Remote powered ethernet repeater

• US 6,175,556 B1
• Filed: 01/06/1997
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cooper, Ronald Julius, Allen, James Johnson Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US08/779,726
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 370/293, 370/445, 370/463, 370/501, 370/502, 370/453, 370/457, 170/70.R, 379/296, 379/338, 379/344, 379/348, 379/413, 340/538, 340/310.A, 340/825.05, 340/425.1, 340/425.2, 375/211, 375/212, 375/214, 375/219, 375/220, 375/257, 375/377, 395/750, 395/200.1, 307/146
• US Class Current: 370/293
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/44 Arrangements for feeding power to a repeater along the transmission line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for remotely powering an Ethernet network repeater through an attachment unit interface (AUI) between the repeater and a remote personal computer (“PC”) or workstation. The AUI includes logic circuitry to detect when the Ethernet is supporting a transmit signal and a receive signal. Associated with the AUI is a DC to DC converter which receives, remotely through the AUI interface, a DC voltage from the PC or workstation and converts the DC voltage into working voltages for the remote repeater.

Claims

1. An Ethernet repeater comprising:

repeater controller that provides repeater functions;

coupler for coupling said repeater controller to data stations via an Ethernet bus,

receiver adaptable for receiving all power required by said repeater directly from one of said data stations as said power is required; and

circuit including, a DC to DC converter, for transferring said power from said receiver to said repeater controller, such that said Ethernet repeater is remotely powered by said one data station.

2. An Ethernet repeater comprising:

repeater controller that provides repeater functions;

coupler for coupling said repeater controller to data stations via an Ethernet bus;

receiver adaptable for receiving all power required by said repeater directly from one of said data stations as said power is required; and

circuit, including a DC to DC converter and a noise filter coupled to said DC to DC converter, for transferring said power from said receiver to said repeater controller, such that said Ethernet repeater is remotely powered by said one data station.

3. A method for powering a computer network repeater, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting all power required by said repeater from a remote workstation as said power is required;

receiving said power from said remote workstation;

converting said received power to appropriate voltages for components and

transferring said power to said components within said repeater.

4. An Ethernet repeater comprising:

repeater controller that provides repeater functions;

coupler for coupling said repeater control to data stations via an Ethernet bus;

, said coupler including a transformer including a first tap for connecting to collision signal conductors, a second tap for connecting to receiver signal conductors, and a third tap for connecting to transmit signal conductors;

a circuit arrangement including receiver logic, RC filter and a logical AND circuit operatively coupled to monitor signals on the receive signal conductors and the transmit signal conductors and output a collision signal if signals are sensed simultaneously on the receive signal conductors and the transmit signal conductor;

receiver adaptable for receiving all power required by said repeater directly from one of said data stations as said power is required; and

circuit for transferring said power from said receiver to said repeater controller, such that said Ethernet repeater is remotely powered by said one data station.

5. An ethernet repeater including:

a repeater controller that provides repeater functions;

an attachment unit interface (AUI) including power terminals receiving all power required by said repeater directly from a remote data station as said power is required and signal terminals to transfer collision signals, receive signals and transmit signals;

a DC to DC converter coupling the power terminals to the repeater controller;

a transformer coupled to the signal terminals; and

an AUI interface logic monitoring the receive signals and the transmit signals to generate the collision signals if the transmit signals and the receive signals are sensed simultaneously.

6. The ethernet repeater of claim 5 further including a filter circuit connected to the DC to DC converter.