OAM and Time Slot Control in a Vertical Ladder Topology Network

A wireless deterministic network, comprising:

• a plurality of packet switching devices communicatively coupled in a vertical ladder topology in the wireless deterministic network, with each of the plurality of packet switching devices including one or more packet processors, memory, and a plurality of interfaces sending and receiving receive packets, and one or more packet switching mechanisms packet switching packets among said interfaces;
• wherein each of said the plurality of packet switching devices:
• send a particular packet according to the vertical ladder topology including ladder steps and between ladder steps through the wireless deterministic network using a plurality of time slots for sending and receiving the particular packet between packet switching devices of the plurality of packet switching devices, with each of the plurality of time slots associated with a unique identifier;
• and
• track said unique identifiers of which of the plurality of time slots are successfully or not successfully used to communicate the particular packet according to the vertical ladder topology in the wireless deterministic network;
• wherein said the plurality of packet switching devices adjust time slots used to communicate the particular packet according to the vertical ladder topology through the wireless deterministic network in response to information acquired by said tracking said unique identifiers of which of the plurality of time slots are successfully or not successfully used to communicate the particular packet between packet switching devices of the plurality of packet switching devices.

A wireless deterministic network, comprising:

• a plurality of packet switching devices communicatively coupled in a vertical ladder topology in the wireless deterministic network, with each of the plurality of packet switching devices of the plurality of packet switching devices including one or more packet processors, memory, and a plurality of interfaces sending and receiving packets, and one or more packet switching mechanisms switching packets among said interfaces;
• wherein each of said the plurality of packet switching devices:
• send a particular packet according to the vertical ladder topology including ladder steps and between ladder steps in the wireless deterministic network using a plurality of time slots for sending and receiving the particular packet between packet switching devices of the plurality of packet switching devices, with each of the plurality of time slots associated with an identifier of a plurality of identifiers, wherein the particular packet includes enable or disable information for each of the plurality of identifiers, with said sending the particular packet including progressively forwarding the particular packet through the wireless deterministic network according to the vertical ladder topology;
• and
• update said at least one of the plurality of time slots by the respective sending and receiving packet switching devices of the plurality of packet switching devices according to said enable or disable information of a particular identifier associated with said at least one of the plurality of time slots.