Abstract: A high-speed scalable backplane enables communications between a central processing unit (CPU) module and field input/output (I/O) and/or communication modules. The backplane comprises a root hub associated with the CPU module. The backplane also includes a plurality of Universal Serial Bus (USB) hubs sequentially coupled to each other and arranged according to the tiered architecture. Each of the USB hubs has an upstream port and a plurality of downstream ports. A top USB hub has an upstream port coupled to a host port of the root hub. One or more lower USB hubs each have an upstream port coupled to a selected downstream port of one of the USB hubs in an immediately preceding tier of the tiered architecture. The lower USB hubs are each configured to enable a plurality of I/O and/or communications connections for the modules via a plurality of downstream ports.

Abstract: A synchronization manager interface determines a first state of execution of an application task executing on a first controller at defined synchronization points and further determines a second state of execution of the application task executing on a second controller at the defined synchronization points. The synchronization manager interface, when executed, configures the first controller to transmit the first state from the first controller to the second controller via a communications channel established between the controllers for verifying a successful synchronization of the application task on the controllers based on a comparison of the first state with the second state.