Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Michael Armbruster

Andreas Zirkler

Ludger Fiege

Johannes Riedl

Thomas Schmid

Dragan Obradovic

Michael Bernhard Buhl

Christoph Niedermeier

Cornel Klein

Gunter Freitag

Marcus Fehling

Jan Sawallisch

The claimed interface extension device is based on a network device (DCC) having at least one previously unoccupied digital data output (OUT), to which an interface extension module (IOE) having at least one supply voltage input (S) and having a plurality of digital interfaces is coupled in the claimed manner. In this way, the supply voltage input (S) of the interface extension module (IOE) is interconnected with the digital data output (OUT) of the network device (DCC), so that in event of an error, the interface extension module (IOE) and all the digital interfaces thereof can be switched off. In addition, by measuring the sum current flowing through the outputs of the interface extension module, the load diagnosis capacity of the network configuration can be extended to the interface extension device. The claimed interconnection of the supply voltage input (S) of the interface extension module with the digital data output (OUT) of the network configuration has the advantage of also implementing a fail-safe behavior for conventional interface extension modules.

Interface expansion device for a network device

A network mechanism for a communication network, e.g., Ethernet environment, includes a first control mechanism with an assigned first physical port and a second control mechanism with an assigned second physical port, the first and the second physical port being configured to receive and send data via a transmission medium. The network mechanism is configured such that transmitted data from the first control mechanism are coupled by an internal transmit connector of the first control mechanism via the first physical port into the transmission medium and received data at the second physical port are routed to an internal receive connector of the first control mechanism. Alternatively, received data can be routed crosswise to the other control mechanism, i.e., the control mechanism not assigned to the receiving physical port. The crosswise routing enables the formation of two independent ring-shaped communication paths of different transmit/receive directions within a single physical ring-shaped network.

Network mechanism, network arrangement and method for operating a network arrangement

The invention relates to a system (), comprising at least two asynchronous computers (-), on each of which at least one application (A) is executed, which provides control data (SD) for at least one actuation system (), wherein the provided control data (SD) are transmitted by a control-authorized computer (-) that assumes a master computer status (M-RS) to the actuation system () for the control thereof, wherein the computers (-) of the system () cyclically exchange state data (ZD) and performance data (LD) with each other by means of a data interface in a data exchange (DAS), wherein the computers (-) each determine, on the basis of the state and performance data (ZD, LD) received from other computers (-) and on the basis of the computer's own state and performance data (ZD, LD, in a master/slave selection (MSA) performed on the computer (-), a computer status (RS) as a control-authorized or non-control-authorized computer (-) to be assumed by the particular computer (-) itself.

Assigning a control authorization to a computer

A method for operating a network arrangement having a plurality of network systems is disclosed. Data belonging to a first class is synchronously transmitted in a specified time slot identical for all network systems. A network system, which owing to a synchronization error during the specified time slot, receives data belonging to other classes from a plurality of senders, then only sends data belonging to the first class, but now in standard messages belonging to class 2. Non-vital data belonging to the other classes is no longer transmitted in this operating state. Improved failure safety and in particular a fail-operational mode is provided by the behavior of the network systems in the event of synchronization errors. A network system which implements the method and a network arrangement having a plurality of corresponding network systems is also proposed.

Method for operating a network arrangement, network system and network arrangement

The invention relates to a method for operating a communication network (), in particular an Ethernet network. Network devices () which are coupled to the network comprise a switch device (), a first and a second control device () which are coupled to the switch device (), and the switch device () comprises for the first and the second control device () a respective input port () and emitter port () for sending and receiving data via the communication network (). Ring-shaped communication paths for data are provided so that redundant data can be transmitted in different directions and checked for consistency. An improved protection against failure and error analysis in the event of transmission errors are ensured by the ring-shaped structure using bidirectional communication paths. The invention further relates to a network arrangement () comprising several corresponding network devices () which operate according to the method.

Method for operating a communication network, and network arrangement

Methods and apparatuses for increasing quality of service in a network having nodes if there is a faulty node which can result in data traffic being overloaded in at least one part of the network are provided. The disclosed embodiments of the invention can be used in the field of safety-critical applications, such as medial applications, monitoring devices, and in-vehicle communication systems.

