Time-Triggered Ethernet Node Bandwidth Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Time Triggered Ethernet (TTE) systems experience significant waste of network bandwidth due to the fixed timeslot allocation mechanism, where idle physical links are not utilized efficiently, especially with a large number of nodes in the network.
Innovation Solution
A method and node device that utilize a scheduling period table to determine when an event-triggered message can be transmitted in the current timeslot without colliding with the physical link corresponding to that timeslot, allowing for efficient data transmission by avoiding unnecessary timeslot allocation for each node.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed timeslot allocation is used in TTE, then real-time data transmission is guaranteed, but network bandwidth utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by allowing nodes to dynamically select timeslots for event-triggered messages based on current network conditions and scheduling period tables, rather than being confined to fixed predetermined timeslots. This dynamic selection enables nodes to transmit data in any available timeslot where their physical link does not collide with allocated links, thereby improving bandwidth utilization while maintaining real-time transmission guarantees through collision avoidance mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of timeslot allocation from fixed to flexible by introducing scheduling period tables that define multiple possible timeslots for each node. Nodes can adjust their transmission timing by selecting different timeslots within their scheduled periods, allowing the system to adapt to varying traffic conditions and improve overall network efficiency without compromising real-time delivery requirements
2Reliability
If dedicated timeslots are allocated to each node, then transmission reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the timeslot allocation into two parts: scheduled periodic timeslots for time-triggered traffic and flexible event-triggered timeslots for aperiodic traffic. The scheduling period table segments the network behavior into predictable periodic patterns and unpredictable event-driven patterns, allowing each to be managed with appropriate complexity levels while maintaining overall transmission reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The scheduling period table serves multiple functions: it defines periodic transmission patterns, identifies available timeslots for event-triggered messages, and provides collision avoidance information. This multi-functional structure reduces the need for separate complex management mechanisms while maintaining transmission reliability across different traffic types
Data Source
AI summary
A time-triggered Ethernet (TTE)-based data transmission method and node device, solving the problem of wasting network bandwidth resources in the prior art during TTE-based data transmission; in the method, a main node determines a scheduling period table based on a time-triggered packet; when a node has a to-be-transmitted event-triggered packet, and the node determines, according to the information stored in the scheduling period table, that a physical link occupied by the event-triggered packet is not in conflict with a physical link corresponding to the current time slot, the node transmits the event-triggered packet in the current time slot. The main node does not need to separately allocate time for the event-triggered packet of each node. Therefore, when a node has a to-be-transmitted event-triggered packet, the node can transmit the event-triggered packet in the current time slot as long as the physical link occupied by the event-triggered packet is not in conflict with the physical link corresponding to the current time slot, thus effectively improving data transmission efficiency and network bandwidth utilization.