FR2502806A1 - HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE SYSTEM FOR INFORMATION PROCESSING - Google Patents

Abstract

THE HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE SYSTEM FOR INFORMATION PROCESSING INCLUDES PILOT CALCULATORS AND ZONE CALCULATORS. AT THE INPUT OF EACH CALCULATOR UNIT, AN INPUT AND OUTPUT UNIT 4 IS PROVIDED WITH A DECISION DEVICE "M OF N" 2 AND TWO NEEDLES 1, 3. THE UNIDIRECTIONAL OUTPUT OF NEEDLE 3 IS CONNECTED TO THE UNIDIRECTIONAL INPUT OF THE NEEDLE 1. TO THE CONTROL INPUTS OF THE NEEDLES 1, 3 ARE APPLIED SIGNALS OF CONTROL OF A SUBORDINATE COMPUTER AND OR OF A FIRST HIERARCHICALLY HIGHER CALCULATOR.

Description

The invention relates to a switching device for the automation of

process by means of a system

  information processing hierarchical structure.

  The switching device according to the invention can be used in fields which require security and

high reliability.

  A switching device is known (German patent application 21 084 96), in which three computers

  work in parallel. They are working on a disposi-

  tif surveillance and exit which operates according to the principle of majority decision and, in the case of a

  fault, stops the faulty computer. A cal-

  culateur is considered to be in trouble when the bit error rate on an output exceeds a certain threshold. For the monitoring of the control circuit and the comparators, it is intentionally delivered by the

  calculator at regular intervals for false data.

  The defect of such a switching device is that, in the case of a hierarchical structure, errors which are

  in the collector conductors are not detected.

  We also know a system with several calcula-

  ters for the control of means of transport linked to routes of communication (German patent application 27 259 22), in which all the computers process the same information asynchronously, the resulting information being compared with each other, for control errors only at the end of a calculation cycle. For

  that asynchronous operation is guaranteed, the information

  tions are directed to the different computers with a time lag. The data delivered by

  different computers are controlled by means of a

  positive comparison and connection. The comparison

  is only done when the majority of the computers have arrived

  vee to a result. This is executed by a logic circuit whose structure is not redundant, so that errors which may occur inside this logic circuit are not detected. Another disadvantage of these two solutions is that very high reliability is required of the monitoring and output devices, while the transmission of information after the devices

  surveillance and exit takes place on a channel.

  The invention aims to increase safety and reliability

  bility of a hierarchical system for processing

information.

  The object of the invention is to develop a device

  switching device intended to tolerate single and multiple errors in different computer structures

  "m of n" of a level and multiple errors in dif-

  different levels of a hierarchically structured information processing system, while errors

  multiples that are not tolerated can be detected.

  13 Data transmission between the different levels

  is included in the majority decision.

  This is obtained according to the invention by the fact

  at the entrance to each unit of computers, it is

  installed an input and output unit, consisting of a provision

  sitive decision "m of n" and two referrals, the output

  unidirectional tie of the second switch being connected

  at the unidirectional input of the first switch, however

  dant that to the control inputs of the first and second switch are applied control signals of a

  subordinate calculator and / or a first hierarchical calculator

  rarchically superior and that, in the data flow going from the superior calculator to the subordinate calculator,

  the bi-directional input and output of the first acute: il-

  lage are connected to the bidirectional collector conductor

  of the first upper computer and that the unidi-

  of the first switch is linked to the first

  input of the decision device "m of n", to other

  of which the bidirectional collector conductors

  other upper computers are connected, however

  as long as the output of the decision device "m of n" 'is connected to the unidirectional input of the second switch,

  whose bidirectional input and output are connected

  to the bidirectional collector conductor of a calculation

  subordinate, while in the data flow going

  from the subordinate computer to the upper computer, the

  bidirectional input and output of the first switch are connected to the bidirectional collector conductor of the

  first subordinate computer and that the unidirectional output

  tional of the first switch is connected to the first

  input of the decision device "m of n", to the other en-

  of which the bidirectional collector conductors of the other subordinate computers are connected and that the output of the decision device "m of n" is connected to the unidirectional input of the second switch, the bidirectional input and output of which are connected to the

  bidirectional director conductor of a computer

rarchically superior.

  In another arrangement of the solution according to

  the invention, the 'm naked decision device is made up of

  killed either by a fixed memory or by a multiplexer

  either by programmable logic zones.

  Provided that at the outputs of the decision-making devices

  sion "m of nude placed directly on the three collecting conductors no false information is emitted if, according to the program, no introduction of information

  is only necessary through the conductors collected

  redundant torers, the first switch can be deleted.

  The invention will be explained in more detail using

  of an embodiment given by way of nonlimited example

  tative and shown in the accompanying drawing.

  Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of the uni-

  input and output tees for the various computers.

  Fig. 2 shows a block diagram with three

computers per unit.

