Vincent A Caluori

US Patent:

53496540, Sep 20, 1994

Filed:

Feb 20, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/839208

Inventors:

David G. Bond - Kent WA
Vincent A. Caluori - Kent WA
Todd Hill - Seattle WA
David T. Kirkland - Kent WA
Michael L. Raftery - Federal Way WA
Derek J. VanAlen - Kent WA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

International Classification:

G06F 1108

US Classification:

395575

Abstract:

A data exchange system for use in a system that includes a plurality of redundant channels (12). A data exchange unit (30) is provided to process data, ensuring that consistent data are used by each of the channels. The data exchange unit votes the data so that an output is provided that is identical in non-faulty channels. The data exchange units communicate over an inter-channel net that includes a consistency port (160), which serves as a separate second fault containment region for each channel, enabling the data exchange system to be Byzantine resilient. If input data are provided by a single one of the redundant channels, the data are distributed to each of the data exchange units for all channels in the system using two rounds of communication. However, if nominally identical data are input to each of the data exchange units in the redundant channels, a single round of communication and a simple voting process are used to determine a consistent output for each channel. A multiplexer (112) is used to select the data source for distribution to the consistency ports of each of the data exchange units.