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Local area network with an active star topology comprising ring controllers having ring monitor logic function

  • US 5,041,963 A
  • Filed: 12/29/1988
  • Issued: 08/20/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A star local area network, comprising:

  • a ring bus hub (4);

    said ring bus hub (4) being comprised of a plurality of ring controllers (10, 12, 14,

         16) driven by a common clock source (7), each ring controller being connected by means of a ring bus (20, 22, 24,

         26) to other ring controllers in series to form a closed ring;

    a plurality of nodes (3, 5,

         9) including processor means (2, 30,

         31) for creating messages for transfer on said network;

    each one of said nodes including node controller means, anda plurality of duplex communication links (18, 19, 21,

         28);

    each one (3) of said plurality of nodes being geographically distant from said hub (4) and each one of said node controller means within a node being connected to a corresponding one (10) of said ring controllers by means of one (18,

         19) of said duplex communication links;

    each of said node controllers including node interface means (40) for transmitting said messages as a contiguous stream of words on said duplex communication link;

    each of said ring controllers including ring bus interface means (42) for forming said messages into discrete data packets for insertion onto said ring bus;

    each one of said ring controllers including means (42) for buffering data packets and for inserting said data packets onto said ring bus;

    one of said ring controllers (12) having ring monitor logic means for performing ring monitor functions to thereby designate said one ring controller as a ring monitor controller.

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