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US 8,108,056 B2Granted
Industrial controller using shared memory multicore architecture
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRonald E. Schultz, Scot A. Tutkovics, Richard J. Grgic, James J. Kay, James W. Kenst, Daniel W. Clark
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Abstract
A multicore processor for industrial control provides for the execution of separate operating systems on the cores under control of one of the cores to tailor the operating system to optimum execution of different applications of industrial control and communication. One core may provide for a reduced instruction set for execution of industrial control programs with the remaining cores providing a general-purpose instruction set.
Claims20
An industrial controller comprising:
- a multicore electronic computer having a first and second processor, each processor having respective memory caches;
- a shared electronic memory communicating with the first and second processors through their memory caches, the electronic memory holding a first and second operating system;
- and
- a startup sequence circuit responding to a startup signal to:
- (a) load the first operating system onto the first processor, the first operating system being an industrial control operating system;
- (b) load the second operating system onto the second processor;
- (c) assign application programs to the first processor and to the second processor based on characteristics of the first and second operating systems, wherein the characteristics of the operating systems affect the operation of the assigned applications;
- and
- wherein the programs on the first processor and programs on the second processor communicate by exchanging data using shared space in the electronic memory.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.