modes of operation. Information (data) coming from sensors and systems of the controlled object to the information inputs of ICBMs is converted to digital form in the acquisition and conversion module and, through the control module, converted to the form required for writing to a protected drive (RU 2454713, G06F 17/40, publ. . June 27, 2012).

In the known solution, in each recording cycle, the correctness of recording information is checked by reading and transmitting it via the internal bus from the drive to the input of the control module for comparison. When errors are detected, several repeated write / read cycles are performed. In the event that the recording is carried out with an error, a decision is made about the defect of the memory element and the recording is made to the neighboring memory element. The number of the defective element is recorded in a specially allocated part of the service area of the drive’s memory, the recorded information (data) is recorded only in serviceable memory elements. In addition, if the number of defective elements exceeds the permissible level, a failure signal is generated in the control module, which is transmitted from the ICBM output for presentation to the operator through the information display system or the health indicator. Simultaneously with the recording of information frames in the drive, the calibration module read from the service area of the drive’s memory receives sensor calibration characteristics and operational limitations. This information is processed in order to identify the outputs of the object control modes beyond the permissible limits. When such situations are detected, signals are generated for subsequent registration in the memory of the protected drive and at the same time these signals from the ICBM output go to the input of the information display system or an indicator on the dashboard to warn the pilot about the object's control mode overstepping limits. At the same time, information coming from individual audio channels is written to separate zones of the information area of the memory, specially allocated for this.

When working with an additional drive with a removable cartridge, in which recording is made on a removable cartridge with non-volatile memory, an exact copy of the contents of the memory module is created in the memory of the removable cartridge, and the entire memory area of the removable cartridge allocated for recording is divided into separate zones by analogy with the memory protected drive.

The total operating time of the ICBM unit when the power is turned on is recorded in this memory module of the removable cartridge, the total operating time in flight - by the presence of one-time commands to turn on the engine, squeeze the landing gear or other signs of flight mode, the total operating time of the engine and the operating time of the engine in various operating modes are recorded according to engine speed sensor and engine temperature sensor. All excesses of the permissible operating modes of the engine are stored in non-volatile memory and during ground handling a decision is made on further operation or sending the engine for repair, which affects flight safety. The information recorded in the non-volatile memory of the module of the total operating time of the ICBM block made it possible to control the life of the block for its timely replacement, it is also used to confirm reliability indicators (operating time in flight), the total operating time of the engine and the operating time in various operating modes made it possible to carry out engine overhauls in a timely manner. The presence of bi-directional communication between the ICBM and the information retrieval unit with the removable cartridge allows you to control the accuracy of the received information.

As you can see, in the known solution, a cartridge is used as non-volatile memory, that is, data is recorded on magnetic (magnetic tape or metal wire) media. However, the disadvantages of such carriers are known - short service life, destruction of information, the influence of magnetic fields, etc. In modern registrars, flash memory devices are usually used as information carriers.

The ABB video recorder SM1000 (Technical Description SS / SM1000-EN Edition 19) of ABB Inc. is well known. (12.2013), for recording and storing data, providing 12 recording channels and up to 12 universal analog outputs, which can be viewed in a variety of display formats: graph, bar graph, digital indicator and process summary. Historical data logs are provided to record alarms, operator and system events, and meter values. The SM1000 has a built-in flash memory for secure storage of process data. Process data can also be recorded on a Compact Flash card and then transferred to a PC for storage and analysis.

Using flash memory technology allows the SM1000 to do without batteries in order to preserve available data in the event of a power failure. In the internal memory, data is stored in small blocks with their checksums to ensure their reliability. Internal flash memory is used to buffer process data. After filling the memory, it returns to its beginning and recording is performed on top of the oldest data, ensuring the availability of the latest process data. Compact Flash cards can be used for archiving. These semiconductor cards provide trouble-free operation of the SM1000 recorder at ambient temperatures up to 50 ° C (122 ° F), while traditional electromechanical floppy drives can only operate at temperatures not exceeding 40 ° C (104 ° F). Each entry in the archive storage device is checked for data reliability. Process data can be archived to a removable storage medium in one of two custom formats: comma-separated variables (CSV) or binary encoding. In addition to analog / digital recording channels, removable media can also archive alarm, counter (if installed), and audit logs. The safety of all process data recorded on the memory card is always ensured. Files recorded in CSV format are accompanied by an encrypted digital signature, and the security of writing binary files is ensured by encoding with built-in validation checks. Both storage formats comply with FDA 21 CFR Part P. The standard delivery includes a lockable door for the media compartment, which prevents unauthorized access to removable media.

