Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Kevin Mark Tiedje

Robert Dennis Crawford

Bradley Earl BeMent

Michael John Leonard Franz

A method is provided for transferring message data between stations of a communications network where the network has plurality of interconnected stations with each station having a microprocessor, data storage means for storing message data and a peripheral device providing an interface for the station to facilitate transmission and reception of messages along the network with a predetermined network protocol. The method includes initiating a transaction between the microprocessor and the peripheral device, transferring a command code from the microprocessor to the peripheral device, sending a status signal from the peripheral device to the microprocessor in response to receiving the command code, sending transmission data from the microprocessor to the peripheral device for output to the network, and sending any data stored in the data storage means from the peripheral devices to the microprocessor. The first byte of the microprocessor message contains a command signal and the remaining bytes contain transmission data or dummy data. The message protocol associated with the method supplants any existing serial peripheral interface protocol.

Efficient full duplex simultaneous message transfer

A method is provided for checking the integrity of a full duplex multi-word serial transfer between first and second devices, the transfer including an actual last word. The method includes transmitting a count word from the first device to the second device, the count word indicating a number of words to be transmitted including an expected last word, transmitting the actual last word from the first device to the second device, and transmitting, substantially simultaneously to transmission of the actual last word, a check code word from the second device to the first device, the check code word having a selected value if the actual last word is the expected last word, and another value otherwise. The method also includes determining a transfer error if the value of the check code word is other than the selected value. A system is also provided for performing the method.

Integrity check method and system for serial-based communication

A method for detecting fault conditions on a multiplexed network having first and second busses. The method includes sensing a start of frame delimiter (SOF) for the first bus, and determining the state of the second bus when the SOF is sensed. If the state of the second bus has been passive over a first selected time period, the state of a differential between the first and second busses is determined. If the state of the differential between the first and second busses is not indicative of a pre-qualified start of frame delimiter, then a passive fault is indicated. Additionally, the method includes sensing an end of frame delimiter (EOF) for the first bus, and determining the state of the second bus when the EOF is sensed. If the state of the second bus has been active over a selected time period, then an active fault for the second bus is indicated. A system for performing the method is also disclosed.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Kevin Mark Tiedje