×

System and methods for avoiding data collisions over a data bus

  • US 8,601,185 B2
  • Filed: 12/30/2010
  • Issued: 12/03/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method for scheduling operations on a data bus used to exchange data throughout a system having a plurality of motors and a plurality of sensors, the method comprising:

  • determining respective bus access frequencies for a plurality of motors and a plurality of sensors, each bus access frequency being indicative of a frequency with which a respective one of the plurality of motors or a respective one of the plurality of sensors requires access to a data bus;

    providing a plurality of repeating input/output (IO) cycles, wherein at least one of the plurality of motors or at least one of the plurality of sensors accesses the data bus during each of the plurality of IO cycles;

    defining a respective cycle period, for each of the plurality of IO cycles, between respective recurrences of each of the plurality of IO cycles; and

    assigning at least one of the plurality of motors and at least one of the plurality of sensors to at least one of the plurality of IO cycles according to respective bus access frequencies determined for the at least one of the plurality of motors and the at least one of the plurality of sensors;

    wherein access to the data bus by motors and sensors assigned to one of the plurality of IO cycles excludes access to the data bus by motors and sensors assigned to each other IO cycle of the plurality of IO cycles;

    wherein a priority of each of the plurality of IO cycles is determined by the respective cycle periods of each of the plurality of IO cycles and an IO cycle having a lower priority is blocked from accessing the data bus while an IO cycle having a higher priority is accessing the data bus; and

    wherein access is granted to an IO cycle with a higher priority when two or more IO cycles request access to the data bus at substantially the same time.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×