System And Method Of Communicating Safety Data Over High Availability Industrial Control Systems

A method for communicating data over an industrial control network, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a first data packet for transmission over a connection in the industrial control network with a first producer, wherein the first data packet includes safety data and a connection identifier;
• generating a second data packet for transmission over a connection in the industrial control network with a second producer, wherein the second data packet includes the safety data and the connection identifier;
• receiving at least one of the first data packet and the second data packet with a first consumer via the industrial control network;
• extracting first safety data from either the first data packet or the second data packet received at the first consumer;
• receiving at least one of the first data packet and the second data packet with a second consumer via the industrial control network,
• extracting second safety data from either the first data packet or the second data packet received at the second consumer, wherein the first safety data and the second safety data are identical during a successful transmission;
• and
• when the first safety data and the second safety are different, entering a safe operating state with either the first consumer or the second consumer.

A method for communicating data over an industrial control network, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a safety data packet for transmission over a connection in the industrial control network with a first producer and a second producer at a first time interval, wherein the first data packet includes a connection identifier and safety data;
• generating a time coordination data packet for transmission over the connection in the industrial control network with the first producer and the second producer at a second time interval, wherein the second time interval is greater than the first time interval and wherein the second data packet includes the connection identifier and a time update request;
• receiving the safety data packet with a first consumer and a second consumer via the industrial control network at the first time interval;
• extracting the safety data from the safety data packet with the first consumer and the second consumer at the first time interval;
• receiving the time update request with the first consumer and the second consumer via the industrial control network at the second time interval;
• generating a time coordination response data packet for transmission over the connection in the industrial control network with the first consumer and the second consumer at the second time interval;
• and
• transmitting the time coordination response data packet from the first consumer and the second consumer to the first producer and the second producer.