Method and apparatus for configuring a network and communication network

A network controlling apparatus for configuring a network including a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of receivers, wherein each transmitter periodically transmits a predetermined amount of data to an associated receiver, each periodical transmission with an individual predetermined transmission period, and a predetermined transmission path between each of the transmitters and the associated receiver, the apparatus comprising:

• a delay calculator computing, for each transmission within a predetermined test period, a maximum amount of delay between transmission of data by a given transmitter and reception of the data by the associated receiver;
• a comparator determining, for each transmission within the predetermined test period, whether the computed amount of delay exceeds a predetermined first threshold value;
• and
• a network configurator using the predetermined transmission path if a number of the computed amounts of delay which exceeds the predetermined first threshold value within the predetermined test period is equal or less than a second predetermined threshold value.

A communication network comprising:

• a plurality of transmitters;
• a plurality of receivers;
• a network infrastructure adapted to communicatively couple individual transmitters and to individual receivers;
• wherein each transmitter periodically transmits a predetermined amount of data to an associated receiver;
• each respective periodical transmission has an individual predetermined transmission period and a predetermined transmission path through the network infrastructure between each of the transmitters and the associated receiver;
• and
• a network controlling apparatus including:
• a delay calculator computing, for each transmission within a predetermined test period, a maximum amount of delay between transmission of data by a given transmitter and reception of the data by the associated receiver;
• a comparator determining, for each transmission within the predetermined test period, whether the computed amount of delay exceeds a predetermined first threshold value;
• and
• a network configurator using the predetermined transmission path if a number of the computed amounts of delay which exceeds the predetermined first threshold value within the predetermined test period is equal or less than a second predetermined threshold value.