Redundancy arrangement for information transfer in a hierarchically organised bus network

摘要

The object is to create a redundancy arrangement for information transfer in a hierarchically organised bus network, in which the hierarchical levels are connected to each other by linking stations, when the information connection between a higher-level and a lower-level bus has been broken following a fault. According to the invention, either the lower-level buss with fault clearing capability are additionally connected to each other via switches controlled by control computers, or further transmitting and receiving devices, which are connected to each other via linking memories controlled by control computers, are connected to each lower-level bus with fault clearing capability. When the information connection between a higher-level and a lower-level bus has been broken following a fault, information is transferred as a backup via another, intact lower-level bus. The redundancy arrangements according to the invention are particularly useful in automated systems with a large number of decentralised intelligent functional units, which are connected to each other via a hierarchically organised bus network.