Communication node for critical systems

Abstract

A communication node (NODE) for connecting a fault-tolerant computer (FTC) to a real-time network (NET), wherein the node receives critical application data (HCAD, HCAD) from computation hosts (HOST) of the fault-tolerant computer, and the node is configured to forward the critical application data as node critical application data (NCAD) to the NET. The node includes at least a first end system (ES), a second end system (ES) and a switch (SW), and the switch includes at least a commander part (COM), a monitor part (MON) and a comperator part (COMP). The MON and the COMP may be integrated into an integrated part (MONC). The ESconnects to the computation hosts or a subset thereof, and the ESconnects to the computation hosts or a subset thereof. The ESconnects to the COM, and the ESconnects to the MON. The computation hosts or a subset thereof provide first host critical application data (HCAD) to the ES, and the computation hosts or a subset thereof provide second host critical application data (HCAD) to the ES. The ESis configured to forward the HCADas first end system critical application data (ESCAD) to the COM and the ESis configured to forward the HCADas second end system critical application data (ESCAD) to the MON. The COM is configured to forward the ESCADas commander critical application data (CCAD) to the COMP at a pre-configured commander forwarding point in time (TCOM), and the MON is configured to forward the ESCADas monitor critical application data (MCAD) to the COMP at a pre-configured monitor forwarding point in time (TMON). If the MON and the COMP are not integrated into an integrated part, then the COMP is configured to forward either the CCAD or the MCAD as node critical application data (NCAD), if and only if, the CCAD and the MCAD are identical and the COMP starts to receive the CCAD and the MCAD within an interval of configured length (SYNC-). Alternatively, if the MON and the COMP are integrated into an integrated part (MONC), then the COM is configured to forward the ESCADas NCAD to the NET. The switch includes an interception function (INTERCEPT) which is configured to (i) preempt an ongoing transmission of NCAD and/or (ii) prevent the transmission of NCAD, and the COMP is configured to activate the interception function if and only if the CCAD and the MCAD are not identical or the COMP does not start to receive the CCAD and the MCAD within SYNC-