FR2573942A1 - DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM PROVIDING INFORMATION EXCHANGE BETWEEN DIFFERENT CIRCUITS - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS. IT RELATES TO A SYSTEM IN WHICH THE DIFFERENT DATA PROCESSING MODULES 1, 3, RETAINED REMOVABLE IN A CHASSIS 5 ARE CONNECTED BY OPTICAL LINKS 7, 9 WHILE BEING SEPARATED BY A SPACE 13 CONTAINING AIR, ALLOWING EASY EXTRACTION OF EACH MODULE. THE MODULES ARE PREFERABLY LINKED SO THAT THEY FORM A DATA TRANSMISSION RING. APPLICATION TO DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS.

Description

The present invention relates to treatment systems

data.

  More specifically, it concerns treatment systems

  type of data which includes many data processing modules removably retained in a chassis, and a device interconnecting the modules so as to

  that data is transmitted between them.

  In a conventional type of such a system, each module comprises a circuit board carrying electrical components and connections between the components, and

  least one connector part, for example a connector

  placed on an edge, connected to the components and intended for

  cooperate with a respective complementary part of

  tor, selected from many connector parts carried by a main circuit board or backplane. The backplane carries a whole set of connections that provides the desired interconnections between the modules

  and also carries additional connections and one or more

  sieurs additional connectors through which the modules can receive power signals and associated equipment signals and can transmit output signals to such devices, for example in the case of circuits aircraft, gyroscopes, systems of

  aerodynamic data processing and electric actuators

and electro-hydraulic.

  In such a system having a certain complexity, the connector placed between each module and the backplane necessarily has a large number of plug and socket connections, and thus poses reliability problems due to

to these connections.

  The invention relates to a system for the treatment of

  data of the aforementioned type not posing this problem.

  More specifically, in a data processing system of the aforementioned type, the interconnection of the modules is provided at least in part by optical links of

data between the modules.

  Preferably, the optical data links are part of a data transmission ring connecting the modules. In such an arrangement, the modules are placed side by side along the chassis, and each optical data link includes an optical transmitter and an optical receiver

associated with adjacent modules.

  In such a particular arrangement, a single optical link is formed between the adjacent modules of each pair of the chassis, and the end modules of the chassis are

  connected by an electrical connection that loops the ring.

  In another particular arrangement, two optical links having opposite directions of propagation are formed between the adjacent modules of each pair placed in the chassis, and each end module of the chassis forms a

  electrical connection looping the ring.

  In a system according to the invention, the transmission path

  mission of each optical link preferably comprises

  a space containing air and intended to facilitate the removal of

chassis modules.

  Other features and advantages of two data processing systems according to the invention will emerge more clearly

  of the following description, given by way of illustration

  and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

  Figure 1 is a diagram showing a first arrangement

  according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing how the arrangement of Fig. 1 works; Figure 3 shows a variant of the arrangement of Figure 1; and Figure 4 shows a module for use

in the second arrangement.

  The first arrangement shown in FIG. 1 comprises a number of 1.3 processing modules.

  data placed side by side along a chassis 5.

  A first end module 3 carries an optical receiver 7 and the other end module 3 carries a transmitter

optical 9 data.

  Each intermediate module 1, along the frame 5, carries an optical receiver 7 of data of a first side

  and an optical data transmitter 9 on the other side.

  Each receiver 7 transforms the received optical signals into electrical signals and transmits them to a terminal circuit 11 connected to the electrical circuit of the associated module 1 or 3. Each transmitter 9 receives electrical signals from the associated terminal circuit 11 and transmits them in form.

optical signals.

  Each receiver 7 receives optical data from the transmitter 9 of the adjacent module 1 or 3 on one side and each transmitter 9 transmits optical data to the receiver 7 of the

  adjacent module 1 or 3 on the other side. The journey of trans-

  mission between a transmitter 9 and the corresponding receiver

  7 includes a space 13 containing air, facilitating the removal of

chassis modules.

