Method and apparatus for implementing a databus voter to select the command signals from one of several redundant asynchronous digital processing units
US5550731A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 17, 1995 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 17, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05D1/0077
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for implementing a databus voter to select the command signals from one of several redundant asynchronous digital processing units finds particular application in the flight control art. Asynchronous, triple redundant primary flight computers (PFC's) (12, 14, 16) produce output command signals carried over a data buses (18) to control redundant actuators (32, 34, 36) in an aircraft flight control system. To prevent the transmission of a fault and a force fight among the redundant actuators, which drive a common aircraft control surface (50), a databus voter (52, 54, 56) associated with each PFC receives all PFC commands and, in accordance with a selection algorithm, outputs a voted one of the PFC command signals. A databus voter monitor, (144) associated with each databus voter, deactivates its associated databus voter if it detects a voted command signal which is inconsistent with the selection algorithm.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.