Data processing circuit apparatus having a data transmission unit of redundant design

1. Data processing circuit apparatus having:

a) a circuit core module;

b) a controller processor unit for driving and addressing the circuit core module;

c) a data transmission unit for transmitting data between the circuit core module and at least one external circuit module, wherein the circuit apparatus furthermore has:

d) at least one further data transmission unit that is of redundant design with respect to the data transmission unit;

e) a first changeover unit for changing over a data stream between the circuit core module and the data transmission units of multiply redundant design, wherein the first changeover unit is changed over by means of a first test mode signal; and

f) a second changeover unit for changing over a data stream between the data transmission units of multiply redundant design and the at least one external circuit module, wherein the second changeover unit is changed over by means of a second test mode signal.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit core module has at least one memory unit.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data transmission units of redundant design each have a data processing unit for processing data and for forwarding data streams from and to the circuit core module.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data transmission units of redundant design each have a data interface unit for coupling the circuit core module to the at least one external circuit module.

5. Method for connecting a circuit core module to at least one external circuit module, having the following steps:

a) providing a controller processor unit;

b) driving the circuit core module by means of control data which are supplied by the controller processor unit via a control bus;

c) addressing the circuit core module by means of addressing data which are supplied by the controller processor unit via an address bus; and

d) transmitting data between the circuit core module and the at least one external circuit module by means of a data transmission unit,

wherein provision is made of at least one further data transmission unit that is of redundant design with respect to the data transmission unit, a data stream being changed over between the circuit core module and the data transmission units of multiply redundant design by means of a first changeover unit and a data stream being changed over between the data transmission units of multiply redundant design and the at least one external circuit module by means of a second changeover unit, wherein the first changeover unit is changed over by means of a first test mode signal and the second changeover unit is changed over by means of a second test mode signal.

6. Method according to claim 5 , wherein data are processed and forwarded from and to the circuit core module by means of a data processing unit provided in each of the data transmission units of redundant design.

7. Method according to claim 5 , wherein the circuit core module is coupled to the at least one external circuit module by means of a data interface unit provided in each of the data transmission units of redundant design.

8. Method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one further data transmission unit that is of redundant design is selected with regard to a maximum data processing speed.

9. Method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one further data transmission unit that is of redundant design is selected, during testing of the circuit core module, in a manner dependent on a test mode.