Flight control computers with ethernet based cross channel data links

• US 20080205416A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: DeChiara, Timothy J.
• Application Number:
  US11/710,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20080205416A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4028 the transportation system being an aircraft

Abstract

According to an example embodiment, a method includes communicating between redundant Flight Control Computers (FCCs) using Cross-Channel Data Links (CCDLs) that operate in accordance with an IEEE standard Ethernet protocol.

Claims

1. A Flight Control Computer (FCC) comprising:

a processor configured to communicate in accordance with a standard IEEE Ethernet protocol;

an Ethernet switch configured to communicate in accordance with the standard IEEE Ethernet protocol; and

a first Ethernet data link coupling the processor and the Ethernet switch for communication in accordance with the standard IEEE Ethernet protocol.

2. The FCC of claim 1, the standard IEEE Ethernet protocol comprising IEEE 802.3.

3. The FCC of claim 1, the standard IEEE Ethernet protocol comprising Gigabit Ethernet.

4. The FCC of claim 1, further comprising:

an external interface; and

a second Ethernet data link coupling the processor and the external interface for communication in accordance with the standard IEEE Ethernet protocol.

5. The FCC of claim 4, the processor configured to process messages received on the first and the second Ethernet data links using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

6. The FCC of claim 4, the processor module configured to process messages received on the first and the second Ethernet data links using Ethernet frame protocol.

7. The FCC of claim 4, wherein the first and the second Ethernet data links are configured to operate concurrently.

8. A flight control system comprising:

a first processor module including a first Ethernet data link, a second Ethernet data link, and a third Ethernet data link;

a first Ethernet switch module operable to communicate with the first processor module according to an IEEE Ethernet standard using the first Ethernet data link;

a second processor module including a fourth Ethernet data link, a fifth Ethernet data link, and a sixth Ethernet data link, the second processor module operable to communicate with the first Ethernet switch module according to the IEEE Ethernet standard using the fourth Ethernet data link; and

a second Ethernet switch module operable to communicate with the second processor module according to the IEEE Ethernet standard using the fifth Ethernet data link.

9. The flight control system of claim 8, the first processor module operable to communicate with the second Ethernet switch module according the IEEE Ethernet standard using the second Ethernet data link.

10. The flight control system of claim 9, further comprising:

a third processor module including a seventh Ethernet data link, an eighth Ethernet data link, and a ninth Ethernet data link, the third processor module operable to communicate with the second Ethernet switch module according to the IEEE Ethernet standard using the seventh Ethernet data link.

11. The flight control system of claim 10, further comprising a third Ethernet switch module operable to communicate with the third processor module according to the IEEE Ethernet standard using the eighth Ethernet data link.

12. The flight control system of claim 11, the first processor module operable to communicate with the third Ethernet switch module according to the IEEE Ethernet standard using the third Ethernet data link.

13. The flight control system of claim 12, the second processor module operable to communicate with the third Ethernet switch module according to the IEEE Ethernet standard using the sixth Ethernet data link.

14. The flight control system of claim 13, the third processor module operable to communicate with the first Ethernet switch module according to the IEEE Ethernet standard using the ninth Ethernet data link.

15. A method comprising the steps of:

establishing a first Cross Channel Data Link (CCDL) between a first Flight Control Computer (FCC) and a second FCC, the first CCDL operating in accordance with an IEEE standard Ethernet protocol; and

establishing a second Cross Channel Data Link (CCDL) between the first FCC and the second FCC, the second CCDL operating in accordance with the IEEE standard Ethernet protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein establishing the first CCDL comprises:

linking a first Ethernet data link embedded in a first processor module of the first FCC to a first Ethernet switch module of the first FCC; and

linking the first Ethernet switch module of the first FCC to a second Ethernet data link embedded in a second processor module of the second FCC.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein establishing the second CCDL comprises:

linking a third Ethernet data link embedded in the second processor module of the second FCC to a second Ethernet switch module of the second FCC; and

linking the second Ethernet switch module of the second FCC to a fourth Ethernet data link embedded in the first processor module of the first FCC.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising establishing a third CCDL between a third FCC and the first and second FCCs, the third CCDL operating in accordance with the IEEE standard Ethernet protocol.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein establishing the third CCDL comprises:

linking a fifth Ethernet data link embedded in a third processor module of the third FCC to a third Ethernet switch module of the third FCC;

linking the third Ethernet switch module to a sixth Ethernet data link embedded in the first processor module of the first FCC; and

linking the third Ethernet switch module to a seventh Ethernet data link embedded in the second processor module of the second FCC.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising establishing routing tables for the first Ethernet switch module, the second Ethernet switch module, and the third Ethernet switch module using a unique Media Access Control (MAC) address that is assigned to each one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh Ethernet data links.