Mission critical communication link hub
A method for hub for interfacing between a wireless mission critical communication link (MCCL) and a wired MCCL. The hub includes a wired interface a providing a physical layer connectivity to the wired MCCL; a plurality of ports coupled to the wired interface; a wireless interface providing a physical layer connectivity to the wireless MCCL; and a processor; and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the hub to: receive a signal from a primary device through the wireless MCCL; determine a wireless communication cycle of the primary device; determine a wired communication cycle of a secondary device, wherein the secondary device is connected via the wired MCCL; synchronize a start time of the wired communication cycle to a start of the wireless communication cycle; and send the received signal to the secondary device at the synchronized start time of the wired communication cycle.
1. A method of providing communication between a wireless mission critical communication link (MCCL) and a wired MCCL, comprising:
receiving a signal from a primary device through the wireless MCCL;
determining a wireless communication cycle of the primary device;
determining a wired communication cycle of a secondary device, wherein the secondary device is connected via the wired MCCL;
synchronizing a start time of the wired communication cycle to a start of the wireless communication cycle; and
sending the received signal to the secondary device at the synchronized start time of the wired communication cycle.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein synchronizing the start time of the wired communication cycle further comprises:
configuring the wired communication cycle based on the wireless communication cycle.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a feedback signal from the secondary device over the wired MCCL;
synchronizing a start time of the wireless communication cycle to a start of the wired communication cycle; and
sending the feedback signal, over the wireless MCCL, to the primary device at the aligned start time of the wired communication cycle.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
configuring the wireless communication cycle based on the wired communication cycle.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the wired communication cycle and the wireless communication cycle are set to a constant latency.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless MCCL is a which link operates based on an IO-Link wireless standard, and wherein the wired MCCL operates based on a wired IO-Link.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the primary device is a master device controlling the secondary device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary device and the secondary device are connected to a hub configured to facilitate the connection between devices connected to the wired MCCL and the wireless MCCL.
9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processing circuitry to execute the method of claim 1 .
10. A hub for interfacing between a wireless mission critical communication link (MCCL) and a wired MCCL, comprising:
a wired interface a providing a physical layer connectivity to the wired MCCL;
a plurality of ports coupled to the wired interface;
a wireless interface providing a physical layer connectivity to the wireless MCCL; and
a processor; and
a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the hub to:
receive a signal from a primary device through the wireless MCCL;
determine a wireless communication cycle of the primary device;
determine a wired communication cycle of a secondary device, wherein the secondary device is connected via the wired MCCL;
synchronize a start time of the wired communication cycle to a start of the wireless communication cycle; and
send the received signal to the secondary device at the synchronized start time of the wired communication cycle.
11. The hub of claim 10 , wherein the hub is further configured to:
configure the wired communication cycle based on the wireless communication cycle.
12. The hub of claim 10 , wherein the hub is further configured to:
receive a feedback signal from the secondary device over the wired MCCL;
synchronize a start time of the wireless communication cycle to a start of the wired communication cycle; and
send the feedback signal, over the wireless MCCL, to the primary device at the aligned start time of the wired communication cycle.
13. The hub of claim 10 , wherein the hub is further configured to:
configure the wireless communication cycle based on the wired communication cycle.
14. The hub of claim 10 , wherein each of the wired communication cycle and the wireless communication cycle are set to a constant latency.
15. The hub of claim 10 , wherein the wireless MCCL is a link which operates based on an IO-Link wireless standard, and wherein the wired MCCL operates based on a wired IO-Link.
16. The hub of claim 15 , wherein the primary device is a master device controlling the secondary device.
17. The hub of claim 10 , wherein the hub is further configured to: convert control signals received on the wired MCCL to control signals in a format compliant with the wireless MCCL, and vice versa.