  The automation system is built hier-

  rarchically. To the zone computers 7.1.1 to 7.n.3. a closed zone of the technological installation is allocated, while the pilot computer 5.1 to 5.3 delivers control instructions, which are treated in detail in the zone computers 7.1.1 to 7.n.3 to give control signals intended for the various technological groups. In the opposite direction, information goes from technological groups (return signals) to

  area calculators; they are taken into account therein

  during further processing of the program and they are

  most often transmitted in compressed form to calcu-

  pilot readers 5.1 to 5.3. It is then possible that individual information coming from the process is directed directly to the pilot computers 5.1 to

  5.3 without going through the zone computers 7.1.1 to 7.n.3.

  To improve safety and availability, each computer is present three times in the example given. These three solidarity calculators process each

  times the mime algorithms, the program versions for

  before being treated differently and also being shifted in time. Bidirectional collector conductors are provided for the connection between the different levels of computers. Via these collector conductors, which are made up of address conductors,

  communication and data, the communication between the

  Tees with 3 computers of one level can also be established. In

  the case of a very high density of data on conduc-

  collector towers, traffic between computing units

  level can also be done by separate links, which are connected via input and output channels. The necessary harmonization of the three

  computers of a unit between them is ensured by the inter-

  median of the collector conductors or separate conductors, which are not shown in FIG. 2 to not

  not clutter it. Unlike fig. 2 we can pre-

  see also more than one unit of pilot computers, these

  units then also work on the conductors col-

  driving and driving drives, however the com-

  demand from the collecting conductors (SELS) 6.5.1 to 6.7-n.3 or the computers themselves must coordinate all

  of data traffic between all the computers connected

  dice to the corresponding collector conductor. The conduc-

  Collectors of pipelines establish, within the hierarchy, the links between the units dealing

  information and control and visualization units

  sation, which are composed for example of screens, screens

  viers, etc. and establish communication with the person

  driving staff. From the lower level of the hier-

  rarchy, the link is established with the elements of the process

  known through output collector conductors

  tie, however that each technological zone is assigned

  misted a triple system of output collector conductors

  working independently of each other, through

  medium from which the process control signals are issued by the zone computers 7.1.1 to 7.n.3 and the

  process feedback signals are received.

  The connection between the collector conductors and the

  different computers is done through uni-

  input and output tees (I / O units) 4.5.1.1 to 4.7.n.3.2, the principle of which is shown in fig. 1. In these

  units, the input signals for the corresponding computer

  laying are formed by majority decision from

  information from the three corresponding collector conductors

dants.

  The use of the modular majority guarantees that a fault only influences a narrowly limited sector, so that a badly transmitted signal is excluded at the receiver level of the computer, that is to say that it is tolerated simple and multiple errors in different structures "m of n" of computers of a level as well as errors

  multiple in different levels.

  Multiple errors that are not tolerated are detectable. The intervention of the decision devices "m of n" ensures a good localization of the errors. In addition, after a repair, the setting of a computer is

  possible through these decision-making devices

  sion "m de n" and the collector conductors.

  The processing of the programs can be done asynchronously in a computer level, while the comparison is executed synchronously. On the block diagram of fig. 1, to allow division into unidirectional links, both the bidirectional connection element going to the

  calculators than the one going to the collectors

  which connect all I / O units 4.5.1.1 to

  4.7.n.3.2, go through controlled switches 1, 3.

Claims (4)

  1 - System with hierarchical structure for processing   information system, composed of pilot computers and area computers, characterized in that at the entrance of each computer unit, it is arranged   an input and output unit (4), composed of an arrangement   decision n mm (2) and two switches (1, 3), the unidirectional outlet of the second switch (3)   being connected to the unidirectional input of the first ai-   guillage (1), however that at the command inputs of the first   mier and the second switch (1, 3) are applied control signals from a subordinate computer and / or from a first hierarchically higher computer and that, in the data flow going from the upper computer   to the subordinate computer, input and bidirectional output   the first switch (1) are connected to the conduc-   bidirectional collector of the first upper computer   and that the unidirectional output of the first needle   lage (1) is connected to the first input of the device   mm naked decision (2), at the other entries of which the   bidirectional collector ductors of other calcula-   upper tutors are connected, while the output of the decision device "m of n" (2) is connected to the unidirectional input of the second switch (3), whose input   and the bidirectional output are connected to the conduc-   bidirectional collector of a subordinate computer, whereas, in the data flow going from the subordinate computer to the upper computer, the bidirectional input and output of the first switch (1) are connected   to the bidirectional collector conductor of the first calculation   subordinate and that the unidirectional output of the   mier switch (1) is connected to the first input of the device   positive decision "m of n" (2), to the other inputs of which the bidirectional collector conductors of the other subordinate computers are connected and that the output of the decision device "m of n" (2) is connected to the input   unidirectional of the second switch (3), of which   bidirectional outlet and outlet are connected to the   bidirectional director conductor of a computer rarchically superior.   2 - System with hierarchical structure for processing   Information according to claim 1,   characterized by the fact that the decision-making device "m de   n * (2) consists of a fixed memory.   3 - System with hierarchical structure for processing   Information according to claim 1,   characterized by the fact that the decision-making device "m de   n * (2) consists of a multiplexer.   4 - System with hierarchical structure for processing   information according to claim 1,   characterized by the fact that the decision device "w of   n "(2) consists of den progra- = able logical zones.