Fault tolerant multipoint control and data collection system

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A multipoint data collection system (Fig. 1) uses multiple parallel data buses (12) connecting a central controller (10) to addressable sensor interfaces (Fig. 4) to permit any sensor (14-16) to be connected to a central controller (10) over any one of the data buses (12). Both ends of each data bus (12) are connected to the central controller (10) allowing sensor interfaces (Fig. 4) , to be addressed even if all data buses are cut. Faults on a data bus (12) and defective sensor interfaces (Fig. 4) may be bypassed through one or more bypass buses (406) that may be addressably switched into use as desired.