Detection of a faulty node in a network

One or a plurality of sub-networks are defined in the communications network. Each of the sub-networks includes a plurality of network nodes from the communications network. One or a plurality of the sub-networks represent pre-determined sub-networks, in which respective pre-determined network nodes have both the function of a global slave node and the function of a local master node. The one or the other network nodes of the respective pre-determined sub-networks are local slave nodes. In addition to global synchronization using the global master node and the global slave nodes, local synchronization is also performed in the pre-determined sub-networks using the local master node and the local slave nodes. Thus, in the event of an error outside a pre-determined sub-network, the local synchronization may be continued, whereas the global synchronization is aborted. It is thus avoided that an erroneous synchronization is propagated into corresponding sub-networks.

Time synchronization in a communications network with a plurality of network nodes

A method for operating a communications network, in particular an Ethernet network is provided. Network devices that are coupled to the network have a switch device and a control device that is coupled to the switch device, and the switch device has at least one receiving port and a sending port for sending and receiving data via the communications network. Fuse devices for monitoring a particular data transfer rate are assigned to the receiving ports. The fuse devices block data reception at a particular receiving port when a previously determined maximum data transfer rate is exceeded. A possible annular structure using bidirectional communication paths and the limitation of the data transfer rate at the receiving ports improve fail-safety and error analysis in the event of transfer and hardware errors, in particular babbling idiot errors. The invention further relates to a network arrangement having a plurality of corresponding network devices which function according to said method.

Method for operating a communications network and network arrangement

A method is provided for selecting a plurality of program functions for providing repeatedly implemented functions, e.g., in a vehicle, ship or in an aircraft. The method includes determining a first total performance value based on recorded first single performance values and recorded first dependencies, determining a first total performance value based on determined second single performance values and recorded second dependencies, determining a cluster performance from the first total performance value and from the second total performance value, and the cluster performance value or at least one value determined from the cluster performance value is used for selecting the program functions or of other program functions for providing the repeatedly implemented functions.

Method for selecting multiple program functions, method for selecting one program function, associated apparatuses and associated vehicle, ship or aircraft

A communications network with a plurality of network devices is provided. The communications network has a plurality N of virtual networks, which are implemented in the communications network in such a manner that each of the network devices is coupled to the communications network via at least two virtual networks. The communications network also has a plurality of network segments. A subset of the network devices is assigned to each of the network segments, wherein each network device arranged at a peripheral region of a network segment has N limiting units, each of the N limiting units being assigned to a respective one of the N virtual networks and designed to limit a data reception of the respective virtual network to a threshold for the data transmission rate predetermined for the respective virtual network.

Communication network and method for operating a communication network

A method for operating at least two data processing units with high availability, in particular in a vehicle, is provided. A first data processing unit and a second data processing unit can each provide the same function to an extent of at least 60 percent or at least 90 percent. The second data processing unit removes automatically at least one entry for a process to be executed from a memory unit or automatically places itself into a standby mode.

Method for operating at least two data processing units with high availability, in particular in a vehicle, and device for operating a machine

A method for operating a communication network, in particular an ethernet network is provided. Each network device coupled to the network has a first control device, a first switch device which is assigned to the first control device, a second control device, and a second switch device which is assigned to the second control device. Each switch device has a transmitting and receiving port for transmitting and receiving data via the communication network, a first internal transmitting and receiving port for transmitting and receiving data between the switch devices, and a second internal transmitting and receiving port for transmitting and receiving data to or from the control device. A respective data exchange at the first and second internal transmitting and receiving port is prioritized over a data exchange at the transmitting and receiving port for transmitting and receiving data via the communication network.

Method for operating a communication network, and network arrangement using prioritized data interchange

Systems and methods are provided for operating a network arrangement including multiple network devices that are coupled to each other in a ring structure. Each network device includes a control device and a switch device with at least two ports for coupling to a communication path. During operation, at least two VLANs are simultaneously provided in the ring structure, and the sending of a data packet from the control device of a selected network device is performed via a port of the switch device in one of the two VLANs. In order to achieve this, the other port of the switch device of the selected network device is deactivated for the one VLAN. By using two VLANs, a redundant and reliable data transmission may be achieved. A destabilization of the VLANs in the network ring is prevented by the targeted deactivation of specific ports of the sending network device.

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Munich, Germany

Michael Armbruster