System and method for input and output between hardware components
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsSteven Woloschek, Nathanael Huffman, Brian Breuer, Eric Aasen, Philip Huettl
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Abstract
A system and method is provided for input and output between networked hardware components. The system can convert hardware control signals into network frames for transmission over a network fabric. Meta-data or data payload information may also be transmitted. The system can then receive network frames and convert them into replicated hardware control signals for execution. Multiple hardware components can work together for execution of coordinated actions.
Claims20
A communication system, comprising:
- a first communication unit;
- a first hardware apparatus connecting to the first communication unit;
- a second communication unit;
- a network fabric connecting the first communication unit and the second communication unit;
- wherein the second communication unit receives a hardware control signal, converts the hardware control signal into network frames including an execution time, and transmits the network frames to the first communication unit via the network fabric;
- wherein the first communication unit receives the network frames, converts the network frames into a replicated hardware control signal, and transmits the replicated hardware control signal to the first hardware apparatus;
- and
- wherein the first hardware apparatus performs an action based on the replicated hardware control signal at the execution time.
A communication method for a communication system with a network fabric connecting multiple communication units, comprising:
- receiving a hardware control signal on a source communication unit from a source hardware device;
- converting the hardware control signal into one or more RTL frames by the source communication unit, the RTL frames comprising an execution time;
- transmitting the RTL frames from the source communication unit to one or more destination communication units over the network fabric;
- receiving the RTL frames at the one or more destination communication units;
- converting the RTL frames into replicated hardware control signals by the one or more destination communication units;
- storing the replicated hardware control signals in the one or more the destination communication units until the execution time;
- transmitting, at the execution time, the replicated hardware control signals to one or more destination hardware devices by the respective one or more destination communication units.
A communication method, comprising:
- receiving a network frame from a network fabric, the network frame comprising hardware control signal information and an execution time;
- converting the network frame into a replicated hardware control signal;
- and
- outputting the replicated hardware control signal to a hardware apparatus to complete an action at the execution time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.