Control network with matrix architecture

• US 7,398,299 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: I/O Controls Corporation
• Original Assignee: I/O Controls Corporation
• Inventors: Ying, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter; Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US10/646,459
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 709/208, 709/223, 709/224, 709/251, 709/230, 709/239, 714/4, 714/43, 700/3
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A multi-tier, master-slave control network has a matrix architecture for facilitating monitoring, command and control of the mid- and lower-tiers of the control network. A supervisory network is connected to a hierarchical master-slave control network, and includes a set of supervisory nodes connected to various different buses of the main hierarchical master-slave control network. In one embodiment, the supervisory network comprises a multi-master data bus, and each of the supervisory nodes can control and communicate across the supervisory data bus in a manner similar to a local area networks such as an Ethernet. In another embodiment, the supervisory network is a master-slave network, with a supervisory master node controlling a set of supervisory slave nodes, each of which connects to one of the lower-tier buses. The matrix architecture created by the addition of the supervisory network allows convenient monitoring of the lower-tier buses by the first-tier master node. The supervisory nodes may provide redundant backup control for the data buses which they monitor. Redundant backup for the master node on each data bus is also provided by outfitting the slave nodes with means for detecting a failure of the master node and for taking over for the master node upon a failure.

Claims

1. A control network system, comprising:

a plurality of control network data buses arranged in a hierarchical structure, said control network data buses including a first-tier data bus and a plurality of lower-tier data buses;

a plurality of control network nodes connected to said control network data buses, each of said control network data buses communicatively coupled to one or more of said control network nodes;

a supervisory bus physically distinct from said network data buses; and

a plurality of supervisory nodes connected to said supervisory bus and to said control network data buses, said plurality of supervisory nodes configured to monitor said control network data buses and to alert one or more control network nodes coupled to said first-tier data bus of events occurring on the lower-tier data buses.

2. The control network system of claim 1, wherein each of said control network nodes comprises (i) an uplink transceiver, and (ii) a downlink transceiver that communicates over a different data bus than said uplink transceiver.

3. The control network system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the control network nodes connected to a given data bus is configured to operate as a master node, and the remainder of the control network nodes connected to the data bus are configured to operate as slave nodes.

4. The control network system of claim 3, wherein each of said supervisory nodes is configured as a slave node with respect to the data bus which it monitors.

5. The control network of claim 3, wherein the supervisory node takes over for the master node on the data bus which the supervisory node is monitoring upon detecting a failure of the master node.

6. The control network system of claim 4, wherein the master node for each data bus systematically polls each of the slave nodes as well as the supervisory node that monitors the data bus.

7. The control network system of claim 4, wherein a supervisory node detecting an error or exception condition on the bus it is monitoring transmits an error message over said supervisory bus.

8. The control network system of claim 7, wherein said error message comprises a broadcast message intended for reception by each of said supervisory nodes.

9. The control network system of claim 1, wherein said control network nodes are arranged in a loop configuration on at least one of said plurality of said control network data buses.

10. The control network system of claim 9, wherein said supervisory nodes are arranged in a loop configuration on said supervisory bus.

11. A control network system, comprising:

a plurality of nodes;

a plurality of control network data buses connected to distinct sets of said nodes and arranged in a hierarchical structure, said plurality of control network data buses comprising a first-tier control network data bus and a plurality of lower-tier data buses, each distinct set of nodes comprising a master node and one or more slave nodes;

a supervisory bus physically distinct from said network data buses;

a plurality of supervisory monitoring nodes connected to said supervisory bus and to said lower-tier buses, each of said supervisory monitoring nodes configured to monitor one of said lower-tier buses; and

at least one supervisory reporting node communicatively coupled to said first-tier control network data bus and to said supervisory bus, whereby one or more control network nodes coupled to said first-tier control network data bus are apprised of events occurring on the lower-tier data buses via communications over said supervisory bus.

12. The control network of claim 11, wherein each of said supervisory monitoring nodes comprises a first transceiver connected to one of said lower-tier data buses, and a second transceiver connected to said multi-master supervisory data bus.

