Distributed process control system with means and method of automatic data base management of broadcast information

摘要

A distributed data processing system is disclosed which features independent processors of varying types chosen in accordance with a specific task to be performed, all of which are connected by a serpentine data highway bus. Each of the processors has access to the bus at stated intervals in a time division multiplexing scheme and outputs onto the bus data such as process control data according to a predetermined sequence. The system is also operated in a democratic mode during which additional data items may be output onto the bus as required. Each of the data processors is capable of determining which data items its operations are concerned with, and in the preferred embodiment, the system comprises timekeeper processors which output system clock signals over the bus in the same way as process control data. The individual processors each examine all the messages on the bus to determine if they are of local interest, and copy them to local memory if desired. In the preferred embodiment, at each distributed location a data highway processor performs the communications function, while a functional processor monitors and controls local functions.