Hybrid Switch Fabric with Cross-Switch Paths for Deterministic Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-speed control systems with multiple slave devices, traditional multidrop bus architectures suffer from increased communication turnaround time, nondeterministic communication, and collisions, making them unsuitable for efficient data exchange.
Innovation Solution
A switch fabric with a serial communications interface using a multidrop bus and a parallel communications interface implemented with a cross switch, allowing simultaneous data transmission between multiple slave devices and a master device, and between individual slave devices, thereby eliminating collisions and ensuring deterministic communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a traditional multidrop bus architecture is used to connect multiple slave devices to a master device, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the communication turnaround time increases and deterministic communication cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication architecture into two distinct interfaces: a serial communications interface (multidrop bus) for configuration and diagnostics, and a parallel communications interface (cross switch) for high-speed data exchange. This segmentation allows each interface to be optimized for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and communication speed by handling different communication needs through separate dedicated pathways.
2Device complexity
If a traditional multidrop bus architecture is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but collisions occur and deterministic communication cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates configuration/diagnostic functions (using serial multidrop bus) from data exchange functions (using parallel cross switch interface). This segmentation eliminates collisions for data communication since the cross switch provides dedicated point-to-point connections, while maintaining the simplicity of multidrop bus for non-critical functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross switch acts as an intermediary device that mediates data exchange between the master device and slave devices. It provides deterministic communication by establishing dedicated communication paths and managing data flow, thereby ensuring reliability while the serial interface handles less critical communications.
3Reliability
If a parallel communications interface with cross switch is added to achieve deterministic communication, then communication reliability and speed are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a hybrid architecture where the system can operate in different modes depending on the communication needs. The serial interface handles configuration, diagnostics, and low-priority data, while the parallel interface handles high-speed deterministic data exchange. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve reliability for critical communications while maintaining simplicity for non-critical operations, effectively managing the complexity-reliability tradeoff.
Data Source
AI summary
A switch fabric is disclosed that includes a serial communications interface and a parallel communications interface. The serial communications interface is configured for connecting a plurality of slave devices to a master device in parallel to transmit information between the plurality of slave devices and the master device, and the parallel communications interface is configured for separately connecting the plurality of slave devices to the master device to transmit information between the plurality of slave devices and the master device, and to transmit information between individual ones of the plurality of slave devices. The parallel communications interface may comprise a dedicated parallel communications channel for each one of the plurality of slave devices. The serial communications interface may comprise a multidrop bus, and the parallel communications interface may comprise a cross switch.