JPH04172723A - Communication transmission system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To minimize a man-hour of a maintenance personnel and to allow the maintenance personnel to locate a fault early and to cope with the fault even on the occurrence of the fault by devising the system such that a communication unit having the fault analyzes itself and the result is saved. CONSTITUTION:When an active communication unit 1 reaches the alarm state and a standby communication unit 2 is active, an idle time is detected and a test is conducted to the communication unit 1 in the alarm state for a time (idle time) till a processing data from an input line 3 arrives. The test is conducted by using a test data stored in the inside of the communication unit 1 and sending the test data to an output line 4. The section 14 and compares the data with a predicted data to discriminate which bit pattern is failed and stores the result in a memory built in itself and outputs it to an external terminal equipment.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is designed to automatically detect the failure location of one of the duplex units when one of the units fails. Regarding communication transmission systems.

(Prior art) In a communication transmission system, in order to be able to communicate even if the communication unit becomes abnormal, the communication units are duplicated, one is used as a working unit and the other is kept as a backup, so that when the communication unit on the active side becomes abnormal, has a redundant communication transmission system that switches to a spare unit.

In such a communication transmission system, each duplex communication unit is equipped with a monitoring function to monitor failures, or an operation monitoring circuit such as a watchdog timer is installed to monitor the communication units. If one of these communication units fails, if the failed communication unit is in active use, it will switch to the standby system and generate an alarm, and if the failure occurs in the standby communication unit, It is configured to generate an alarm in the same state. by the way,
In recent years, communication units have also become highly intelligent, using a CPU (processor) as a control center and enabling complex control using software.

On the other hand, when considering failures in the communication unit, there are cases where the CPU of the communication unit has malfunctioned, and there are also cases where the input/output circuit that controls input/output to the transmission path has malfunctioned. The causes are various. and,
When a communication unit malfunctions, it is necessary to carry out maintenance work such as repair in order to recover from the malfunction, but conventionally, only an alarm is generated in the event of a malfunction.
In order to solve the problem of a faulty communication unit, maintenance personnel etc. manually conduct various operation tests using measuring instruments, etc.
must be pursued.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) As mentioned above, in order to improve the reliability of communication transmission, the communication uni-soto for communication transmission is duplicated, one is used for active use and the other is used for backup, and monitoring is performed. If an abnormality occurs by checking the operating status of each communication unit, the communication unit on the side where the abnormality has occurred is set to an alarm state. It is switched to the current one to continue communication transmission.

In such a conventional system, when one of the redundant communication units goes into an alarm state, even if the CPU inside this communication unit is operating normally, after the alarm occurs, You end up doing nothing.

When a communication unit malfunctions, it is necessary to carry out maintenance work such as repair in order to recover from the malfunction, but conventionally, only an alarm is generated in the event of a malfunction. In order to solve the problem, maintenance personnel and the like must manually perform various operation tests using measuring instruments and the like. There are various causes for this, such as a failure in the communication unit, but an abnormality in the CPU, or an abnormality in the input/output circuit that controls input/output to the transmission path. And, while using the CPU for the communication unit, it is not used for abnormality investigation.
Leaving it to individual checks by maintenance personnel is pre-modern. Moreover, investigating the cause through individual checks by maintenance personnel takes time and effort, and unnecessarily delays recovery from failure.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to issue a test command from the communication unit of the currently used system during the idle time when the currently used communication unit is not operating for its original communication processing, and to It is possible to check whether the CPU, etc. in the unit is operating normally, and then automatically perform a data test on the communication unit that is in an alarm state, thereby investigating the cause of the failure.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a communication system with an automatic test function for failure tubes and locations, which saves labor and time and enables quick recovery from failure.

