Communications control system with a serial communications interface and a parallel communications interface
A communications control system is disclosed that includes a serial communications interface and a parallel communications interface for coupling a plurality of input/output modules with a control module. The serial communications interface is configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel to transmit information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and the parallel communications interface is configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module to transmit information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and to transmit information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules. The serial communications interface may comprise a multidrop bus, and the parallel communications interface may comprise a cross switch.
1. A communications control system comprising:
a control module;
a plurality of input/output modules coupled with the control module;
a serial communications interface configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel, the serial communications interface configured for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module;
a parallel communications interface configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module, the parallel communications interface configured for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and transmitting information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules; and
a support frame to facilitate interconnection of the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, the support frame comprising a plurality of slots, each slot of the plurality of slots for receiving a respective one of the plurality of input/output modules, wherein the control module is configured to assign each input/output module a unique identifier associated with a physical location where the input/output module is physically connected to the control module.
2. The communications control system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the serial communications interface comprises a multidrop bus.
3. The communications control system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the parallel communications interface comprises a cross switch.
4. The communications control system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the serial communications interface is configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to a redundant control module in parallel, and the parallel communications interface is configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the redundant control module.
5. The communications control system as recited in claim 1 , wherein information transmitted via at least one of the serial communications interface or the parallel communications interface is packetized.
6. The communications control system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control module comprises a network interface for transmitting information collected from the plurality of input/output modules via a network.
7. The communications control system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a power module for supplying electrical power to at least one of the plurality of input/output modules.
8. A process comprising:
coupling a plurality of input/output modules with a control module using a support frame to facilitate interconnection of the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, the support frame comprising a plurality of slots, each slot of the plurality of slots for receiving a respective one of the plurality of input/output modules;
connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module;
separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and transmitting information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules; and
assigning each input/output module a unique identifier associated with a physical location where the input/output module is physically connected to the control module.
9. The process as recited in claim 8 , wherein connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel comprises connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module using a multidrop bus.
10. The process as recited in claim 8 , wherein separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module comprises separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module using a cross switch.
11. The process as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:
coupling the plurality of input/output modules with a redundant control module;
connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the redundant control module in parallel; and
separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the redundant control module.
12. The process as recited in claim 8 , wherein at least one of transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module or transmitting information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules comprises packetizing the transmitted information.
13. The process as recited in claim 8 , further comprising coupling the control module with a network for transmitting information collected from the plurality of input/output modules via the network.
14. The process as recited in claim 8 , further comprising coupling at least one of the plurality of input/output modules with a power module for supplying electrical power to the at least one of the plurality of input/output modules.
15. A communications control system comprising:
a control module;
a plurality of input/output modules coupled with the control module;
a multidrop bus configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module in parallel, the multidrop bus configured for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module;
a cross switch configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the control module, the cross switch configured for transmitting information between the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, and transmitting information between individual ones of the plurality of input/output modules; and
a support frame to facilitate interconnection of the plurality of input/output modules and the control module, the support frame comprising a plurality of slots, each slot of the plurality of slots for receiving a respective one of the plurality of input/output modules, wherein the control module is configured to assign each input/output module a unique identifier associated with a physical location where the input/output module is physically connected to the control module.
16. The communications control system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the multidrop bus is configured for connecting the plurality of input/output modules to a redundant control module in parallel, and the cross switch is configured for separately connecting the plurality of input/output modules to the redundant control module.
17. The communications control system as recited in claim 15 , wherein information transmitted via at least one of the multidrop bus or the cross switch is packetized.