Patent ID: 6119064
Filing Date: 2000-09-12
Classification: G01R,G06F

Abstract:
A vehicular control apparatus in combination with an external testing apparatus used for determining an initial failure of the vehicular control apparatus, comprising:a) a vehicular electronic unit mounted on a printed circuit board in a bare-chip form and having a micro controller, the micro controller having at least a micro processing unit and a first read only memory in which a predetermined control program is stored, the micro processing unit being operated to decode instructions of the predetermined control program and to execute the instructions of the predetermined control program so as to control an object to be controlled through a vehicular actuator external to the vehicular electronic unit in a desired fashion after an initial failure test is carried out for the vehicular control apparatus and the micro controller is determined to be operated normally upon the initial failure test;b) a high voltage bias supply arranged in the electronic unit for supplying a predetermined higher bias voltage than a normal bias voltage to the micro controller so as to impose a high stress on the micro controller under a burn-in condition;c) an initial failure testing purpose program transmitter having a second read only memory in which an initial failure testing purpose program is stored and arranged externally to the vehicular electronic unit so as to transmit the initial failure testing purpose program to the micro controller in response to an input of a test signal;d) a receiver mounted in the micro controller so as to receive the initial failure testing purpose program from the initial failure testing purpose program transmitter, the initial failure testing purpose program being prepared to evaluate an operation of the micro controller after the micro controller has undergone a burn-in with the high stress imposed on the micro controller;e) a test signal generator arranged in the testing apparatus for outputting the test signal so as to start the initial failure test; andf) a first selector mounted in the micro controller which is operated in response to the input of the test signal to select instructions of the initial failure testing purpose program and output the selected instructions to the micro processing unit.