`OLCHFA´ a distributed time-critical fieldbus

The OLCHFA fieldbus (an open low-cost, time-critical wireless fieldbus architecture) is being developed by an international consortium funded by the CEC as part of the ESPRIT programme. The goal of the project is the development of a rototype wireless fieldbus system to support time-critical applications. To achieve this aim the OLCHFA fieldbus integrates three leading edge technologies to address the problems of monitoring and determining cause and effect of faults in high speed electro-mechanical real-time computer controlled processes. The basic hardware prototype incorporates the use of a micro-processor and a communications coprocessor which is closely coupled to a custom `TICKER´ synchronisation clock chip. Communication over the network is performed by either twisted pair wired media or a wireless microwave transceiver. Encompassing this hardware is a set of software utilities which consist of the low-level distributed clock synchronisation modules and extended fieldbus services incorporating time-critical support. In addition an Application Programmers Interface and Management Toolkit is made available facilitating rapid generation of OLCHFA fieldbus applications which incorporates a remote diagnostic/system management toolkit for use with a synchronised time-critical industrial communications network