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System and method for transmitting real-time-critical and non-real-time-critical data in a distributed, industrial automation system

  • US 8,064,482 B2
  • Filed: 10/01/2008
  • Issued: 11/22/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A control system for a distributed, industrial automation system, comprising:

  • a plurality of Ethernet switching units in a switched data network operating via a common synchronous time base among the Ethernet switching units, each Ethernet switching unit comprising a processor and an associated memory and being connected to a user device or a plurality of user devices or another Ethernet switching unit in a distributed, industrial automation system,wherein a communication between the user devices is effected in transmission cycles via data packets forwarded across the switched data network, wherein each transmission cycle is subdivided into a first section for transmission of real-time-critical data over the switched data network and a second section for transmission of non-real-time-critical data over the switched data network,wherein the Ethernet switching units are configured to have a length of the transmission cycle before a time of data transmission, including a length of the transmission cycle comprising the first section intended for transmission of the real-time critical data and a remaining length of the transmission cycle comprising the second section intended for transmission of the non-real-time-critical data; and

    wherein non-real-time-critical data occurring during the first section of the transmission cycle is temporarily stored in the memory and later forwarded across the switched data network during the second section of a current or subsequent transmission cycle.

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