Bus Station and System and Method of Maintaining Synchronizing of a Bus Station

An electronic system comprising a bus and a plurality of bus station circuits coupled via the bus, at least a first one of the bus station circuits comprising a transmitter for transmitting messages via the bus, at least a second one of the bus station circuits comprising a bus interface for receiving messages from the bus and a message processing circuit for processing the messages from the bus, the message processing circuit being operable in a synchronization enabled state and a synchronization disabled state and configured to:

• identify starting points of successive messages head to tail from the end points of immediately preceding messages, when operating in the synchronization enabled state;
• test content of the messages for validity;
• and
• switch to the synchronization disabled state in response to detection of a message with invalid content, the identification of starting points of messages subsequent to the message with invalid content being disabled in the second one of the bus station circuits when in the synchronization disabled state.

A method of operating a bus station circuit in an electronic system with a bus, the method comprising:

• determining an initial synchronization time point by detecting a synchronization signal pattern on the bus and switching to a synchronization enabled state upon detection of the synchronization signal pattern;
• identifying starting points of successive messages head to tail from the end points of immediately preceding messages, when operating in the synchronization enabled state;
• testing content of the messages for validity;
• switching to a synchronization disabled state in response to detection of a message with invalid content, use of messages that are received while in the synchronization disabled state being disabled in the bus station circuit;
• waiting for a synchronization event to switch back to the synchronization enabled state.