Control network for brake system

An electrically controlled braking system comprising:

• at least one control unit, said at least one control unit generating control signals indicative of demand for braking;
• a first brake component, a second brake component, a third brake component, a fourth brake component, a fifth brake component and a sixth brake component, each of which is responsive to the control signals generated by said at least one control unit, said first and second brake components being located on a tractor and said third, fourth, fifth and sixth brake components being located on a trailer connected to the tractor;
• a first control network electrically connecting said at least one control unit and said first brake component, said fourth brake component and said sixth brake component, said first control network adapted to transmit the control signals from said at least one control unit to said first, fourth and sixth brake components;
• a second control network electrically connecting said at least one control unit and said second brake component, said third brake component and said fifth brake component, said second control network adapted to transmit the control signals from said at least one control unit to said second, third and fifth brake components;
• and
• an auxiliary control link to electrically connecting said first control network and said second control network, said auxiliary control link adapted to transmit the control signals between said first control network and said second control network when a failure occurs in one of said first control network or said second control network.

An electrically controlled braking system comprising:

• at least one control unit, said at least one control unit generating control signals indicative of demand for braking;
• a first brake component responsive to the control signals generated by said at least one control unit;
• a second brake component responsive to the control signals generated by said at least one control unit;
• a control network electrically connecting said at least one control unit and said first brake component, and said first brake component and said second brake component, said control network adapted to transmit the control signals from said at least one control unit to said first brake component and said second brake component;
• an auxiliary control link electrically connecting said at least one control unit and said second brake component, said auxiliary control link adapted to transmit the control signals between said at least one control unit and said second brake component when a failure occurs in said control network;
• a third brake component and a fourth brake component responsive to the control signals generated by said at least one control unit, said third brake component and said fourth brake component electrically connected between said first brake component and said second brake component;
• and
• a fifth brake component and a sixth brake component responsive to the control signals generated by said at least one control unit, said fifth brake component and said sixth brake component electrically connected between said first brake component and said second brake component.

An electrically controlled braking system comprising:

• at least one control unit, said at least one control unit generating control signals indicative of demand for braking;
• a plurality of brake components responsive to the control signals generated by said at least one control unit;
• a control network electrically connecting said at least one control unit and said plurality of brake components in series in a communications chain, said control network adapted to transmit the control signals in a first direction along the communications chain from said at least one control unit to a first brake component in the communications chain, through any intermediate brake components in the communications chain and to a last brake component in the communications chain;
• and
• an auxiliary control link electrically connecting said at least one control unit and the last brake component in the communications chain, said auxiliary control link adapted to transmit the control signals from said at least one control unit to the last brake component in the communications chain and through said control network when a failure occurs in said control network, and in a second direction along the communications chain opposite to the first direction.