Designing a Dependable and Fault-Tolerant Semiautonomous Distributed Control Data Collection Network With Opportunistic Hierarchy

This paper presents the satellite-linked data acquisition and photogrammetry (SLiDAP) network, designed to conduct shore-based, close-range 3-D imaging in remote areas. The lack of communications and power infrastructure and ability to service the system requires periodic, synchronous operations of multiple semiautonomous elements with a high degree of reliability. The SLiDAP system uses an opportunistic network architecture based on four distinct levels of control, to accommodate unpredictable operational constraints and failures. The synchronization of periodic tasks in a distributed control and remotely operable network are highlighted, and measures to increase the reliability of system operations are discussed, including hardware redundancy, intelligent watchdog timer, software error tolerance, self-repair, and remote update capability. The characteristics of the SLiDAP system within the concept of autonomic computing are discussed.