The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 17, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 01, 1996
Byron F Birkedahl, Glendale, AZ (US);
Brett A Eddy, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A communications system capable of providing enhanced data integrity and reliability through redundant buses, and a network interface controller for use therewith. Redundant conductors conforming to well-known ethernet standards interconnect electronics components. Each component communicates with the conductors through a single network interface card (NIC). Each NIC comprises an ethernet compliant transceiver for each ethernet conductor in communication with the component. Microcontrollers embedded in each NIC synchronously and deterministically place data on the ethernet conductors according to a timing scheme stored in a non-volatile memory means. A heartbeat/power monitor is also provided to ensure that data cannot be transmitted in the event of a microcontroller failure. The communications system provides a high degree of redundancy and fault-tolerance and is therefore well-suited to critical applications in avionics communication.