Method and apparatus for maintaining deterministic behavior in a first synchronous system which responds to inputs from nonsynchronous second system

摘要

Determinism is maintained in a synchronous first system although the first system receives behaviorchanging signals from a second system running asynchronously relative to the first system. The second system refrains from sending behavior-changing signals to the first system until the first system stops its clock at a prespecified clock cycle and signals the second system of the event. The second system then downloads the behavior-changing signals into the first system and restarts the first system clock. The first system awakens to discover that the behavior-changing signals have been received during the prespecified clock cycle. This is repeated over multiple runs, and in each run the same behavior-changing signals are transferred at the same prespecified clock cycles of the first system. Deterministic behavior is thereby maintained in the first system.