Methods of synchronizing sequence numbers of a number of devices of a network are disclosed. A method may include resetting, at each of a first device and a second device of a network, a sequence number to an initial predetermined count value responsive to a timing event. The method may also include generating, at each of the first device and the second device, a frame for transmission. Further, the method may include incrementing, at each of the first device and the second device, the sequence number, wherein the sequence number is indicative of a number of frames generated at the associated device since the timing event. The method may also include inserting, at each of the first device and the second device, the sequence number into an associated frame. Related networks and devices are also disclosed.

An EtherCAT fieldbus system has an EtherCAT master and a number of EtherCAT slaves. The EtherCAT master and the number of EtherCAT slaves are coupled together by an EtherCAT fieldbus in order to exchange data. A method ascertains active EtherCAT slaves by way of the EtherCAT master; requests respective product codes of the active EtherCAT slaves by way of the master; ascertains a respective device identification of the active EtherCAT slaves from the respective product codes by way of the EtherCAT master, and switches the state of the EtherCAT fieldbus system into the operational state by way of the EtherCAT master if the respective device identification of the active EtherCAT slaves matches a specified device identification.

System (10) for energy and/or data transmission in a vehicle (15), with at least one node element (120) for the networked connection of at least two electric components (30) of the vehicle (15), so that different connecting paths are provided, and the transmission of energy and/or data occurs in an adaptable manner via at least one of the connecting paths.

An in-vehicle network system includes an upper device, a first intermediate device, and a first lower device. The first intermediate device includes a first communication unit and a second communication unit that are arranged redundantly and that have a communication function. The first intermediate device is configured to communicate with the upper device via a plurality of communication paths. The first lower device is connected to the first communication unit and the second communication unit of the first intermediate device.

A control apparatus controls communication in a vehicle by setting a control entry(ies) to a plurality of switches relaying, by referring to the control entry(ies), a packet(s) input to and output from an ECU(s) installed in the vehicle. The control apparatus sets a second control entry for detecting the packet(s) transmitted from the ECU(s), triggered by that a frequency of communication of the ECU(s) exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and determines any one of failure of the ECU(s) and a fault of a communication path(s) according to combination of the switch(es) and a port(s) in which interruption of the packet(s) transmitted from the ECU(s) is detected.

Method of transmitting data in a distributed system of programmable controls, wherein data are transmitted between data sources and data sinks, both of which represent a respective node in the distributed system, and wherein the respective data sources and data sinks communicating with one another are determined by way of parameters.

An in-vehicle network system includes a power source, an upper electronic control unit (ECU), a first intermediate ECU and a second intermediate ECU, at least one first lower ECU and at least one second lower ECU, a power source relay, and a communication relay provided between the first communication path and the second communication path. When the upper ECU detects that an anomaly occurs in the first intermediate ECU, the power source relay and the communication relay are controlled such that a first power source path and a second power source path are connected to each other and a first communication path and a second communication path are connected to each other, and the second intermediate ECU performs electric power supply to and communication management of the first lower ECU.

A computing device that includes a first processing unit and a second processing unit that are connected to one another in a data-transmitting manner. The first processing unit, upon recognition that an activation condition is present, is configured to determine whether the activation condition requires an activation of the second processing unit, and when the activation condition requires the activation of the second processing unit, to activate the second processing unit and to output an activation signal, including the activation condition, on an activation line. Also, a network that includes at least two such computing devices, and a method for activating a second processing unit of a computing device that includes a first processing unit and the second processing unit, which are connected to one another in a data-transmitting manner, are also described.

Various embodiments relate to wired local area networks. A method may include detecting, at a node in a wired local area network at least one event. A physical layer device of the network node is configured to implement a physical level collision avoidance (PLCA) sublayer. The at least one event may include at least one of an amount of data stored in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer of the node being at least a threshold amount, and a received packet being a precision time protocol (PTP) packet incurring variable delay. The method may further include emulating a collision at the node in response to the at least one detected event.

A data server includes a controller, a memory that stores first information collected from devices, and master-slave management circuitry that sets whether the data server operates according to one of a master function for managing a data server and a slave function for being managed by the data server. In a case where the master function is set by the master-slave management circuitry, the controller sends to an external client, in response to receiving a data collection request from the external client, information corresponding to the data collection request that is one of data stored in the memory and data received from the other data server. In a case where the slave function is set by the master-slave management circuitry, the controller sends the first information to the other data server in which the master function is set.