Patent ID: 6356559
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A system including,a plurality of modules, a communication channel coupling said modules together in a ring configuration, operation of said communication channel being divided into repeated fixed length windows, each fixed length windows being divided into a variable length first portion and a variable length second portion, fixed length packets being transmitted between said modules during said first portion of each of said fixed length windows and variable length packets being transmitted between said modules during said second portion of each of said repeated fixed length windows, each of said modules including means for providing and receiving synchronous information in substantially fixed length packets during said first portion of each of said fixed length windows, means for providing and receiving asynchronous information in variable length packets during said second portion of each of said fixed length windows, each of said packets comprising a plurality of multi bit bytes; means for transmitting a first token to the next module in the ring when all available fixed length packets up to a maximum number have been transmitted during said first portion of a fixed length window, and means for transmitting a second token to the next module in the ring when all available variable length packets up to a maximum number have been transmitted during said second portion of a fixed length window, means for switching from the transmission of synchronous packets to asynchronous packets when said token traverses said entire ring, whereby both synchronous and asynchronous information can be transmitted between said modules using said communication channel.