Patent ID: 8503484
Filing Date: 2013-08-06
Classification: G05D,G06F,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A control node comprising: a host computer operable to execute application tasks and to transmit data; a local time-triggered Ethernet switch operable to enforce temporal constraints on time-triggered data; and a time-triggered Ethernet controller coupled to the local time-triggered Ethernet switch and operable to be coupled to a time-triggered Ethernet switch in each of a plurality of other control nodes; wherein the time-triggered Ethernet controller is further operable to communicate with the plurality of other control nodes to synchronize a local clock to establish a global time base, provide a signal to the host computer for the host computer to synchronize execution of the application tasks by the host computer with the execution of application tasks in each of the plurality of other control nodes, and receive a copy of data via each of the local time-triggered Ethernet switch and the time-triggered Ethernet switch in each of the plurality of other control nodes and to select one of the plurality of received copies of data to present to the host computer; wherein each control node has a separate local time-triggered Ethernet switch.