Title :
A fault-tolerant multiprocess controller for magnetic bearings
Author :
Yates, Steven W. ; Williams, Ronald D.
Author_Institution :
Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA, USA
Abstract :
A fault-tolerant microprocessor system designed to provide digital control for an active magnetic bearing is described. This particular control problem demands significant processing power, is easily divided into relatively independent parallel tasks, and cannot tolerate controller failures. The overall system requirements and architecture are described, as is the design of the digital control module and the analog I/O board. The fault tolerance of the system is evaluated. Extensive computer simulations of system reliability models verified that the design satisfies all of the reliability requirements. Although the system was designed for a specific problem, much effort was expended to make it general enough for applications to a wide range of real-time applications.<>
Keywords :
analogue-digital conversion; computer interfaces; computerised control; controllers; fault tolerant computing; machine bearings; active magnetic bearing; analog I/O board; architecture; computer simulations; digital control; fault-tolerant microprocessor system; fault-tolerant multiprocess controller; magnetic bearings; parallel tasks; real-time applications; system reliability models; Application software; Computer architecture; Computer simulation; Digital control; Fault tolerance; Fault tolerant systems; Magnetic levitation; Microprocessors; Real time systems; Reliability;
Journal_Title :
Micro, IEEE
