Monitoring and failover operation within locomotive distributed control system

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a distributed control system for a locomotive. The distributed system may include a network and a plurality of electronic modules distributed within the locomotive and communicatively coupled to the network in a standardized scalable architecture. Each of the electronic modules includes at least one configurable controller that is reconfigurable to implement distributed control of the locomotive. At least one of the electronic modules includes a programmable controller in communication with the configurable controller and the network. A first configurable controller may be configured to monitor at least a first programmable controller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A distributed control system for a locomotive, comprising:
 a network disposed within the locomotive; and   a plurality of electronic modules distributed within the locomotive and communicatively coupled to the network in a standardized scalable architecture, each of the electronic modules comprising at least one configurable controller that is reconfigurable to implement distributed control of the locomotive, and at least one of the electronic modules comprising a programmable controller in communication with the configurable controller and the network,   wherein a first configurable controller is configured to monitor at least a first programmable controller.   
     
     
         2 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first configurable controller and the first programmable controller are included in the same electronic module. 
     
     
         3 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first configurable controller and the first programmable controller are included in different electronic modules. 
     
     
         4 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first configurable controller is configured to monitor data transmitted to and from the first programmable controller. 
     
     
         5 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first configurable controller is configured to monitor processing results of the first programmable controller. 
     
     
         6 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first configurable controller is configured to determine whether the first programmable controller enters into a failure condition. 
     
     
         7 . The distributed control system of  claim 6 , wherein, when the first configurable controller determines that the first programmable controller enters into the failure condition, the first configurable controller is configured to take over at least a subset of tasks performed by the first programmable controller. 
     
     
         8 . The distributed control system of  claim 6 , wherein, when the first configurable controller determines that the first programmable controller enters into the failure condition, the first configurable controller is configured to transmit a signal indicating the failure condition of the first programmable controller. 
     
     
         9 . The distributed control system of  claim 6 , wherein the first configurable controller is configured to determine that the first programmable controller enters into the failure condition when a consumption of processing capacity of the first programmable controller exceeds a threshold value. 
     
     
         10 . The distributed control system of  claim 6 , wherein the first configurable controller is configured to determine that the first programmable controller enters into the failure condition when the first programmable controller does not respond to a request from the first configurable controller. 
     
     
         11 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first configurable controller is a field programmable gate array. 
     
     
         12 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first programmable controller is a programmatically controlled device implemented by at least one of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or a system-on-module. 
     
     
         13 . A method for controlling a locomotive that includes a plurality of electronic modules distributed within the locomotive and communicatively coupled to a network in a standardized scalable architecture, each of the electronic modules including at least one configurable controller that is reconfigurable to implement distributed control of the locomotive, and at least one of the electronic modules including a programmable controller in communication with the configurable controller and the network, the method comprising:
 monitoring, by a first configurable controller, a first programmable controller;   determining, by the first configurable controller, whether the first programmable controller enters into a failure condition; and   when the first programmable enters into the failure condition, transmitting, by the first configurable controller, a signal indicating the failure condition of the first programmable controller.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further including, when the first programmable enters into the failure condition, taking over, by the first configurable controller, at least a subset of tasks performed by the first programmable controller. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the determining whether the first programmable controller enters into a failure condition including determining whether a consumption of processing capacity of the first programmable controller exceeds a threshold value. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the determining whether the first programmable controller enters into a failure condition including determining whether the first programmable controller responds to a request from the first configurable controller. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first configurable controller and the first programmable controller are included in the same electronic module. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first configurable controller and the first programmable controller are included in different electronic modules. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the monitoring the first configurable controller including monitoring data transmitted to and from the first programmable controller. 
     
     
         20 . A consist, comprising:
 a plurality of locomotives, each locomotive comprising:
 a network disposed within the locomotive; and 
 a plurality of electronic modules distributed within the locomotive and communicatively coupled to the network in a standardized scalable architecture, each of the electronic modules comprising at least one configurable controller that is reconfigurable to implement distributed control of the locomotive, and at least one of the electronic modules comprising a programmable controller in communication with the configurable controller and the network, 
   wherein a first configurable controller is configured to monitor at least a first programmable controller.