The Foxboro Company

Alan Andrew Gale

Michael D Hirst

Samuel Galpin

Gene A Cummings

Information is transmitted to a network by a system which receives data from a first processor into a first FIFO and from a second processor into a second FIFO. Data exiting the first FIFO is discarded. As data is received into second FIFO, data exiting the FIFO is transferred to the network. When and end-of-message indication is detected in the received data, the contents of the FIFOs are compared. If a miscompare occurs, transferred data from the second FIFO to the network is caused to be in error. Accordingly, a message sent to the network from the second FIFO will be rejected either by the network or by a receiving node.

Methods and systems for fault-tolerant data transmission

A computer is connected to redundant network switches by primary and secondary connections, respectively. Test messages are sent across each connection to the attached switches. A break in a connection, or a faulty connection, is detected upon a failed response to one of the test messages. In response to this failure, traffic is routed across the remaining good connection. To facilitate fast protocol rerouting, a test message is sent across the now active connection bound for the switch connected to the failed connection. This message therefor traverses both switches causing each to learn the new routing. Rerouting is therefor accomplished quickly.

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Carver, MA, United States of America

Alan Andrew Gale