Intelligent controller and sensor network bus, system and method for controlling and operating an automated machine including a failover mechanism for multi-core architectures

A controller and sensor bus for coupling together a plurality of machine automation devices, the bus comprising:

• a plurality of central processing cores each including at least one transmission root port, a primary ring root port and a secondary ring root port, the primary ring root port and the secondary ring root port of each of the central processing cores serially coupled together via an optical fiber ring network;
• and
• one or more transmission networks each coupled to the transmission root port of one of the cores and including a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes having one or more input/output ports.

A controller and sensor bus for coupling together a plurality of machine automation devices, the bus comprising:

• a plurality of central processing cores each including at least one transmission root port, a primary root port and a secondary root port, the primary root port and the secondary root port of each of the central processing cores serially coupled together via an optical fiber network;
• and
• one or more transmission networks each coupled to the transmission root port of one of the cores and including a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes having one or more input/output ports, wherein the cores include a backup transmission root port for each of the transmission root ports and the bus comprises a backup transmission network for each of the transmission networks, the backup transmission networks each coupled to one of the backup transmission root ports of the cores.

A method of operating a controller and sensor bus for controlling and operating an automated machine including plurality of machine automation devices, the bus including a plurality of central processing cores each including at least one transmission root port, a primary ring root port and a secondary ring root port, the primary ring root port and the secondary ring root port of each of the central processing cores serially coupled together via an optical fiber ring network and one or more transmission networks each coupled to the transmission root port of one of the cores and including a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes having one or more input/output ports, the method comprising:

• transmitting messages with the primary ring root port of each of the cores to other of the cores through the optical fiber ring network in a first direction at a first wavelength;
• and
• transmitting the messages with the secondary ring root port of each of the cores to the other of the cores through the optical fiber ring network in a second direction at a second wavelength.

A method of operating a controller and sensor bus for controlling and operating an automated machine including plurality of machine automation devices, the bus including a plurality of central processing cores each including at least one transmission root port, a primary ring root port and a secondary ring root port, the primary ring root port and the secondary ring root port of each of the central processing cores serially coupled together via an optical fiber ring network and one or more transmission networks each coupled to the transmission root port of one of the cores and including a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes having one or more input/output ports, wherein the cores include a backup transmission root port for each of the transmission root ports and the bus comprises a backup transmission network for each of the transmission networks, the backup transmission networks each coupled to one of the backup transmission root ports of the cores, the method comprising:

• transmitting messages with the primary root port of one of the cores to other of the cores through the optical fiber network;
• and
• receiving the messages via the optical fiber ring network with the primary root port of the other of the cores.