Importance

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Abstract

A fault-tolerant maintenance bus protocol and method for using the same enables communication between a command module located on a parent maintenance bus and a plurality of subsystem components joined together on a child maintenance bus. The child maintenance bus is interconnected to a bridge assembly that directs messages formatted in the protocol between the subsystem components and the command module through the bridge. The protocol includes a command message structure that uniquely addresses the bridge assembly. It also includes a command string, a command data string for communicating with one of the subsystem components and a command error-checking string. A response message structure is generated by the bridge in response to a command message. The response message uniquely addresses the command module. It includes error and status strings with respect to execution of the command message, a response data string for communicating with the command module and a response error-checking string.

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First Claim