Two-Wire TDM Bus for Low-Latency Daisy-Chained Nodes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The proliferation of electronic components in devices like automobiles and robotic systems leads to excessive wiring, increasing system complexity, weight, and decreasing performance and reliability due to the conventional communication infrastructure used for signal exchange.
Innovation Solution
A low-latency, time division multiplexed (TDM) two-wire communication system that provides bi-directional synchronous data, clock, and synchronization signals over a twisted wire pair, enabling direct point-to-point connections between nodes and supporting power transmission, allowing for multiple daisy-chained nodes and efficient information exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional communication infrastructure is used to exchange signals between components, then communication between components is achieved, but wiring becomes thick and heavy, increasing system complexity and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple communication functions (data transmission, clock signaling, synchronization) into a single two-wire bus system. The master node integrates clock generation and data transmission capabilities, while slave nodes perform multiple functions including reception, processing, and forwarding of data along the daisy-chained bus, eliminating the need for separate heavy cable bundles for each signal type.
Solution Approach 2:
The two-wire bus serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it transmits data bidirectionally, carries clock signals for synchronization, enables power distribution, and supports discovery and configuration protocols. This multi-functional approach replaces conventional separate infrastructure for each function, reducing overall system weight and complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more electronic components are included in devices, then device functionality is enhanced, but wiring complexity and weight increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the network into a master node and multiple slave nodes connected in a daisy-chained configuration. Each slave node can be independently added or removed from the two-wire bus without affecting the fundamental communication infrastructure. This modular segmentation allows functionality to be enhanced by adding components rather than rewiring the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a point-to-point wiring model (where each component requires dedicated cables) to a multi-drop bus topology where multiple components share a common communication medium. This dimensional change in network architecture allows numerous components to be connected through a single two-wire bus, dramatically reducing wiring complexity while maintaining enhanced device functionality.
3Reliability
If thick cable bundles are used for communication infrastructure, then signal transmission is achieved, but system weight increases and performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electrical system of thick cable bundles with a lightweight two-wire differential bus system. The differential signaling approach (using paired wires for balanced transmission) provides robust signal transmission comparable to thick cables but with minimal wiring. The system achieves reliable communication through careful signal conditioning, impedance matching, and error handling protocols rather than relying on heavy shielding and thick conductors.
4Ease of operation
If conventional communication infrastructure is used, then component connection is achieved, but system weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic discovery and configuration protocols that automatically adapt the network topology when components are added or removed. The master node dynamically assigns addresses to slave nodes, and the system reconfigures communication paths without requiring manual wiring changes or system shutdowns. This dynamic adaptability makes the lightweight two-wire system as easy to operate as conventional infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are two-wire communication systems and applications thereof. In some embodiments, a slave node transceiver for low latency communication may include upstream transceiver circuitry to receive a first signal transmitted over a two-wire bus from an upstream device and to provide a second signal over the two-wire bus to the upstream device; downstream transceiver circuitry to provide a third signal downstream over the two-wire bus toward a downstream device and to receive a fourth signal over the two-wire bus from the downstream device; and clock circuitry to generate a clock signal at the slave node transceiver based on a preamble of a synchronization control frame in the first signal, wherein timing of the receipt and provision of signals over the two-wire bus by the node transceiver is based on the clock signal.