Very high-speed digital data bus
First Claim
1. In a data communications system of the type including a communications medium, a plurality of geographically distributed nodes, modem means operatively coupling said nodes to said medium for permitting any one of said nodes to transmit messages to any other of said nodes in the system, said messages including a header block, a data block and a trailer block, any one of said nodes in said system being a conditionally designated bus reference for the purpose of synchronizing the transmission of said messages, the improvement comprising:
- (a) means including said modem means for receiving a single signal bit stream representative of said message, there being a synchronization pattern of bits embedded in said header block defining a timing reference relative to a composite pipe cycle, a pipe cycle being a time interval comprising a plurality of slots, groups of said plurality of slots being assignable to said plurality of nodes;
(b) synchronization pattern detecting means in each of said nodes for detecting said synchronization pattern; and
(c) timing means in each of said nodes coupled to said bit pattern detecting means for establishing a valid time interval within said pipe cycle corresponding to the group of said plurality of slots assigned to a particular one of said plurality of nodes for transmission of said messages onto said medium from said particular node on a non-interfering basis with messages being transmitted over said medium from other of said nodes, said valid time interval (slots) being contiguously transmitted from separate nodes independent of the propagation delay of said communication medium and the transmission rate of said messages.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A time-division multiplexed, data communications system allowing multiple user devices, including super computer buses configured in a local network, and other existing network hierarchies to exchange digital data over extended distances at speeds heretofore unattainable. The system includes a plurality of intelligent nodes, termed "DATApipe™ adapters", which are coupled to a fiber optic bus. The DATApipe adapters function as interface devices between the fiber optic bus and the I/O processors which are used to couple the user devices and networks to the DATApipe adapters.
112 Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a data communications system of the type including a communications medium, a plurality of geographically distributed nodes, modem means operatively coupling said nodes to said medium for permitting any one of said nodes to transmit messages to any other of said nodes in the system, said messages including a header block, a data block and a trailer block, any one of said nodes in said system being a conditionally designated bus reference for the purpose of synchronizing the transmission of said messages, the improvement comprising:
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(a) means including said modem means for receiving a single signal bit stream representative of said message, there being a synchronization pattern of bits embedded in said header block defining a timing reference relative to a composite pipe cycle, a pipe cycle being a time interval comprising a plurality of slots, groups of said plurality of slots being assignable to said plurality of nodes; (b) synchronization pattern detecting means in each of said nodes for detecting said synchronization pattern; and (c) timing means in each of said nodes coupled to said bit pattern detecting means for establishing a valid time interval within said pipe cycle corresponding to the group of said plurality of slots assigned to a particular one of said plurality of nodes for transmission of said messages onto said medium from said particular node on a non-interfering basis with messages being transmitted over said medium from other of said nodes, said valid time interval (slots) being contiguously transmitted from separate nodes independent of the propagation delay of said communication medium and the transmission rate of said messages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A data communications system comprising:
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(a) a communications medium; (b) a plurality of geographically distributed nodes; (c) modem means operatively coupling said nodes to said medium for permitting any one of said modes to transmit messages to any other of said nodes in the system, one of said nodes in said system being conditionally designated as a bus reference, said bus reference providing timing information synchronizing the transmission of said messages between said nodes in predetermined slots within an overall pipe cycle, a pipe cycle being a time interval including a plurality of said slots with groups of said slots being individually assignable to said plurality of nodes; (d) each of said nodes including; (i) multiplexor means coupled to receive input digital data messages in serial bit stream form on a plurality of ports; (ii) decoupling memory means coupled to said multiplexer means for temporarily storing said data messages at discrete addressable locations therein; (iii) logical transmitter means coupled to said decoupling memory means, said logical transmitter means including means for sensing the presences of the groups of said slots assigned to that node for controlling the times that the data messages are applied to said communications medium; and (iv) memory control means coupled to said decoupling memory means for managing the allocation of buffer regions in said decoupling memory for storing messages arriving from each of said plurality of ports and reading out said messages under control of said logical transmitter means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A data communication system including:
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(a) a communications medium; (b) a plurality of nodes geographically distributed along said medium, said nodes interfacing at least one input/out processor device to said medium, said input/out processor devices communicating with said nodes in word serial form, said words comprising data bits and control bits, one of said control bits being a flow bit; (c) means in said nodes and in said input/output processor for regulating the transfer of said words between buffer memories contained in said nodes and input/out processor devices, including; (i) first control means in said nodes for establishing the state of said flow bit of each outgoing serial word transmitted to said input/out processor device conditional upon the ability of said buffer memory in said node to accept additional incoming words; (ii) second control means in said input/out processor devices for establishing the state of said flow bit of each outgoing serial word transmitted to said node conditioned upon the ability of said buffer memory in said input/out processor devices to accept additional incoming words; and (iii) third control means in both said nodes and in said input/out processor devices for suspending the transmission of outgoing serial words from said nodes and input/out processor devices conditionally upon the state of said flow bits of incoming serial words to said nodes and input/out processor devices.
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15. In a data communication system of the type including a communications medium, at least one node, means coupling said node to said medium for permitting said node to transmit messages over said medium, the improvement comprising:
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(a) buffer memory means contained in said node for at least temporarily storing message words at addressable block locations therein; (b) input/output processor means coupled to said node for transmitting messages to and receiving messages from said buffer memory means in said node; (c) flow control means in said node for providing a flow signal to said input/output processor means which, when in a first state, indicates the availability in said buffer memory means of a sufficient number of said addressable block locations to store more than a single block of message words being sent from said input/output processor means and when in a second state indicates to said input/output processor means the availability in said buffer memory means of not more than a single addressable block location in which to store only a predetermined number of data words transmitted from said input/output processor means which are less than the number of words comprising a single block. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification