Multi-Node Fault-Tolerant Two-Cell Real-Time S2A Network

Abstract

This paper presents a novel fault-tolerant networked control system architecture consisting of two cells working in-line. This architecture is fault-tolerant at the level of the controllers as well as the sensors. Each cell is based on the sensor-to-actuator approach and has an additional supervisor node. It is proven, via analysis as well as OMNeT++ simulations that the production line succeeds in meeting all control system requirements with no dropped or over-delayed packets. A reliability analysis is then undertaken to quantitatively estimate the increase in reliability due to the introduction of fault-tolerance.