Message Handler for Protocol Gateway Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gateways become complex and require hardware modifications as the number and type of communication protocols increase, making it difficult to facilitate data exchange between different network interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A message handler configured to receive data packages formatted according to a given communications protocol, generate a package with a predetermined data format, and exchange data between message handlers and a message forwarder, allowing for flexible and configurable data manipulation and routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If gateways are implemented in hardware to achieve fast data exchange, then speed is improved, but device complexity increases when supporting multiple communication protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway is divided into separate protocol-specific modules (e.g., CAN module, Ethernet module, FlexRay module), each handling a specific communication protocol. This segmentation allows the gateway to support multiple protocols through modular additions rather than monolithic hardware design, maintaining speed while managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway is designed with a universal data buffer and routing mechanism that can handle multiple protocol types. The same core infrastructure (buffer, routing logic) serves multiple protocol modules, reducing overall device complexity while enabling support for various communication standards.
2Adaptability or versatility
If software-based gateways are used to provide flexibility for protocol conversion, then adaptability is improved, but productivity decreases due to processing overhead
Solution Approach 1:
A standardized intermediate data format is introduced between different protocol modules. Each protocol module converts its native format to this intermediate format using efficient hardware-based manipulation, avoiding the need for complex software-based conversion while maintaining adaptability to multiple protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
Software-based protocol conversion is replaced with hardware-based data manipulation units that can reformat packets in parallel. This substitution eliminates the sequential processing overhead of software while maintaining the flexibility needed for protocol conversion through configurable hardware logic.
3Adaptability or versatility
If packet reformatting is implemented to accommodate different addressing schemes, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to configurable data manipulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The data manipulation unit uses configurable parameters (such as address mapping tables and format selection bits) to adapt packet structures for different protocols. By changing parameters rather than hardware architecture, the system achieves addressing scheme compatibility while keeping the underlying hardware structure simple and reusable.
Data Source
AI summary
A message handler is described. The message handler is configured, in response to receiving a data package which is formatted according to a given communications protocol, such as CAN or Ethernet, and which comprises package-directing data and payload data, to generate package having a predetermined data format, for example a layer-2 or layer-3 package, which comprises a header and payload data. The header comprises an address generated in dependence upon the package-directing data and wherein the payload comprises the data package. The package having a predetermined data format may be an IEEE 1722 frame.