Control system, electronic control unit, and communication method

An electronic control unit configured to communicate with a plurality of sensor units each of which includes a sensor and a communication device, the electronic control unit being connected to the communication devices included in the sensor units via a common communication line and being connected to the sensors included in the sensor units via signal lines individually provided for the sensor units, and the signal line transmitting a sensor signal which is an output signal of the sensor, comprising:

• a transmission controlling means which sets the signal line connected to the sensor unit, which is a destination of communication data, to a first state, sets the signal line connected to the sensor unit, which is not the destination of the communication data, to a second state, and transmits the communication data to the sensor unit, which is the destination, via the communication line.

A communication method used in a control system having a plurality of sensor units and an electronic control unit, the sensor unit including a sensor and a communication device, the electronic control unit being connected to the communication devices included in the sensor units via a common communication line, and the electronic control unit being connected to the sensors included in the sensor units via signal lines individually provided for the sensor units, comprising:

• performing a first process in which a first step and a second step are repeated a predetermined number of times, the predetermined number being equal to the number of the sensor units, while changing a destination of communication data, to assign a node ID to each of the sensor units, the first step including, setting the signal line connected to the sensor unit which is the destination of the communication data to a first state, and setting the signal line connected to the sensor unit which is not the destination of the communication data to a second state, the second step including, transmitting the communication data including information of the node ID to the sensor unit via the communication line, and
• performing a second process in which, after the first process, all the signal lines are set to the second state to allow the electronic control unit to receive the sensor signals of all the sensor units.