13. The control network of claim 11, whereby communications on said lower-tier buses monitored by said supervisory monitoring nodes are made accessible to the first-tier master node.

14. The control network system of claim 11, wherein the master node and one or more slave nodes on each of said control network data buses are arranged in a loop configuration.

15. The control network system of claim 14, wherein said supervisory nodes are arranged in a loop configuration on said supervisory bus.

16. A matrix control network, comprising:

a hierarchical control network, said hierarchical control network comprising a plurality of data buses arranged in a hierarchical structure, said data buses including a first-tier data bus and a plurality of lower-tier data buses;

a plurality of control network nodes arranged in a hierarchical structure according to their relative positioning in the hierarchy of data buses, each of said data buses communicatively coupling a plurality of said control network nodes; and

a supervisory network, said supervisory network comprising;

a supervisory communication bus physically distinct from the data buses;

a plurality of supervisory nodes communicatively coupled to said supervisory communication bus, said supervisory nodes including a plurality of supervisoring monitoring nodes each configured to monitor at least one of the lower-tier data buses of said hierarchical control network, and at least one supervisory reporting node communicatively coupled to said first-tier data bus, whereby one or more control network nodes coupled to said first-tier data bus are apprised of events occurring on the lower-tier data buses.

17. The matrix control network of claim 16, wherein at least one of the control network nodes communicatively coupled to a given data bus is configured to operate as a master node and the other control network nodes communicatively coupled to that data bus are configured to operate as slave nodes.

18. The matrix control network of claim 17, wherein each of said supervisory monitoring nodes comprises a supervisory node slave unit and a supervisory node master unit, said supervisory node slave unit connected to one of said data buses of said hierarchical control network, and said supervisory node master unit connected to said supervisory communication bus.

19. The matrix control network of claim 17, wherein said supervisory nodes communicate over said supervisory communication bus according to a master-slave communication protocol.

20. The matrix control network of claim 18, wherein the master node for each data bus systematically polls the slave nodes connected to the data bus.

21. The matrix control network of claim 20, wherein the master node for each data bus polls the supervisory node slave unit of the supervisory monitoring node connected to the data bus.

22. The matrix control network of claim 21, wherein the supervisory node slave unit of each supervisory monitoring node refrains from transmitting over the data bus to which the supervisory monitoring node is connected unless authorized by the master node connected to the data bus.

23. The matrix control network of claim 16, wherein a supervisory monitoring node detecting an error or exception condition transmits an alert message over said supervisory communication bus.

24. The matrix control network of claim 23, wherein said alert message is a broadcast to all of the supervisory nodes communicatively coupled to said supervisory communication bus.

25. The matrix control network of claim 23, wherein:

one of the control network nodes communicatively coupled to said first-tier data bus is configured to operate as a first-tier master node;

said supervisory reporting node is configured to communicate with said first-tier master node; and

said supervisory reporting node relays information pertaining to said alert message to said first-tier master node.

26. The matrix control network of claim 16, wherein each of said control network nodes comprises a control network node slave unit and control network node master unit.

27. The matrix control network of claim 26, wherein each of said control network nodes comprises a pair of transceivers and a pair of processors, a first one of said pair of transceivers being utilized by said control network node slave unit and a second one of said pair of transceivers being utilized by said control network node master unit, and a first one of said pair of processors being connected to said first one of said pair of transceivers and utilized by said control network node slave unit and a second one of said pair of processors being connected to said second one of said pair of transceivers and utilized by said control network node master unit.

28. The matrix control network of claim 27, wherein:

each of said supervisory nodes comprises a supervisory node slave unit and a supervisory node master unit; and

each of said supervisory nodes comprises a second pair of transceivers and a second pair of processors, a first one of said second pair of transceivers being utilized by said supervisory slave node unit and a second one of said second pair of transceivers being utilized by said supervisory node master unit, and a first one of said second pair of processors being connected to said first one of said second pair of transceivers and utilized by said supervisory node slave unit and a second one of said second pair of processors being connected to said second one of said second pair of transceivers and utilized by said supervisory node master unit.

