Abstract:
A ring-shaped network for an aircraft communications control system transmits both digitised audio signals and control data in small packets of equal length from node to node. Each active node comprises a packet-long register (RX) permanently connected in the ring (A), the node having means for labelling each packet it transmits as either full or empty, and having means for testing whether the packet being received is full or empty. The transmission of a new packet of data by that node is prevented unless the packet as received is empty.
Abstract:
A ring-shaped network for passing digital audio signals with control signals in packets of equal length in which at least one of the nodes is connected to supply packets received from all transmitting nodes to a sample formatting memory which stores together all the packets obtained during one sample epoch, each packet representing an audio signal from a different transmitting node. The sample formatting memory provides the packets in parallel on a multi-channel output which is gain-adjusted and summed to provide an audio output, for example to the headset of an operator.
Abstract:
A communications arrangement for a distributed process control system operable to control an industrial process (20, 30) where different types of data must be communicated between a number of control drops or stations in varying timing priorities includes a first communication channel (60) on which at least two of the control drops are connected. A second communication channel (70), independent of the first communication channel, accommodates the communication of a type of data that is not as critical in terms of timing as that which is communicated over the first communication channel. All of the control drops are connected to the second communication channel. A control processor (80), located at each of the control drops, determines the distribution of the types of data between the two communication channels according to a predetermined timing priority.
Abstract:
Le procédé consiste à transmettre des messages sur le mode asynchrone, les messages comprenant un caractère de début de message (CD), un caractère désignant l'adresse du destinataire (AD), éventuellement un caractère désignant l'adresse de l'expéditeur (AE), éventuellement des caractères contenant les informations significatives du message (CS), et un caractère de fin de message (CF). Les caractères de début de message (CD) et de fin de message (CF) sont constitués d'une impulsion continue d'une longueur égale au nombre des signaux binaires significatifs d'un caractère normal de message augmenté de deux signaux binaires. Une telle impulsion est reconnue par les circuits de contrôle de trame, dans le cas où les caractères sont dépourvus de signaux binaires de parité ; ils sont reconnus par les signaux de contrôle de parité dans le cas où les caractères sont pourvus de signaux binaires de parité.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a ring transmission system which incorporates both a narrowband network and a broadband ISDN network. The system comprises a plurality of nodes connected to a ring line (3). Each node comprises a drop/insert unit (5A, 5B ...) for dropping/inserting data by the use of a communication channel allocated to the node and an allocation changing circuit, whereby, a plurality of independent narrowband and broadband exchange networks are connected to a single ring transmission line (3).
Abstract:
A bridge for routing signals between local area networks comprises a list (5A,5B) of source addresses of signal packets arriving at respective sides of the bridge. Means are provided for comparing the destination addresses of the signal packets by a comparator (4A,4B) with addresses in the respective lists. If the comparator does not generate a match, the signal packet is routed through the bridge. Source addresses of received signal packets are added to the respective list, irrespective of the outcome of the previous comparison, and means are provided to remove the oldest entry from each list of source addresses when the list is filled to capacity.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a duplex loop type transmission system which is so constructed that a plurality of transmission stations are loop-connected with two transmission lines, and the control right for transmission is carried out among said transmission stations. When the trouble, such as disconnection, occurs on the transmission lines and is detected, the station having the control right is adapted to transmit a check signal to the transmission line on which the trouble is detected and the station which receives the check signal returns a response signal to the next station at the side from which the check signal has been transmitted, and the station which receives no response signal carries out the loopback, thereby enabling the clearance of the trouble in a short time.
Abstract:
This invention provides a high-speed queue sequencer (850) which may be employed as a component of a link switch or hub switch in a burst-switching communications system. When so employed, transmission speeds for integrated voice and data services over communications links between switches may be equivalent to the T1 rate or higher. A burst is a plurality of bytes which represents, for example, a block of data or a spurt of voice energy sensed by silence/voice detectors located at voice ports. In a preferred embodiment, the architecture of the queue sequencer includes a data/address bus (862), control (860) including a stored program in a 64-bit wide PROM (852), a random-access memory (858) for queue memory which stores administrative information pertaining to bursts passing through the switch, enque means (870) for adding a burst to the list of bursts awaiting assignment to an output channel, and deque means (870) for assigning the highest-priority burst on this list to an output channel and removing the burst from the list, first-in first-out memory (868) for storing requests from switching processors and providing these requests to the control of the queue sequencer within priority class in the same time order as received, and input and output interfaces (864,866) for coupling with the switching processors. A switching processor is a companion high-speed processor employed as one or more components in a link switch and hub switch. Most components of the queue sequencer operate substantially in parallel with and independently of the control, which is a contributing factor to the speed advantage realized by the queue sequencer. The queue sequencer performs queue administration for all switching processors of a link or hub switch.
Abstract:
This invention provides a method of assigning a first control processor to the service set of a second control processor in a distributed-control communications system having control processors coupled with ports of the system. The method comprises the step of transmitting through the system a service-set assignment message in a control burst to the first control processor, the assignment message including the port address of the second control processor. The assignment message may be sent by a third control processor or by the second control processor. The assignment message may be sent as a result of the failure of some control processor, the addition of a new control processor, orto make theworkloads of the control processors more evenly distributed. There is also provided a method of installing a second control processor into a distributed-control communications system having at least one first control processor. The method comprises the steps of installing the hardware, installing the software, and assigning as above the second control processorto the service set of the first control processor. In preferred embodiments, the software may be downloaded and / or started-up within the system. These methods are not dependent on any particular control structure. In the disclosed control hierarchy, a port processor (PP,) may be assigned to the service set of a call (CP,) or administrative processor (AP 2 ), and a call processor may be assigned to the service set of an administrative processor. A control burst is a communication between control processors for administrative purposes in a burst-switching communications system.