LAN Communication Control With Staggered Slave Responses
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial Ethernet communication networks with numerous node devices, simultaneous responses from slave devices to a host's broadcast access can lead to network storms, causing congestion and data loss due to timeout.
Innovation Solution
Implement a communication control method that staggers slave device responses by randomly generating timing time slices for broadcast search, access, and synchronization instructions, ensuring each device responds only after its assigned time slice ends, and includes muting instructions to prevent further responses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a host broadcasts access to all nodes simultaneously using UDP, then all slave devices respond simultaneously, but this causes network packet storms and congestion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the simultaneous response process into distinct time phases by introducing random timing delays. Each slave device generates a random timing time slice (first, second, or third depending on the instruction type) and responds only after its assigned time slice expires. This segmentation transforms a single simultaneous response event into multiple staggered response events, eliminating network packet storms while maintaining overall system productivity.
2Productivity
If slave devices respond simultaneously to broadcast instructions, then communication efficiency is high, but data loss occurs due to network timeout
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having each slave device pre-generate a random timing time slice upon receiving a broadcast instruction, before actually sending the response. This preliminary timing setup ensures that responses are naturally staggered without requiring complex coordination during the response phase. The muting instruction mechanism further reinforces this by preventing re-transmissions that could cause additional congestion and data loss.
3Speed
If the host response speed is not fast enough, then response instructions are lost, but increasing host speed may not be feasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics by making the response timing flexible and adaptive rather than fixed or simultaneous. Each slave device independently generates random timing values within specified ranges (e.g., 1ms to N ms for first timing time slice), creating a dynamic staggered response pattern. This dynamic approach distributes the response load over time, preventing any single moment from overwhelming the host, thereby improving instruction delivery reliability without requiring increased host processing speed.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a communication control method, a communication master device, and a system in a local area network. The method includes: sending, every first preset duration, a broadcast search instruction to each slave device for a device search, whereby each slave device randomly generates a first timing time slice, and makes a response after timing of the first timing time slice ends; after the device search is completed, sending a broadcast access instruction to each slave device, whereby each slave device randomly generates a second timing time slice, and makes a response after timing of the second timing time slice ends; and after device access is completed, sending, by a master device, a synchronization instruction to each slave device, whereby each slave device randomly generates a third timing time slice, and makes a response after timing of the third timing time slice ends.