Bus system consisting of at least two data buses

• US 7,616,560 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hartwich, Florian, Fuehrer, Thomas, Hugel, Robert, Mueller, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan; Melanie
• Application Number:
  US10/471,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,798 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/225
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25031 TTCAN bus, time triggered can bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4054 where the function is bus cycle extension, e.g. to meet the timing requirements of the target bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4286 using a handshaking protocol, e.g. RS232C link
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0652 Synchronisation among time division multiple access [TDMA] nodes, e.g. time triggered protocol [TTP] bus network with centralized control in which slots are of a TDMA packet structure H04L12/4035
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40241 Flexray

Abstract

A bus system includes at least two data buses, the first data bus having a first number of users and the second data bus having a second number of users. At least two TTCAN buses, which are interlinked by users connected simultaneously to both TTCAN buses, are used as the data buses. Fewer users than the sum of the number of users of the first TTCAN bus and the number of users of the second TTCAN bus are connected to the two TTCAN buses at the same time. A generating arrangement is included to generate a scalable fault tolerance in the bus system as a function of the number of users connected to the at least two TTCAN buses at the same time.

Claims

1. A bus system comprising:

at least two TTCAN data buses, a first number of users greater than zero being connected to a first one of the TTCAN data buses and a second number of users greater than zero connected to a second one of the TTCAN data buses, the first and second TTCAN buses being communicatively interlinked by at least one user that is connected simultaneously to both of the first and second TTCAN buses, wherein a number of the at least one user that is connected simultaneously to both of the first and second TTCAN buses is fewer than a sum of the first and second numbers; and

a generating arrangement to generate a scalable fault tolerance in the bus system as a function of the number of the at least one user that is connected simultaneously to the first and second TTCAN buses.

2. The bus system of claim 1, further comprising:

a synchronization arrangement to synchronize the first and second TTCAN buses.

3. The bus system of claim 2, wherein the synchronizing arrangement is configured to adjust at least one of a global time and a cycle time of one of the first and second TTCAN buses.

4. The bus system of claim 2, wherein the synchronizing arrangement is configured to perform the synchronizing in response to a determination of at least one of a frequency difference and a phase difference between the first and second TTCAN buses.

5. The bus system of claim 4, wherein the synchronizing arrangement is configured to perform at least one of a frequency adjustment and a phase adjustment.

6. The bus system of claim 5, wherein the phase adjustment is performed through a gradual frequency shifting.

7. The bus system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user that is connected simultaneously to both of the first and second TTCAN buses generates a time reference against which the first and second TTCAN buses are synchronized.

8. The bus system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user that is connected simultaneously to both of the first and second TTCAN buses is designated as a time master for only one of the first and second TTCAN buses.

9. The bus system of claim 8, wherein the time master has direct access to a global time of the other of the first and second TTCAN buses.