# US 2017/0288907 A1 · Communications control system with a serial communications interface and a parallel communications interface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0288907 A1 - Document ID: US20170288907A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/491,562 - Filed: 2017-04-19 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-30 - Assignees: Bedrock Automation Platforms Inc. - Applicants: Bedrock Automation Platforms Inc. - Inventors: James G. Calvin; Albert Rooyakkers; Pirooz Parvarandeh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170288907A1 ## CPC - G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)} - G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) - G06F 3/002: {Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 (other optical apparatus G02B27/00)} - G06F 13/00: Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units (interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 {; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46}; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16 ) - G06F 13/14: Handling requests for interconnection or transfer - G06F 13/4022: {using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network (G06F13/4009 takes precedence)} - G06F 13/4208: {being a system bus, e.g. VME bus, Futurebus, Multibus} - G06F 13/4221: {being an input/output bus, e.g. ISA bus, EISA bus, PCI bus, SCSI bus} - G06F 13/4217: {with synchronous protocol} - G06F 2213/0004: Parallel ports, e.g. centronics - G06F 2213/0022: Multibus - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A communications control system is disclosed that includes a serial communications interface and a parallel communications interface for coupling a plurality of in modules with a control module. The serial communications interface is configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel to transmit information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and the parallel communications interface is configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module to transmit information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and to transmit information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules. The serial communications interface may comprise a multidrop bus, and the parallel communications interface may comprise across switch. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communications control system comprising: a control module; a plurality of input/output modules coupled with the control module; a serial communications interface configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel, the serial communications interface configured for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module; a parallel communications interface configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module, the parallel communications interface configured for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and transmitting information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules; and a support frame to facilitate interconnection of the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, the support frame comprising a plurality of slots, each slot of the plurality of slots for receiving a respective one of the plurality of input/output modules, each slot of the plurality of slots associated with a unique identification, wherein, when an input/output module is coupled with the support frame at a respective slot and identifies itself to the control module using a unique identification, the unique identification of the input/output module is associated with the respective slot. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communications control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the serial communications interface comprises a multidrop bus. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communications control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the parallel communications interface comprises a cross switch. ### Claim 4 (canceled) ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communications control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the serial communications interface is configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to a redundant control module in parallel, and the parallel communications interface is configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the redundant control module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The communications control system as recited in claim 1, wherein information transmitted via at least one of the serial communications interface or the parallel communications interface is packetized. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communications control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module comprises a network interface for transmitting information collected from the plurality of input/output modules via a network. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communications control system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a power module for supplying electrical power to at least one of the plurality of input/output modules. ### Claim 9 A process comprising: coupling a plurality of input/output modules with a control module using a support frame to facilitate interconnection of the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, the support frame comprising a plurality of slots, each slot of the plurality of slots for receiving a respective one of the plurality of input/output modules, each slot of the plurality of slots associated with a unique identification; connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module; and separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and transmitting information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules, wherein, when an input/output module is coupled with the support frame at a respective slot and identifies itself to the control module using a unique identification, the unique identification of the input/output module is associated with the respective slot. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process as recited in claim 9, wherein connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel comprises connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module using a multidrop bus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The process as recited in claim 9, wherein separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module comprises separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module using a cross switch. ### Claim 12 (canceled) ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The process as recited in claim 9, further comprising: coupling the plurality of input/output modules with a redundant control module; connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the redundant control module in parallel; and separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the redundant control module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The process as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module or transmitting information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules comprises packetizing the transmitted information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The process as recited in claim 9, further comprising coupling the control module with a network for transmitting information collected from the plurality of input/output modules via the network. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The process as recited in claim 9, further comprising coupling at least one of the plurality of input/output modules with a power module for supplying electrical power to the at least one of the plurality of input/output modules. ### Claim 17 A communications control system comprising: a control module; a plurality of input/output modules coupled with the control module; a multidrop bus configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel, the multidrop bus configured for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module; a cross switch configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module, the cross switch configured for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and transmitting information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules; and a support frame to facilitate interconnection of the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, the support frame comprising a plurality of slots, each slot of the plurality of slots for receiving a respective one of the plurality of input/output modules, each slot of the plurality of slots associated with a unique identification, wherein, when an input/output module is coupled with the support frame at a respective slot and identifies itself to the control module using a unique identification, the unique identification of the input/output module is associated with the respective slot. ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The communications control system as recited in claim 17, wherein the multidrop bus is configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to a redundant control module in parallel, and the cross switch is configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the redundant control module. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The communications control system as recited in claim 17, wherein information transmitted via at least one of the multidrop bus or the cross switch is packetized.