Any flash memory, whether it is a USB drive, or MMS for a phone, or CF for a camera, or some other, is built on the same principle and always consists of 2 main nodes: a controller and a data storage chip. The controller performs the function of matching interfaces, managing the placement of data by defect management. There are some types of flash memory that do not have a controller, but only carry a “bare” memory chip.

Regardless of how many chips the flash memory consists of, the main chip in any drive is a NAND chip that stores data. All these microcircuits are made using NAND technology, which stands for Not-AND, in Russian, NOT I. This is the method and structure of the cell that stores the minimum unit of information. The most used part of any drive is its beginning - it’s like the bottom of a vessel, if you pour water into it, the bottom will always be covered with water. But the vessel is rarely filled to the brim. So with drives, the beginning is always in use, the end is almost always empty. The idea of Wear Leveling technology is to create data each time the user data area is physically written to different memory cells in a memory chip. And all the memory cells of the microcircuit are included in the general rotation. This means that no matter how much data we store on the drive, each time the data is changed, new memory cells will be used, due to which the total life of the device will increase by tens of times. The advantage of this algorithm is that it adds inertia to the drive after modifying user data, the controller must save its tables and firmware in the same memory chip. And if, due to a sudden power outage or controller failure, he does not do this, there will be a mismatch between the firmware and user data recorded in memory. The next time you turn on such a drive will no longer work, the controller could not find the correct firmware and assemble its own virtual “translator”. That's it, a flash drive in the OS is defined as size 0 or a call to any of its sectors causes an error. In this situation, user data is still in the chip.

The drive of the emergency recorder must ensure the safety of the information recorded in it both in the operating operating conditions and in the event of a vehicle accident. In an accident, factors such as shock braking, squeezing, high temperature and flame, high electrical voltage (if accidentally connected to external electrical circuits), aggressive media (water, hydraulic fluids, fire extinguishing mixtures) may occur. To prevent damage to storage media, the drive is embedded in a protective capsule composed of several protective shells. It is impractical to place the remaining parts of the computer system of the recorder into the protective capsule, since the size and weight of the capsule would have to be significantly increased; these parts are usually located in a separate unit that does not have protection against accidental impacts. From this design feature it follows that in the event of an accident, a sudden loss of communication (electrical and information) between the drive and the main part of the computing system due to damage to the latter is possible.

When using modern operating systems and flash drives in recorders, sudden loss of connection with the drive can lead to disruptions in the drive's data structure, in particular, to the loss of integrity of the file system service data. In the worst case, the result of such violation may be the inability to extract from the drive any useful information (including the one that was recorded long before the loss of communication). This problem is caused by the following features of the process of writing data to the drive. Data is written to drive files in separate portions (blocks). Suppose, before starting to write another block, the drive data is complete; if at this moment the drive were disconnected from the registrar, it would be possible to extract all the information contained in it. Having received a command from the application program to write a data block, the operating system begins to perform a number of manipulations with the drive data: it frees up space for a new data block, writes this block, and makes several changes to the service data. Upon completion of these manipulations, the drive data is again integral, and all recorded information, including the new block, can be extracted from it. But during manipulations on writing a block, there are times when the drive data is not complete: part of the data has already been changed, and the other part is not yet, which is why these parts are not consistent with each other. With the regular operation of the computing system, this feature does not cause any difficulties, since all the started operations of writing blocks are brought to the end. However, in the event of a sudden loss of communication, the drive may remain in a state in which the service data of the file system is not consistent with each other, i.e. their integrity is violated, as a result of which all the useful information contained in the drive may not be available. The probability of this situation is small, since the duration of each write operation is usually small in comparison with the intervals between write operations, and also because even from a drive with a compromised integrity of service data it is often possible to extract information. Nevertheless, since the information recorded by emergency recorders can be of very high value, one cannot ignore the possibility of its loss for this reason.

