Patent ID: 8098691
Filing Date: 2012-01-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An ethernet system comprising: single conductor channel cabling including a trunk line and a plurality of branch lines connecting to the trunk line at a plurality of points along the trunk line; a single root transceiver (root-PHY) connected at an end of the trunk line; and a plurality of end point transceivers (EP-PHYs), each connected to a respective one of the plurality of branch lines; the root-PHY being configured to receive a first signal from an external signal source and to transmit the first signal downstream over the single conductor channel cabling to each of the EP-PHYs, the first signal being an external signal, the root-PHY further being configured to receive data signals transmitted upstream over the single conductor channel cabling from the plurality of EP-PHYs, and to re-transmit the data signals downstream over the single conductor channel cabling to the plurality of EP-PHYS, and each EP-PHY being configured to receive the first signal transmitted downstream over the single conductor channel cabling and to transmit the first signal to a respective external end point device, each EP-PHY further being configured to selectively communicate with any other one of the plurality of EP-PHYs by transmitting a data signal upstream over the single conductor channel cabling to the root-PHY, the root-PHY re-transmitting the data signal downstream over the single conductor channel cabling to the plurality of EP-PHYs.