Polling scheme in an industrial network system

Abstract

For polling communication devices in a communication system including a host device and communication devices. The host device is connected to the communication devices via a clock line for transmitting a clock signal to the communication devices and via an arbitration line implemented with 'AND' logic for receiving arbitration signal transmitted by the communication devices. Each communication device is associated with an address. Each communication device is configured to pull up or down the arbitration line for sending an arbitration signal according to the associated address when the communication device is ready to send data to the host device. The host device is able to: send a clock signal on the clock line during an arbitration cycle, causing the communication devices to send respective arbitration signals towards the arbitration line according to respective associated addresses from highest bit to lowest bit, during the arbitration cycle, receive a final signal corresponding to the lowest address, during the arbitration cycle, resulting from the “AND” logic applied to the arbitration signals, select the communication device associated with the lowest address, and poll the selected communication device to receive data from the selected communication device during a communication cycle.