Dual mode communication among plurality of processors using three distinct data channels each having different function and operations

In a material processing system comprising a plurality of material processing stations and means for transporting articles to be processing stations and means material processing stations in a given order, the improvement comprising

• a processing station computer in each of said material processing stations, one of said processing station computers operating as a central processor and the remaining processing station computers operating as peripheral processors;
• a first data channel serially interconnecting each of said peripheral processors with said central processor;
• a second data channel connecting each of said peripheral processors directly with said central processor;
• and
• a third data channel interconnecting each of said processing station computers with adjacent ones of said processing station computers, each of said first, second and third data channels performing a different data processing operation for controlling serial processing for transporting articles;
• wherein the material processing system operates in at least a start-up mode and a run mode, and during said start-up mode said central processor operates as a master controller processing signals along said first data channel, each of said peripheral processors operating independently of the other peripheral processors and said central processor during said run mode, and wherein during said run mode each peripheral processor generates a record of operation and can generate error messages, said peripheral processor passing the record of operation to a successive serially connected one of said peripheral processors along said third data channel, and passing said error messages along said second data channel, said first data channel being rendered inoperative during said run mode.

In a material processing system comprising a plurality of material processing stations and means for transporting articles to be processed serially through said material processing stations in a given order during insert mode of operation, the improvement comprising

• a processing station computer in each of said material processing stations, one of said processing station computers operating as a central processor and the remaining processing station computers operating as peripheral processors;
• a first data channel serially interconnecting each of said peripheral processors with said central processor;
• a second data channel connecting each of said peripheral processors directly with said central processor;
• and
• a third data channel interconnecting each of said processing station computers with adjacent ones of said processing station computers, said first, second and third data channels each performing a different data processing operation for controlling serial processing of articles transported through said material processing stations;
• and
• wherein said processing station computers communicate during insert mode of operation at a station to station level along said third data channel and during other modes of operation at a command-response level along said first data channel.