Parasitic Time Synchronization Guardian Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current guardian designs in distributed fault-tolerant communication systems for safety-critical applications are overly complex due to the need for duplicating protocol logic engines, leading to high development costs and complexity in failure analysis, and require coupling of guardians within the network.
Innovation Solution
A parasitic time synchronization mechanism allows the central guardian to synchronize with nodes using beacon signals, eliminating the need for duplicating protocol logic engines and enabling independent operation of guardians, thereby simplifying guardian design and reducing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the guardian duplicates the protocol logic engine implemented at the nodes, then the guardian can ensure fault-tolerant operation and maintain synchronization precision, but the device complexity and development costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential time synchronization function from the complete protocol logic engine. Instead of duplicating the entire protocol stack, the guardian implements a simplified time base generator that produces periodic timing signals, separating the critical synchronization function from the complex protocol processing logic that remains distributed at the node level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the timing function rather than copying the entire protocol engine. The guardian implements a lightweight time base generator that mirrors the essential periodic timing behavior needed for synchronization, without replicating the full protocol logic complexity.
2Measurement precision
If the guardian implements full protocol logic engine, then synchronization precision is maintained, but the difficulty of failure analysis and gate level analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates the time base generation function from the complex protocol logic. This creates a simple, well-defined timing source in the guardian that is easy to analyze and test, while the complex protocol processing remains distributed at nodes where failure analysis can be performed independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the system into two independent parts: a simple time base generator in the guardian and the protocol logic at the nodes. This segmentation allows failure analysis to be focused on the simple guardian timing function without needing to analyze the entire complex protocol stack.
3Device complexity
If the guardian operates independently without coupling to other guardians, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to maintain system-wide synchronization may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables each guardian to be self-sufficient by generating its own time base locally. Each guardian independently produces timing signals for its associated channel without requiring coupling to other guardians, eliminating inter-guardian synchronization complexity while maintaining reliable operation through distributed independence.
Data Source
AI summary
A parasitic time synchronization network is provided including a plurality of nodes, one or more hubs, each hub having communication links with the plurality of nodes and one or more guardians. Each node is adapted to transmit and receive data and communicate with every other node through the one or more hubs. The communication links between any one hub and the plurality of nodes defines a communication channel. Each guardian is associated with one communication channel. Each node is assigned a time slot in which it is permitted to transmit data through an associated hub of the one or more hubs. A guardian of an associated channel blocks propagation of data transmissions between the plurality of nodes through the associated hub allows only data transmissions from one of the plurality of nodes, wherein the guardian periodically receives a cluster of beacons generated by a plurality of the plurality of nodes.