[Configuration of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. In other words, multiple systems of communication units are prepared that are connected between the input side transmission line and the output side transmission line and process data transmission and reception, one is used for active use and the other is used for standby, and each communication unit is used for operation monitoring. The operation is monitored by the means, and when a failure occurs, the failure communication unit is placed in an alarm state, and when the failure communication unit is the active communication unit, the standby communication unit is switched to the active communication unit to continue communication transmission. In this communication transmission system, each communication unit is connected through a dedicated communication path to enable direct communication between them, and predetermined data is supplied to the input side transmission path of each communication unit during test execution. In addition, each communication unit includes a test data generation means for generating predetermined data for output testing, a storage means, and a storage means for transmitting and receiving information via the dedicated communication path. Returning a response in response to a test command from the communication unit, receiving and checking data from the test data supply means, passing the result to the current communication unit via the dedicated communication path, and also transmitting the test data generation means A test control function that outputs data to the output transmission path, and when another communication unit goes into an alarm state and the reception data from the input transmission path disappears, the test control function that outputs data to the output transmission path, In the meantime, a test command is given to the other communication unit in the alarm state, and the response and result data from this communication unit and the output test data output to the transmission line on the transmission side are received and transmitted to the other communication unit. and a control means having a control function to be stored in the storage means.

(Function) In this device having such a configuration, when one of the multiplexed communication units goes into an alarm state and a normal one goes into an operating state, the unit in the operating state receives input data. When the communication unit monitors the transmission status of the side transmission line and detects an idle time with no data to be processed, this communication unit issues a test command through the dedicated communication line in order to test the communication unit in the alarm state, and issues an alarm. If there is a response from the status communication unit, it is assumed that the control means in the alarm status communication unit is operating normally, and the communication unit in the alarm status is caused to test itself and wait for the result.

The communication unit in the alarm state uses the test function of its control means to receive test data from the input side transmission path, checks it, and sends the result to the communication unit in the operational state via a dedicated communication path, and Test data having predetermined contents is generated from the test data supply means and sent to the output side transmission path.

The communication unit in operation receives this from the output side transmission path, checks it, and holds these and the data received from the dedicated communication path in the storage means.

In the present invention, when one of the communication units installed in parallel in multiple systems is in an alarm state and the normal one is in the operating state and operating normally, there is an idle period of communication in which there is no received data to be processed by the communication unit in the operating state. Then, the communication unit in the alarm state is inquired as to whether or not the communication unit in the alarm state can be tested, and if the test is possible, the communication unit in the alarm state is made to perform a self-test, and the result is Since it is designed to receive and save the check information of the communication unit in the alarm state, it is possible to automatically obtain the check information of the communication unit in the alarm state, and by reading this and examining it, it is possible to know where the cause of the failure is. The situation can be grasped without testing, saving the effort of maintenance personnel and enabling early recovery from failures. In addition, since the test is conducted between the actual communications, the operating rate of the communication system will not be impaired.

(Example) .

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the system of the present invention, and shows an example in which both the active system and the standby system are in a normal state when no alarm occurs, and 1 is a block diagram showing the normal state when no alarm is generated. Unit 2 is a standby communication unit 3
is an input line, and 4 is an output line. Reference numeral 5 denotes an input side test data generation section which stores predetermined test data in a memory and has a function of reading out the stored data upon receiving a sending command from the communication unit during the test mode. Reference numerals 6 and 7 are output-side test data storage units provided in each of the communication units 1 and 2, in which predetermined test data is stored in the memory, and is read out under the control of the CPU during the test mode. It is output to the output side line 4. 8 is a communication line between the communication units 1 and 2.

The communication unit 1.2 has an input section 9.12 for receiving and taking in transmission data from line 3, and line 4.
Input/output section 11.1 for inputting and outputting transmission data to
It has 4. Further, the communication units 1 and 2 are CP
Built-in Ul0, 13 performs various processing and control for communication transmission, and when an alarm occurs in the communication unit on the other side, it monitors the input from input line 3 and there is no data that must be processed. In other words, when a vacant state with no input data is detected, a test mode command and maintenance data are sent to the communication unit in the alarm state during the time (vacant time) until the next processing data arrives from input line 3. From then on, the output line 4 indicates that the data is invalid until the maintenance cancellation command is sent.
After that, a command is sent to the communication unit that is in alarm to start the test, and when a response is received from the other party to the test start command, the input side test data is generated. It controls the unit 5 to read test data, and collects result data from the other communication unit through the communication lines 8 and 4, and stores it in its own memory (not shown). It is designed to have additional functions.