Today, to solve this problem - not saving data in the event of a sudden loss of power, is solved by using an on-board recorder containing in the case an electronic interface connected to receive data, a memory unit electrically connected to the electronic interface to save data, and a redundant power supply, physically and removable located outside the housing, the redundant power supply has an electrical connector connected to the response electrical connector of the housing to provide operating voltage data on the electronic interface and the memory unit, while the physical dimensions of the backup power source and the electrical connector are placed within the construct, which is the standard that is predetermined by the housing, the memory unit includes a non-volatile memory device and additionally includes a battery located in the backup power source (RU 156448, B64D 45/00, publ. 10.11.2015).

However, this solution did not find application because of the problems causing a power failure and the failure of the backup power source in the period before the main power source shuts down.

Thus, the problem of data storage remains in the category of demand for resolution, since the process of data storage is uniquely determined by the developed algorithm, which is still preserved as a single for all computerized devices and the only mechanism, and power loss is only one of the reasons why The data record may not be saved.

The present invention is aimed at achieving a technical result, which consists in increasing operational reliability by ensuring the preservation of the maximum possible data recorded in the memory in case of loss of operation of the on-board emergency data logger and providing the ability to read the stored data.

The specified technical result is achieved by the fact that in the method of storing information in emergency recorders, which consists in recording digital data corresponding to at least one parameter of at least one current physical process, to a drive made on the basis of one flash memory, and subsequently performing the operation of storing the digital data recorded in the file in this flash memory, the drive uses at least one additional flash memory with a USB connection that matches the parameter frames with the first mentioned flash memory, also made with a USB connection, the recording is performed by digital data blocks, each digital data block to be recorded is recorded first in one, and then this digital data block is recorded in an additional flash memory, recording in any of the flash memory is performed after the recording is completed and stored in another flash memory.

These features are significant and are interconnected with the formation of a stable set of essential features sufficient to obtain the desired technical result.

The present invention is illustrated by a specific example of execution, which, however, is not the only possible, but clearly demonstrates the possibility of achieving the desired technical result.

In FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a drive for an emergency recorder;

FIG. 2 - an interface for outputting graphic images for changing process parameters when using the method of storing digital data in two flash memory.

According to the present invention, a new method for recording and storing information in emergency recorders is contemplated.

The present invention overcomes the problem of storing data on the drive 1 corresponding to the parameters of any technical process in the event of an emergency power loss or as a result of other technical problems when the emergency recorder 2 stops working. This is solved by the fact that the data drive 1 for the emergency recorder 2 (the detailed design of the registrar itself is not considered, since it is not the subject of this application, a registrar of any known design having the possibility of zhnosti connect flash memory through the USB port 3) of the proposed design consists of two identical flash memory 4 and 5 (memory chip) formed with each connecting each through USB port 3.

A feature of this invention is that the flow of constantly incoming data from sensors recording parameters of a physical process in the operating system 6 of the recorder is converted into data blocks, each block includes a part of the data of the general stream. All data blocks are arranged in series.

Each block of data converted from analog to digital signals, one after the other in time, and to be stored in drive 1 as a file, is written first to one flash memory of the drive, and then to another flash memory of the same drive. Write operations to drives never overlap in time: the write operation to any flash memory of the drive begins only if there is currently no write operation to another flash memory.

Thus, time intervals are excluded when the integrity of the data of both flash memory or storage device is immediately violated. In the event of an emergency loss of communication between drive 1 and the rest of the computing system 7 of recorder 2, it will be possible to extract at least one flash memory all the information recorded before the accident.

To solve the task of recording and storing digital data blocks in both flash memory, the operating unit of the processor (computing system 7) of the recorder 2 can be used. This concerns the option when the processor of the recorder itself can programmatically implement the function of transmitting alternately two channels of blocks to be recorded and storing digital data in two flash memory.

A controller 8 can also be used with the function of directing the flow of digital data into one flash memory, counting down the time for writing data to this flash memory, issuing a signal to save the recorded data to a file, prohibiting copying data to a second flash memory, issuing a resolution signal copying a block of digital data into a second flash memory upon receipt of a signal to save the file in the first flash memory, etc. on the cycle (Fig. 1).

