The Boeing Company

Christian J Noll

Philip John Ellerbrock

Daniel W Konz

The present invention provides systems and methods for maintaining the stability of a network. The present invention includes systems and methods that identify an open circuit condition and reconfigure the network bus to continue communications without slowing the communication rate or removing the network bus from service. The system includes a termination device associated with each network device. Each termination device includes a network termination element that can be switchably connected to the network bus in response to a command issued by a bus controller when an open circuit condition downstream of the network device has been detected. In another embodiment, the present invention provides systems and methods for controlling input current to a remote device located on a network. A sensing element is associated with the device that is capable of sensing the input current and through switches, altering the input current to the remote device.

Systems and methods for maintaining network stability

The present invention provides systems, methods, and bus controllers () for monitoring an event of interest via a network bus () and creating an asynchronous event trigger on the network bus indicating that the event occurred. Importantly, the systems, methods, and bus controllers () of the present invention use either one or several network devices () that are connected to the network bus () and monitor the occurrence of an event of interest. These network devices () are configure through commands from the bus controller () to indicate on the network bus () typically by a pulse signal, when the event of interest has occurred. The indication from the network device () that the event has occurred is used by the bus controller () and other network devices () on the network bus () to configure timing for commands or to perform desired actions in synchronization with the occurrence of the event of interest.

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Maryland Heights, MO, United States of America

Christian J Noll