29. The matrix control network of claim 16, wherein said control network nodes are arranged in a loop configuration on at least one of said plurality of said data buses.

30. The matrix control network of claim 29, wherein said supervisory nodes are arranged in a loop configuration on said supervisory communication bus.

31. A method of configuring a control network system, comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of data buses in a hierarchical structure, said data buses including a first-tier data bus and a plurality of lower-tier data buses;

communicatively coupling a plurality of control network nodes to said plurality of data buses, said control network nodes arranged in a hierarchical structure according to their relative positioning in the hierarchy of data buses;

communicatively coupling a plurality of supervisory nodes to a supervisory communication bus physically distinct from the data buses;

monitoring communications over said data buses using said supervisory nodes;

communicating among said supervisory nodes over said supervisory communication bus according to a master-slave communication protocol; and

alerting one or more control network nodes coupled to said first-tier data bus of events occurring on the lower-tier data buses, via the supervisory nodes coupled to said supervisory bus.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said step of communicatively coupling said plurality of control network nodes and said plurality of data buses in said hierarchical control network structure comprises the step of connecting each of said data buses to one or more of said control network nodes, and configuring at least one of the control network nodes attached to a given data bus to operate as a master node and the remainder of the control network nodes attached to the given data bus to operate as slave nodes.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of, for each supervisory node, connecting a supervisory node slave unit to one of said data buses, wherein the step of communicatively coupling said plurality of supervisory nodes to said supervisory communication bus comprises the step of, for each supervisory node, connecting a supervisory node master unit to said supervisory communication bus.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of communicating among said control network nodes according to a master-slave communication protocol by systematically polling the slave nodes connected to the data bus from the master node connected to the data bus.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of polling the supervisory node slave unit connected to the data bus when polling the other slave nodes connected to the data bus.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of transmitting an alert message over said supervisory communication bus when the supervisory node slave unit detects an error or exception condition on the data bus that it is monitoring.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said alert message is broadcast to all of said supervisory nodes over the supervisory communication bus.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of relaying information pertaining to said alert message to a master node connected to a higher-tier data bus relative to the data bus which is being monitored by the supervisory node sending the original alert message.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said master node connected to said higher-tier data bus is a first-tier master node.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein each of said control network nodes comprises a control network node slave unit and control network node master unit.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein each of said control network nodes comprises a pair of transceivers and a pair of processors, a first one of said pair of transceivers being utilized by said control network node slave unit and a second one of said pair of transceivers being utilized by said control network node master unit, and a first one of said pair of processors being connected to said first one of said pair of transceivers and utilized by said control network node slave unit and a second one of said pair of processors being connected to said second one of said pair of transceivers and utilized by said control network node master unit.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein each of said supervisory nodes comprises a second pair of transceivers and a second pair of processors, a first one of said second pair of transceivers being utilized by said supervisory slave node unit and a second one of said second pair of transceivers being utilized by said supervisory node master unit, and a first one of said second pair of processors being connected to said first one of said second pair of transceivers and utilized by said supervisory node slave unit and a second one of said second pair of processors being connected to said second one of said second pair of transceivers and utilized by said supervisory node master unit.

43. The method of claim 31, wherein said control network nodes are arranged in a loop configuration on at least one of said plurality of said data buses.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said supervisory nodes are arranged in a loop configuration on said supervisory communication bus.

45. A control network, comprising:

a plurality of first-tier slave nodes;

a first common bus connecting said first-tier slave nodes in a loop configuration;

a second physically distinct common bus connecting a plurality of second-tier slave nodes in a loop configuration, said second common bus further connected to at least one of said first-tier slave nodes functioning as a second-tier master node with respect to the second common bus; and

a first-tier master node connected to said first common bus, said first-tier master node comprising an uplink transceiver connected to said second common bus and a downlink transceiver connected to said first common bus, wherein said uplink transceiver of said first-tier master node is configured to function as a second-tier slave node on said second common bus, thereby allowing said first-tier master node to monitor communications on said second common bus.