Abstract: A responsive system for digital signal processing and a method for operation of the responsive system implement computer programs, which are dependent on a respective update status, in data processing units that communicate with one another through a data transmission unit, in order to make the responsive system particularly reliable, even when subject to frequent revision. During each communication, each data processing unit assigns a revision identity characterizing its update status to a signal produced by it. A data processing unit receiving the signal carries out a comparison to determine if the revision identity characterizing the signal matches a revision identity stored for that signal and, if the revision identities match, the signal is processed.

Abstract: A method and a responsive system for signal processing, particularly a system of the safety instrumentation and control of a nuclear power plant. A first database stores the association of the data processing units, data transmission units, and computer programs of the system, as well as a sequence of steps in the automatic signal processing in accordance with an integral processing specification. A second database stores in memory operating parameters and at least one reliability parameter of each data processing unit and each data transmission unit. The contents of the databases are utilized in a reliability module, which determines the reliability characteristic of the responsive system from the data of the first database and the second database. If and when the reliability parameters change, a transmission takes place to the reliability module, so that in each case an updated reliability parameter may be determined.