High speed data transfer over twisted pair cabling

• US 5,598,406 A
• Filed: 01/12/1995
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Goody, Steven H., Curcio, Joseph A. Jr., Dove, Daniel J., Albrecht, Alan, Spratt, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, HUY DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/371,721
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 370/94.3, 370/95.1, 370/95.2, 370/95.3, 370/85.9, 370/85.2, 370/85.1, 370/85.11, 370/85.3, 370/24, 370/29, 370/32, 370/110.1, 370/31, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.08, 375/257, 375/260, 375/288
• US Class Current: 370/296
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/14 Channel dividing arrangements , i.e. in which a single bit stream is divided between several baseband channels and reassembled at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4908 using mBnB codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/143 for modulated signals H04L5/1469 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for transmitting data packets, grouped as data octets, over a LAN having a central hub linked to each of a plurality of network nodes via a physical medium consisting of four pairs of unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable. The transmission method sequentially divides the data into data quintets. The quintets are then arranged into blocks of data quintets and sequentially distributed into four individual serial code streams. The four serial code streams are sequentially scrambled to produce four streams of randomized quintets. The randomized data streams are sequentially block encoded into 6-bit symbol data which are then transmitted using NRZ modulation across the network by transmitting each data stream over one of said pairs of cable.

Claims

1. In a local network system in which a hub is connected to each of a plurality of network nodes, a method for sending consecutive data packets to a first network node while allowing exchange of control signals between the hub and the first network node, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a first incoming control signal from the hub to the first network node to indicate to the first network node that a first data packet is about to be sent from the hub to the first network node;

(b) transmitting the first data packet from the hub to the first network node, wherein transmission of the first data packet is performed using half-duplex transmission over all data channels between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the first data packet the first network node is unable to transmit any information to the hub;

(c) transmitting an idle control signal from the hub to each of the network nodes, wherein transmission of the idle control signal is performed using duplex transmission between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the idle control signal the first network node is able to transmit information, including a send request, to the hub;

including the substep of;

(c.1) receiving at the hub any send request from the first network node and storing and scheduling the send request with any other received network node requests;

(d) transmitting a second incoming control signal from the hub to the first network node to indicate to the first network node that a second data packet is about to be sent from the hub to the first network node; and

,

(e) transmitting the second data packet from the hub to the first network node, wherein transmission of the second data packet is performed using half-duplex transmission over all data channels between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the second data packet the first network node is unable to transmit any information to the hub.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein in step (d) transmission of the second incoming control signal is performed using duplex transmission between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the second incoming control signal the first network node is able to transmit information, including a send request, to the hub.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein upon the hub receiving any send request from the first network node, the hub stores and schedules the send request along with any other received network node requests.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein;

the first network node is connected to the hub using a plurality of twisted wire pairs; and

,

in step (c) a first set of the plurality of twisted wire pairs is used to send control signals from the first network node to the hub and a second set of the plurality of twisted wire pairs is used to send control signals from the hub to the first network node.

5. In a local network system in which a hub is connected to each of a plurality of network nodes, a method for sending consecutive data packets to a first network node while allowing exchange of control signals between the hub and the first network node, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a first incoming control signal from the hub to the first network node to indicate to the first network node that a first data packet is about to be sent from the hub to the first network node;

(b) transmitting the first data packet from the hub to the first network node, wherein transmission of the first data packet is performed using half-duplex transmission over all data channels between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the first data packet the first network node is unable to transmit any information to the hub;

(c) transmitting a second incoming control signal from the hub to each of the network nodes, wherein transmission of the second incoming control signal is performed using duplex transmission between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the second incoming control signal the first network node is able to transmit information, including a send request, to the hub;

including the substep of;

(c.1) receiving at the hub any send request from the first network node and storing and scheduling the send request with any other received network node requests; and

,

(d) transmitting the second data packet from the hub to the first network node, wherein transmission of the second data packet is performed using half-duplex transmission over all data channels between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the second data packet the first network node is unable to transmit any information to the hub.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein:

the first network node is connected to the hub using a plurality of twisted wire pairs; and

,

in step (c) a first set of the plurality of twisted wire pairs is used to send control signals from the first network node to the hub and a second set of the plurality of twisted wire pairs is used to send control signals from the hub to the first network node.

7. In a local network system in which a hub is connected to each of a plurality of network nodes, a method for sending consecutive data packets to a first network node while allowing exchange of control signals between the hub and the first network node, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting the first data packet from the hub to the first network node, wherein transmission of the first data packet is performed using half-duplex transmission over all data channels between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the first data packet the first network node is unable to transmit any information to the hub;

(b) transmitting an idle control signal from the hub to each of the network nodes, wherein transmission of the idle control signal is performed using duplex transmission between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the idle control signal the first network node is able to transmit information, including a send request, to the hub;

including the substep of;

(b.1) receiving at the hub any send request from the first network node and storing and scheduling the send request with any other received network node requests; and

,

(c) transmitting a second data packet from the hub to the first network node, wherein transmission of the second data packet is performed using half-duplex transmission over all data channels between the hub and the first network node so that during the transmission of the second data packet the first network node is unable to transmit any information to the hub.