EFFICIENT SCHEDULING TELECOMMUNICATION SCHEME USING A FIRST CYCLIC ETHERNET PROTOCOL AND A SECOND CYCLIC ETHERNET PROTOCOL

摘要

The invention relates to a method for transmitting data by hops between communicating entities. The communicating entities comprise: - one master entity (M), configured for communicating according to a first protocol at least, and - a plurality of slave entities, comprising: - a first group of slave entities able to support communications according to said first protocol and unable to support communications according to a second protocol, and - a second group of slave entities (NGS) able to support communications according to at least said second protocol. The first protocol is implemented by a token passing with communication data from the master entity to successively each neighbour slave entity, until the token reaches again the master entity, defining thus a first cycle according to the first protocol. The second protocol is implemented by passing a data frame including data intended to entities of said second group, one current entity of said second group, when receiving said data frame, being configured so as to: - modify said data frame by taking from said data frame data intended to said current entity and/or by adding into said data frame data intended to other entities of said second group, and - transmit the data frame thus modified to a neighbour entity, successively until the data frame reaches said current entity, defining thus a second cycle according to said second protocol. More particularly, the master entity is configured to support communications according to both first and second protocols, and is configured further to: - start the first cycle; - start the second cycle, and chose in the second group at least one slave entity to start the second cycle at the same time as the master entity starts the second cycle.