Polling scheme in an industrial network system

A host device for polling communication devices in a communication system comprising the host device and the communication devices, wherein the host device is connected to the communication devices via a clock line for transmitting a clock signal to the communication devices and via an arbitration line implemented with “AND” logic for receiving arbitration signals transmitted by the communication devices, wherein each communication device is associated with an address, wherein each communication device is configured to pull up or down the arbitration line for sending an arbitration signal according to the associated address when the communication device is ready to send data to the host device, the host device comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate with the communication devices;
• at least one memory configured to store processor-executable instructions;
• and
• at least one processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions to:
• send a clock signal on the clock line during an arbitration cycle, causing the communication devices to send respective arbitration signals towards the arbitration line according to respective associated addresses from highest bit to lowest bit, during the arbitration cycle;
• receive a final signal corresponding to a lowest address of the associated addresses, during the arbitration cycle, resulting from the “AND” logic applied to the arbitration signals;
• select a communication device of the communication devices associated with the lowest address;
• and
• poll the selected communication device to receive data from the selected communication device during a communication cycle.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method for polling communication devices in a communication system comprising a host device and the communication devices, wherein the host device is connected to the communication devices via a clock line for transmitting a clock signal to the communication devices and via an arbitration line implemented with “AND” logic for receiving arbitration signals transmitted by the communication devices, wherein each communication device is associated with an address, wherein each communication device is configured to pull up or down the arbitration line for sending an arbitration signal according to the associated address when the communication device is ready to send data to the host device, the method comprising:

• sending a clock signal on the clock line during an arbitration cycle, causing the communication devices to send respective arbitration signals towards the arbitration line according to respective associated addresses from highest bit to lowest bit, during the arbitration cycle,
• receiving a final signal corresponding to a lowest address of the associated addresses, during the arbitration cycle, resulting from the “AND” logic applied to the arbitration signals,
• selecting a communication device of the communication devices associated with the lowest address, and
• polling the selected communication device to receive data from the selected communication device during a communication cycle.