Solid-State Ethernet By-Pass Switch Circuitry

• US 20060268684A1
• Filed: 05/17/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMS Aviation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Formation, Inc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Cohn, Philip R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/693 Switching arrangements with several input- or output-terminals, e.g. multiplexers, distributors logic circuits H03K19/00; code converters H03M5/00, H03M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/76 Switching arrangements with several input- or output-terminals, e.g. multiplexers, distributors logic circuits H03K19/00; code converters H03M5/00, H03M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40169 Flexible bus arrangements arrangements for maintenance or administration involving management of faults; events, alarms H04L41/06; automatic restoration of network faults H04L41/0654
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches

Abstract

A solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch includes a first connection that accepts transmit and receive lines from a first Ethernet device, a second connection that accepts transmit and receive lines from a second Ethernet device, a third connection that accepts transmit and receive lines from a third Ethernet device and a solid-state switching device having a normal state and a by-pass state. When configured in the normal state, the solid-state switching device couples the transmit and receive lines from the first connection to the transmit and receive lines from the second connection. When configured in the by-pass state, the solid-state switching device couples the transmit and receive lines from the first connection to the transmit and receive lines from the third connection.

Claims

1. A solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch comprising:

a first connection that accepts transmit and receive lines from a first Ethernet device;

a second connection that accepts transmit and receive lines from a second Ethernet device;

a third connection that accepts transmit and receive lines from a third Ethernet device; and

a solid-state switching circuit having a normal state and a by-pass state,

such that, when configured in the normal state, the solid-state switching circuit couples the transmit and receive lines from the first connection to the transmit and receive lines from the second connection, and

when configured in the by-pass state, the solid-state switching circuit couples the transmit and receive lines from the first connection to the transmit and receive lines from the third connection.

2. The solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth connection that accepts secondary transmit and receive lines from the second Ethernet device.

3. The solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch according to claim 1, wherein:

when configured in the normal state, the solid-state switching circuit couples the transmit and receive lines from the fourth connection to the transmit and receive lines from the third connection, and

when configured in the by-pass state, the solid-state switching circuit renders the second connection and the fourth connection effectively open-circuited with respect to the first and third connections.

4. The solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch derives power from Ethernet signals without needing external power.

5. The solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch according to claim 1, further comprising:

a clock signal that is coupled to the solid state switching circuit, the solid-state switching circuit being set into the normal state by detection of the clock signal.

6. The solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state switching circuit includes a plurality of field-effect transistors (FETs).

7. A solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch having a normal state and a by-pass state, the solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch comprising:

a first connection that accepts transmit and receive lines from a first Ethernet device;

a second connection that accepts primary transmit and receive lines from a second Ethernet device;

a third connection that accepts transmit and receive lines from a third Ethernet device;

a fourth connection that accepts secondary transmit and receive lines from the second Ethernet device;

a first solid-state switching device coupling the transmit line of the first connection to the receive line of the second connection when configured in the normal state and coupling the transmit line of the first connection to the receive line of the third connection when configured in the bypass state;

a second solid-state switching device coupling the transmit line of the third connection to the receive line of the fourth connection when configured in the normal state and coupling the transmit line of the third connection to. the receive line of the first connection when configured in the by-pass state;

a third solid-state switching device coupling the transmit line of the second connection to the receive line of the first connection when configured in the normal state and opening the transmit line of the second connection when configured in the by-pass state; and

a fourth solid-state switching device coupling the transmit line of the fourth connection to the receive line of the third connection when configured in the normal state and opening the transmit line of the fourth connection when configured in the by-pass state.

8. The solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch according to claim 7, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switching devices includes at least one field-effect transistor (FET).

9. The solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch according to claim 7, wherein the solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch derives power from Ethernet signals without needing external power.

10. The solid-state Ethernet by-pass switch according to claim 7, further comprising:

a clock signal that is coupled to each of the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switching devices, the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switching devices being set into the normal state by detection of the clock signal.