Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A redundant common communication system for a distributed process control or data processing system has multiple stations which are coupled to at least two redundant communication channels (such as communication busses). Each station includes a transmitter for transmitting data packets and a receiver for receiving data packets. Each data packet includes a channel selection field which identifies a selected channel to be used by all station during a succeeding transmission of a data packet. Each station makes an assessment of quality of each channel based upon the occurrence of errors when that channel is in use. The station computes a margin value based upon assessed quality factors. When the station gets an opportunity to transmit, the channel selection field of the transmitted packet identifies a channel which is selected based upon the margin value and the frequency of previous use of each of the channels. As a result, frequent switching among the channels occurs, with the percentage of use of each channel being dependent upon the assessed quality of that channel by the various stations.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim