Control system job recovery after a malfunction

In a machine control having a plurality of control elements including a master control element with a memory, the contents of the memory storing status information relating to the control elements, reset circuitry connected to the master control element and at least one remote control element connected to the master control element, a method of recovery from a machine malfunction comprising the steps of

• (1) the master control element recognizing the existence of a malfunction in a remote control element,
• (2) the master control element determining the source of the malfunction in response to the recognition of the existence of a malfunction,
• (3) the reset circuitry in response to the master control element initializing said remote control element without destroying the contents of the master control element memory storing status information,
• (4) the master control element downloading the status information from the memory of the master control element to said remote control element, and
• (5) continuing machine operation without loss of said status information.

In a multiprocessor control system having a plurality of interconnected processors, each of the processors including a status memory, one of the processors being the master processor having a master memory with locations associated with each of the processors, the master processor including reset circuitry to reset each of the processors, a method of recovery from a system abnormality including the steps of

• (1) the master processor identifying a particular processor manifesting the abnormaility,
• (2) the master processor preventing the destruction of the contents of the master memory locations associated with the processor manifesting the abnormality,
• (3) the reset circuitry resetting the processor manifesting the abnormality,
• (4) the master processor restoring the memory of the processor manifesting the abnormality with the contents of the master memory locations associated with the processor manifesting the abnormality.

In a machine control having a plurality of control processors including a master processor with a memory for continually storing machine status information and at least one remote processor providing coded transmissions, the master processor memory maintaining status information associated with said remote processor, a method of recovery from a machine malfunction comprising the steps of

• (1) the master processor recognizing the existence of a malfunction,
• (2) the master processor identifying the remote processor being the source of the malfunction through a coded transmission from the remote processor,
• (3) the master processor initializing said remote processor without destroying the status information of the master processor memory,
• (4) the master processor downloading the status information from the master processor memory associated with said remote processor to the remote processor after receiving the coded transmission, and
• (5) continuing machine operation without loss of machine status in the remote processor.