In addition, when the communication units 1 and 2 receive a test mode command, they return a response to the other communication unit via the communication line 8, move to the test mode execution, and test the input part in their own unit. The fixed data read from the test data generator 5 is read from the input line 3 and compared with the predicted data to check whether it has been read normally, and if the comparison result is different, which
1", the result is sent to the other communication unit using the duplex communication unit communication line 8, and then the result is sent to the output side test data storage unit 6 or 7 in order to test the output part. It has a function to read the fixed test data held.

Furthermore, in the communication units 1 and 2, when a command to start a test is sent to the alarm generation communication unit in the test mode,
If the response is not returned from the communication line 8 or does not return normally, issue a reset command to the alarm communication unit to reset it, and then send the test start command again to ensure normal operation. If no response is received,
It determines that the CPU or central circuit of the alarm generating communication unit or the transmission part of the communication line 8 is abnormal and stores information to that effect in its own memory, and furthermore, from the output side line 4,
It has a function to command the unit connected downstream to cancel maintenance and exit the test mode.

In addition, when data to be processed arrives from the input side during test mode, the test mode is immediately interrupted and the test mode is exited, and the interrupted test is continued when the next free time begins. are doing.

In such a configuration, it is assumed that the communication unit 1 is in active use and the communication unit 2 is in the standby system (standby state). In this state, the transmission signal from input line 3 is transmitted to communication unit 1.
and 2, and the communication unit 1 takes in the input transmission signal via the input section 9 and processes it. The processed data is then output to line 4 via the input/output section 11 and sent to downstream units.

On the other hand, the standby communication unit 2 performs the same processing as the communication unit 1 on the transmission signal from the line 3 obtained via the input section 12, and processes the data that the communication unit 1 outputs to the line 4 via the input/output section 14. be captured and monitored. If a situation occurs where there should be data to be output to line 4, but there is no data or abnormal data continues, the standby communication unit 2 detects that an abnormality has occurred and puts the communication unit 1 into an alarm state after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. do. Alternatively, the operating status of communication units 1 and 2 can be monitored using monitoring means such as a watchdog timer, and when an abnormality is detected, the communication unit in which the abnormality has occurred will be set as an alarm, or if it is currently used, it will be put on hold and used as a backup. Switch the communication unit to the active one and use it for communication transmission.

Suppose now that the communication unit 1 in the active state becomes alarmed, and the communication unit 2 in the standby state, which is a backup, becomes the active state. The communication unit 2 monitors the input from the input line 3, and when it detects that there is no data to be processed, that is, there is no manual data, the communication unit 2 determines the time until the next processing data comes from the input line 3. During (free time), the following test is performed on the communication unit 1 in the alarm state.

First, the communication unit 2 sends a test mode command and maintenance data from the output line 4 to each unit connected downstream of this line 4 that receives data input, and then sends a maintenance cancellation command. Notify that the data up to this point is invalid and enter test mode.

Therefore, each of these downstream units is put on hold by this command.

Thereafter, the communication unit 2 sends a command to the communication unit in alarm to start the test using the duplex communication unit inter-unit communication line 8. When the communication unit 1 in the alarm state receives this command, it returns a response to the test start command using the communication line 8 and starts its own test.

In order to have the alarm generation communication unit 1 itself test the input part within its own unit, the current communication unit 2 gives a read command to the input side test data generation section 5, and sends a read command to the input side test data generation section 5. The fixed data to be held is output from the input line 3. The alarm generation communication unit 1 reads this through its own input section 9, compares it with data corresponding to this fixed data held internally in advance, and compares and verifies whether or not it matches the predicted data. , whether the information has been read normally from the input unit 9, and if the comparison results are different, it is determined which part is different. Then, the result is transmitted to the communication unit 2 using the redundant inter-communication unit communication line 8.

