Apparatus and method for synchronizing dynamic process data across redundant input/output modules

• US 9,448,952 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Charles, Shakarjian, Daniel R., Chebruch, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamo, Elias
• Application Number:
  US14/811,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/122 where hardware performs an I/O function other than control of data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/423 with synchronous protocol

Abstract

A method includes receiving first data at a first I/O module from a second I/O module, where the first data defines a programmable device configuration. The method also includes configuring a programmable device in the first I/O module based on the first data, where the programmable device is associated with a first I/O channel of the first I/O module. The method further includes receiving second data at the first I/O module from the second I/O module, where the second data is associated with a second I/O channel of the second I/O module. In addition, the method includes synchronizing the first I/O channel with the second I/O channel based on the second data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a first input/output (I/O) module, the first I/O module comprising:

a programmable device associated with a first I/O channel, the programmable device configured to implement a counter that is configured to count pulses in an input signal and output a first counter value;

a control unit configured to sample the first counter value at the first I/O module at substantially a same time that a second counter value at a second I/O module is sampled; and

a memory configured to store first data defining a configuration of the programmable device and second data associated with the first I/O channel, wherein the second data comprises the first counter value;

wherein the control unit is further configured to transmit the first and second data to the second I/O module during a synchronization process.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first I/O module comprises multiple programmable devices configured to support multiple first I/O channels.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first data comprises different records associated with different ones of the programmable devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit multiple sets of second data to the second I/O module, each set of second data associated with one of the first I/O channels.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first I/O module is configured to operate as a primary I/O module prior to a fault with the first I/O module.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit the first and second data to the second I/O module in order to enable the second I/O module to operate as the primary I/O module after the fault with the first I/O module.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit the first data to the second I/O module before transmitting the second data to the second I/O module in order to allow the second I/O module to configure a second programmable device of the second I/O module using the first data prior to receiving the second data.

8. An apparatus comprising a first input/output (I/O) module, the first I/O module comprising:

multiple programmable devices configured to support multiple first I/O channels;

a memory configured to store first data defining configurations of the programmable devices and second data associated with the first I/O channels, the first data comprising different records associated with different ones of the programmable devices; and

a control unit configured to transmit the first and second data to a second I/O module during a synchronization process;

wherein the programmable devices are configured to implement counters that are configured to count pulses in input signals and output first counter values; and

wherein the second data comprises the first counter values.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit multiple sets of second data to the second I/O module, each set of second data associated with one of the first I/O channels.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit is further configured to sample the first counter values at substantially a same time that second counter values at the second I/O module are sampled.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first I/O module is configured to operate as a primary I/O module prior to a fault with the first I/O module.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit the first and second data to the second I/O module in order to enable the second I/O module to operate as the primary I/O module after the fault with the first I/O module.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit the first data to the second I/O module before transmitting the second data to the second I/O module in order to allow the second I/O module to configure second programmable devices of the second I/O module using the first data prior to receiving the second data.

14. An apparatus comprising a first input/output (I/O) module, the first I/O module comprising:

a programmable device associated with a first I/O channel;

a memory configured to store first data defining a configuration of the programmable device and second data associated with the first I/O channel; and

a control unit configured to transmit the first and second data to a second I/O module during a synchronization process;

wherein the first I/O module is configured to operate as a primary I/O module prior to a fault with the first I/O module; and

wherein the control unit is configured to transmit the first and second data to the second I/O module in order to enable the second I/O module to operate as the primary I/O module after the fault with the first I/O module.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the programmable device is configured to implement a counter that is configured to count pulses in an input signal and output a first counter value; and

the second data comprises the first counter value.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control unit is further configured to sample the first counter value at substantially a same time that a second counter value at the second I/O module is sampled.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the first I/O module comprises multiple programmable devices supporting multiple first I/O channels; and

the first data comprises different records associated with different ones of the programmable devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit multiple sets of second data to the second I/O module, each set of second data associated with one of the first I/O channels.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit the first data to the second I/O module before transmitting the second data to the second I/O module in order to allow the second I/O module to configure a second programmable device of the second I/O module using the first data prior to receiving the second data.