Communications bus with redundant signal paths and method for compensating for signal path errors in a communications bus

A communications bus connected between a number of source nodes and an equal number of destination nodes, the communications bus including:

• (a) a number of alternate transmission paths extending between each respective source node and a matched one of the destination nodes on a common substrate, the matched destination node being matched to a respective one of the source nodes;
• (b) a source switching arrangement, the source switching arrangement being interposed between each respective source node and the respective alternate transmission paths associated with that respective source node, the source switching arrangement also being operable to selectively connect each respective source node to a selected one of the alternate transmission paths associated with that source node and disconnect each respective source node from each other alternate transmission path associated with that source node;
• and
• (c) a destination switching arrangement, the destination switching arrangement being interposed between each respective destination node and the respective alternate transmission paths associated with that respective destination node, the destination switching arrangement also being operable to selectively connect each respective destination node to the selected one of the alternate transmission paths associated with that destination node and disconnect the respective destination node from each other alternate transmission path associated with that destination node.

A method for compensating for errors in a communications bus between a source node and a destination node, the bus including alternate transmission paths between the source and destination node, the method including the steps of:

• (a) applying a test signal to a first one of the alternate transmission paths between the source node and the destination node;
• (b) determining whether the test signal is properly received at the destination node;
• and
• (c) if the test signal is not properly received at the destination node, switching to a second one of the alternate transmission paths between the source node and destination node.