OpenLINK™ - Store and Forward Communications Protocol
OpenLINK™ is a reliable, routing, multi-drop, peer-to-peer, and peer-to-peer-multi-peer data communications protocol
developed by Dexter Fortson Associates, Inc. and used by the DFA Remote Terminal Unit (RTU). The use of this communications
protocol is not legally restricted and is available to all.
The OpenLINK™ protocol allows store and forward communications with extremely remote sites. Using this protocol
the System Control Computer (SCC) packages a message with a predetermined communications path and transmits the message to the first RTU
in the path. This RTU then detects the next RTU in the path and re-transmits the message. When the target RTU receives the message,
it saves the path for future communications.
The operator can easily change the path when needed, and the remote RTU always know the path to access the SCC
which greatly extends the range of communication.
The only real limitation of the communication schema is that each RTU be within range of another that can communicate
with the base or SCC either directly or through other RTUs. DFA has installed systems with hundreds of RTUs communicating on
one radio channel.
A path of 30 RTUs, 10 miles apart would allow a distance of 300 miles. Even greater distances can be achieved by combining
this with a remote telephone access.
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