It may also be considered the option of accumulating each data block in the buffer block and using a controller or switch controlled by a separate microprocessor that issues control signals to the drive according to the above steps of the algorithm for writing and saving digital data in blocks.

The question of choosing a specific circuit that provides alternate inclusion on the record of one or the other flash memory can only be considered in relation to a specific emergency recorder.

Any flash memory consists of a controller 9 and a microcircuit 10 data storage. The controller performs the function of matching interfaces, managing the placement of data by defect management. There are some types of flash memory that do not have a controller, but only carry a “bare” memory chip. For these types of flash memory, controller 6 should be used with the additional function of interface matching and data placement control.

In this regard, a new one was developed and tested in test mode, and then in trial operation, a method of recording and storing information in emergency recorders, according to which digital data is recorded that correspond to at least one parameter of at least one current physical process, in the drive 1, made on the basis of two matching flash memory parameters, and in the subsequent operation to save the data recorded in the file in these flash memory. Record is made by blocks of digital data. In this case, one block of digital data to be recorded is recorded first in one, and then the same data block is recorded in the second flash memory, and recording in any of the flash memory is performed after recording is completed and stored in another flash memory.

The considered example is based on the use of two flash memory, but nothing excludes the use of three or more flash memory in the mode described in the new method.

As noted, for such a drive (consisting of two flash memory), the probability of information loss due to violation of the integrity of service data is small, therefore, in the event of an emergency loss of communication, it is likely that the information can be extracted from both drives. On the other hand, information may also be lost due to the usual failure of the flash memory of the drive, which is not associated with a loss of communication. Since the proposed drive is dual, the likelihood of information loss due to drive failure is significantly lower than for a conventional drive, which is another advantage of the invention.

A feature of the claimed method is that the loss of recorded data for one reason or another disruption of the system (physical inoperability is not considered) is possible only for the case when the interruption of the system (for example, blackout) occurs before digital data is stored in the drive programmatically. This means that during continuous recording to one drive in the event of a power failure, the system does not close the file for saving. This leads to a complete loss of all previously recorded data. When recording blocks of digital data (after recording of each block, the recorded data is saved programmatically) and when the power supply fails, only the data of the last block of digital data is saved (due to the impossibility of the storage operation) (which corresponds to the loss of information for several milliseconds), but at the same time digital data is saved in all previously saved blocks. This method of recording and saving data allows in emergency situations to extract a sufficient amount of information for subsequent analysis of the process. Naturally, the visualizations obtained in the form of a graph on the display look like graphs composed of discrete sections. This method can be used for the current processes of various systems, which are not presented with requirements for increased safety and reliability due to anthropogenic reasons.

Algorithmically, such a method is formulated as a method of storing information in emergency recorders, which consists in recording digital data corresponding to at least one parameter of at least one current physical process to a drive made on the basis of flash memory, and in the subsequent execution of the save operation recorded in a data file in this flash memory, while recording is performed by blocks of digital data, while the recording of each subsequent block of digital data is performed after completed Saving and saving to a file the previous block of digital data.

For responsible on-board emergency data loggers, it is advisable to use two or more flash drives in order to exclude the occurrence of a technical malfunction or failure of one flash card (this probability is small, but it exists).

The present invention is industrially applicable, allows to ensure the safety of registration data in the drive of the emergency recorder even in the event of a power failure of this recorder or drive in almost full volume, allowing the assessment of the physical process.

Claims (1)

A method of storing information in emergency recorders, which consists in recording digital data corresponding to at least one parameter of at least one current physical process, to a drive made on the basis of one flash memory, and in the subsequent execution of an operation to save digital files recorded in a file data in this flash memory, characterized in that the drive uses at least one additional flash memory with a USB connection that matches the parameters of the first flash memory mentioned Also performed with a USB connection, recording is performed with digital data blocks, each digital data block to be recorded is recorded first in one, and then the same digital data block is recorded in an additional flash memory, and recording in any of the flash - memory is produced after recording is completed and saved to another flash memory.

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