Transport layer providing deterministic transport across multiple deterministic data links

An apparatus comprising:

• a memory circuit;
• a data bus;
• and
• a processor circuit configured for executing a transport layer, the transport layer configured for receiving an identified flow of application data having been originated by an executable application;
• the transport layer further configured for storing the identified flow of application data as transport layer packets in the memory circuit, each transport layer packet having a corresponding transport sequence identifier identifying a corresponding position of the transport layer packet relative to a transmit order of the transport layer packets;
• the transport layer further configured for causing a plurality of deterministic network interface circuits to deterministically retrieve the transport layer packets, in the transmit order, from the memory circuit via the data bus for deterministic transmission across respective deterministic links according to deterministic constraints required for the identified flow of application data, the transport sequence identifiers enabling a destination transport layer to recover the transmit order of the transport layer following the deterministic transmission across the deterministic links according to the deterministic constraints, regardless of order of reception thereof by the destination transport layer, the deterministic transmission distinct from non-deterministic communications by the apparatus, the deterministic constraints requiring timing synchronization and scheduled transmissions along each hop of the deterministic links from the deterministic network interface circuits to one or more destination deterministic network interface circuits of a destination device executing the destination transport layer.

One or more non-transitory tangible media encoded with logic for execution by a machine and when executed by the machine operable for:

• receiving, by a transport layer executed by the machine, an identified flow of application data having been originated by an executable application;
• storing, by the transport layer, the identified flow of application data as transport layer packets in a buffer circuit in the machine, each transport layer packet having a corresponding transport sequence identifier identifying a corresponding position of the transport layer packet relative to a transmit order of the transport layer packets;
• and
• causing, by the transport layer, a plurality of deterministic network interface circuits to deterministically retrieve the transport layer packets, in the transmit order, from the buffer circuit for deterministic transmission across respective deterministic links according to deterministic constraints required for the identified flow of application data, the transport sequence identifiers enabling a destination transport layer to recover the transmit order of the transport layer following the deterministic transmission across the deterministic links according to the deterministic constraints, regardless of order of reception thereof by the destination transport layer, the deterministic transmission distinct from non-deterministic communications by the machine, the deterministic constraints requiring timing synchronization and scheduled transmissions along each hop of the deterministic links from the deterministic network interface circuits to one or more destination deterministic network interface circuits of a destination device executing the destination transport layer.