  The end modules 3 placed in the chassis are

  connected by an electrical data link.

  The arrangement constitutes an active transmission ring

  of the type well known in the art of computer

  tors. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the modules 3 are spaced around a unidirectional ring 13, 15 of data transmission. During operation, a module that must transmit data takes control of the ring

  and transmits a message to its neighbor, in the sending direction.

  The neighbor receives the message and instantly re-transmits it to his neighbor, in the broadcast direction. At the same time, the module inspects the contents of the message to determine if it is addressed to it. When a module receives a message intended for it, it directs it to its own circuit,

  in addition to the re-transmission to the next module of the ring.

  When the message is not intended for him, he simply reissues it

  to the next module. This reaction is repeated until the module that transmits the original message receives it again. At this time, the start module deletes the message from the ring; the module can then transmit another message or transmit the command to another module

  so that he can transmit a message.

  Referring now to FIG. 3 which represents a variant of the arrangement of FIG. 1 in which each transmission path between a receiver 7 and a transmitter 9, instead of consisting entirely of a space containing air, is formed of a light guide 17, for example a fiber optic element, with a space 19

  of air at each end.

  In the second arrangement, two optical links having opposite directions of propagation are formed between each pair of adjacent modules 1.3. The active data ring then comprises the serial connection of the optical links of a direction of propagation, an electrical data link formed between the receiver and the transmitter of an end module, the series connection of the links. the other direction of propagation, and an electrical data link formed between the receiver and the transmitter of the other

end module.

  An intermediate module, intended for such an arrangement,

  is shown in Figure 4. This module has a first reception

  7a and a first transmitter 9a, on either side of the module, near an edge 21, and a second receiver 7b and a second transmitter 9b, on the other side of the module, near the other edge 23 , the first receiver 7a and the second transmitter 9b being on one face of the module while the second receiver 7b and the first transmitter 9a are on the other side of the module. Transmitters and receivers and associated terminal circuits (not shown) are suitably supported by an electrical connector portion 25 which cooperates with a side connector of a printed circuit board 27 carrying the circuit of the module. The end modules (not shown) are similar, but have a receiver and a transmitter only one side, these being

  only connected by an electrical data link.

  It should be noted that, in a system according to the invention, a backplane or equivalent device (not shown) is also normally used to connect the modules to power supplies and other associated equipment, the backplane can be advantageously connected to the modules using conventional electrical connectors with pins and sockets. However, the backplane is much less complex than those used in known comparable systems in which all the data in the modules is routed through the backplane. In addition, the connections between modulators and the backplane are much less than those required in known systems. The reliability of

  system is therefore increased, for this reason at least.

Claims (7)

  A data processing system comprising a plurality of data processing modules (1,3) which are removably retained in a chassis (5), characterized in that the interconnection of the modules is provided by links   optical (9.7) data, placed between the modules.   2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical links (9, 7) of data are part of   a transmission ring connecting the modules (1,3).   3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the modules (1, 3) are placed side by side along the   frame (5), and each optical link (9, 7) of data   carries an optical transmitter (9,10) and an optical receiver (7)   of data, associated with adjacent modules.   4. System according to claim 3, characterized in that a single optical link (9,7) is formed between the adjacent modules (1,3) of each pair placed in the chassis, - and the modules (3) of end placed in the chassis are connected by an electrical connection (15) of data which loop the ring. -   5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises two optical links (9a, 7a and 9b, 7b).   having opposite meanings of propagation between adjacent modules   cents (1.3) from each pair placed in the frame (5), and each end module (3) placed in the frame (5) forms   an electrical connection of data looping the ring.   6. System according to any one of the claims   previous, characterized in that the transmission path of each optical link (9, 7) comprises a space (13 or 19) formed of air facilitating the extraction of the modules (1,3). chassis (5).   7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the transmission path comprises a guide (17) of   light, with a space (19) of air at each end.