Once this is completed, the communication unit 1 then tests the output section of the communication unit 1. This test is performed by sending the test data to the output line 4 using test data held within the communication unit 1 (data held in the output side test data storage section 6). Communication unit 2 is the second
As already indicated by the reference numeral in the figure, the test data sent out on line 4 is read through the input/output unit 14 and compared with the predicted data. This predicted data is the data held in the output-side test data storage section 7 (data with the same content as 6). This comparison is then made to determine which part is abnormal. In addition, the communication unit 1 itself tests the internal parts (memory, input/output circuits, etc.) of the communication unit 1, and the results are sent to the duplex communication unit communication line 8.
to the communication unit 2 via.

The communication unit 2 receives these results, stores them in its own built-in memory (not shown), and outputs them to an external terminal (not shown) connected to the communication unit 2. When an alarm occurs, the external terminal connects to the communication unit of either the maintenance personnel or the normal one, and instructs this communication unit to retrieve the test result information collected in the memory. Needless to say, the communication unit has a connection interface with an external terminal, and also has a control function for exchanging commands and data with the external terminal.

If the communication unit 2 sends a command to start the test to the communication unit 1, and the response is not returned from line 8 or does not return normally, the communication unit 1 must be reset. If the test start command is sent again and a normal response is not returned, it is assumed that the CPU or central circuit in the communication unit 1 or the transmission part of the communication line 8 is abnormal, and the maintenance is canceled from the output side line 4. to exit test mode.

By the way, if data to be processed arrives from the input side during the test mode, immediately interrupt the test mode and exit the test mode.
Prevent the operating rate from decreasing due to testing, and continue the interrupted testing in the next free time.

As described above, tests are automatically started on units in alarm using idle processing time, and the results are recorded, so maintenance personnel are not required to do so until a certain point. The location of the test failure can be identified.

As explained above, when one of the duplexed units fails and the other unit is in the operational state, the unit that is in the alarm state due to the failure takes advantage of the idle time of the unit in the operational state. Confirm that there is no abnormality in the CPU in the unit that is in the alarm state or the circuit that monitors the inside of the unit, and then have it perform its own test and pass the results to the communication unit that is in operation. Since it is stored in the communication unit that is in operation status, by reading this stored information, it is possible to analyze the failure location to a certain extent, minimizing the effort for maintenance personnel and also allowing early investigation of the cause of the failure. Effects such as being able to deal with the situation can be obtained.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, but can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope without changing the gist thereof.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, multiple communication units are installed in parallel, one is used for active use and the other is used for standby, and when a failure occurs in the active use, the standby use is switched to the active use. In a communication transmission system that allows communication processing to continue without any problems, it is possible to have a faulty communication unit perform self-analysis and save the results, reducing maintenance staff's effort even in the event of a fault. It is possible to provide a communication transmission system which has the following characteristics: minimizes the amount of trouble, and also enables early investigation of the cause of failure and countermeasures.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the flow of signals in the test mode of the apparatus of the present invention. 1.2... Communication unit, 3... Input line, 4...
... Output side line, 5... Input side test data generation section, 6.7... Output side test data storage section, 8.
...Communication line between communication units 1 and 2, 9°12...
・Input section, 11.14... Input/output section, 10.13...
・CPU0 Applicant Representative Patent Attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of communication units are prepared that are connected between the input side transmission line and the output side transmission line and process data transmission and reception, one is used for active use and the other is used for standby. Operation is monitored, and when a failure occurs, the failure communication unit is placed in an alarm state, and if the failure communication unit is the active communication unit, the standby communication unit is switched to the active communication unit to continue communication transmission. In the communication transmission system, each communication unit is connected through a dedicated communication path to enable direct communication between them, and the input side transmission path of each communication unit is supplied with predetermined data during test execution. In addition, each communication unit includes a test data generation means for generating predetermined data for output testing, a storage means, and a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information via the dedicated overpass. It returns a response in response to a test command from the test data supply means, receives and checks data from the test data supply means, passes the result to the current communication unit via the dedicated communication path, and also receives data from the test data generation means. A test control function that outputs and sends out to the output side transmission line, and when another communication unit goes into an alarm state and there is no reception data from the input side transmission line until the next reception data arrives, A test command is given to the other communication unit in the alarm state, and the storage means receives the response and result data from this communication unit and the output test data output to the transmission line on the transmission side. 1. A communication transmission system comprising means configured to include a control means having a control function and a control function to maintain the same.