Design of a communication scheme for a distributed controller architecture using stochastic Petri nets

This paper describes a modeling project which was established to support the design of a distributed controller system. An anthropomorphic robot hand is the target system. Stochastic Petri net models for different communication schemes were developed in order to predict the performance of the considered systems. For a given workload a bus communication can not be used, but two alternative ring structures are able to meet the predefined timing requirements. Design and performance evaluation of the models were realized using the new Petri net tool TimeNET, which allows the modeling with non-Markovian Petri nets and combines a graphical user interface with powerful solution and simulation methods