Flat cable to flat parallel wire cable

• US 5,379,005 A
• Filed: 07/16/1993
• Issued: 01/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tut Systems, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tut Systems, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aden, Charles M., Miller, Mark, Graham, Martin H., Taylor, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAMBINO, DARUIS
• Application Number:
  US08/092,721
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 333/24 R, 333/25, 333/1, 333/4, 333/5, 375/36, 375/7
• US Class Current: 333/24.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/42 Networks for transforming balanced signals into unbalanced signals and vice versa, e.g. baluns
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks

Abstract

A LAN which uses flat telephone cable having at least four conductors. The inner conductors are joined together and the outer conductors are joined together at each node thereby making reversals of the inner and outer conductors, which may occur at connectors, impossible. Each node uses two baluns to provide an unbalanced zone between the baluns for connecting to the DTE.

Claims

1. An improved method for coupling a node into a network where said network uses a generally balanced line comprising the steps of:

providing a first balun and a second balun connected in series with said generally balanced line so as to provide a pair of leads between said first balun and said second balun;

providing a connection directly to said pair of leads for a transceiver, such that unbalanced currents associated with said transceiver are isolated from said generally balanced line by said first balun and second balun.

2. The improved method defined by claim 1 wherein said generally balanced line has two inner conductors and two outer conductors and including the additional steps of:

electrically connecting together said inner conductors; and

electrically connecting together said outer conductors.

3. In an Ethernet network employing a line having at least two conductors, a method for connecting digital terminal equipment at a node to the line, comprising the steps of:

connecting a first balun and a second balun in series with the two conductors of the line at the node such that a pair of conductors is formed between the first balun and the second balun at the node; and

connecting the pair of conductors formed between the first balun and the second balun directly to the digital terminal equipment at the node such that unbalanced currents associated with the connecting of the digital terminal equipment are isolated between the first balun and second balun.

4. The method defined by claim 3 wherein the line has two inner conductors and two outer conductors including the additional steps of:

electrically connecting the inner conductors together; and

, electrically connecting the outer conductors together.

5. An improved method for coupling a terminal into a network where the network uses a generally flat parallel wire cable having two inner conductors and at least two outer conductors comprising the steps of:

electrically connecting together the two inner conductors of a first one of the generally flat parallel wire cable to form a first lead;

electrically connecting together the two outer conductors of the first one of the generally flat parallel wire cable adjacent to the inner conductors to form a second lead;

electrically connecting together the two inner conductors of a second one of the generally flat parallel wire cable to form a third lead;

electrically connecting together the two outer conductors of the second one of the generally flat parallel wire cable to form a fourth lead;

providing a first and a second balun connected in series;

connecting the first balun to the first and second leads;

connecting the second balun to the third and fourth leads; and

,

coupling the terminal between the first and second baluns.

6. A network including:

a flat parallel wire cable having two inner conductors, first outer conductors adjacent to the two inner conductors, second outer conductors adjacent to the first outer conductors and third outer conductors adjacent to the second outer conductors;

a first connection connecting the two inner conductors, a second connection connecting the first outer conductors, a third connection connecting the second outer conductors, a fourth connection connecting the third outer conductors.

7. A medium access unit for providing an interface to an opening in a flat parallel wire cable, the opening having a first and second end, the cable having two inner conductors and at least two outer conductors, comprising:

a first balun having a first and second pair of leads;

a second balun having a first and second pair of leads;

the second pair of leads of the first balun being connected to the first pair of leads of the second balun;

one of the leads of the first pair of leads of the first balun being connected to the inner conductors at one end of the opening, the other of the leads of the first pair of leads of the first balun being connected to the outer conductors at the one end of the opening;

one of the leads of the second pair of leads of the second balun being connected to the inner conductors at the other end of the opening, the other of the leads of the second pair of leads of the second balun being connected to the outer conductors at the other end of the opening.

8. A medium access unit for providing an interface in a network having a line comprising at least one pair of leads, said unit being coupled into said line at an opening in said line, said opening having a first end with a pair of leads and a second end with a pair of leads, comprising:

a first balun having a first pair of leads at a first terminal and a second pair of leads at a second terminal, said first pair of leads at said first terminal for coupling to said pair of leads of said first end of said opening;

a second balun having a third pair of leads at a third terminal and a fourth pair of leads at a fourth terminal, said fourth pair of leads at said fourth terminal for coupling to said pair of leads of said second end of said opening;

said second pair of leads at said second terminal of said first balun being connected to said third pair of leads at said third terminal of said second balun to form interconnecting leads between said first and second baluns for accepting unbalanced currents; and

,

a connection to said interconnection leads between said first and second balun for receiving an apparatus that is to be coupled into said network.