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AssigneeMicro Motion, Inc.
InventorsThomas C. Green, Paul J. Hays, Allan L. Samson, Jeffrey S. Walker, Michael J. Zolock
Estimating the term…
An apparatus and method for deterministically communicating data between multiple nodes in a fashion that is consistent with the Controller Area Network ("CAN") communications protocol. The system applies to multiple nodes that functional blocks within an operating system environment and to multiple nodes that are each connected to a serial bus. The system utilizes standard CAN error checking, bus arbitration and message formatting and therefore uses standard CAN controllers and transceivers. One node on the bus is selected as the master node. The master node issues a periodic synchronization signal which defines time divisions within which the operations of each node and communications over the CAN bus are organized. Data, particularly real-time data, is transmitted between nodes on the CAN bus during a known time division. Standard CAN bus arbitration is used to ensure that real-time data is transmitted over the CAN bus prior to the transmission of non-real-time data. This ensures that real-time data is, if appropriate, transmitted during each time division.
A method for reducing the number of messages needed to transfer data in a deterministic manner between a plurality of nodes communicatively connected by a bus using the Controller Area Network ("CAN") serial communications protocol, said method including the steps of:
An apparatus for reducing the number of messages needed to provide deterministic communication between multiple nodes connected by a communications bus using the Controller Area Network ("CAN") serial communications protocol, said apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.