Redundant packet switch controller

摘要

In a processing satellite, it is customary to provide a control processor to manage the overall operation of the processing suite and to provide a central point of interaction for: reception of and reaction to control directives from the ground, gathering of statistics, formatting and sending of reports on the processing activity, et cetera. The controller relates to a structure that permits an ensemble of independent constituent processors to operate as a coordinated whole to achieve the overall control processing function with robustness to failure of the constituents. This robustness is realized by: (a) the use of redundant constituent processors; (b) the interconnection of the ensemble by a dual redundant bus structure; (c) a distributed and loosely coupled unifying control method. Each constituent processor is able to take on a portion of the tasks of another constituent processor in the event of failure. The ensemble is coordinated on an ensemble basis to provide a loosely coupled form of overall control and to avoid the risk of a single point of failure.