Patent ID: 8498276

Claim:
A cluster comprising: a plurality of end nodes that communicate with one another over at least one communication channel using a distributed time-triggered communication protocol, each end node assigned a time slot in a transmission schedule for transmission of frames; wherein each node comprises a local guardian configured to prevent transmission of timing-related frames sourced from the respective end node; and a special node that communicates with the plurality of end nodes over the communication channel, wherein the special node comprises protocol functionality to establish a time base to use in communicating with the plurality of end nodes and to source timing-related frames to the plurality of end nodes in accordance with the distributed time-triggered communication protocol; wherein the transmission schedule includes at least one common scrubbing time slot during which each of the plurality of end nodes is configured to generate a timing-related frame, wherein the at least one common scrubbing time slot is a time slot in which more than one of the plurality of end nodes generates a frame to stimulate monitor fault containment logic in the respective local guardian; wherein the special node is configured to observe the at least one communication channel during the common scrubbing time slot to determine if the local guardian in any of the plurality of nodes failed to prevent transmission of the respective generated timing-related frame.