Patent ID: 7209477

Claim:
A multi-shelf communication system for a communication switch comprising a plurality of shelves, said multi-shelf communication system comprising: a master controller adapted to generate commands and to receive status signals; a plurality of slave devices associated with said master controller, each slave device of said plurality of slave devices located on one of said plurality of shelves and adapted to receive said commands, to execute local commands responsive to said commands and to generate said status signals for said master controller; for each said slave device, a communication controller associated with said master controller, said communication controller adapted to receive said commands and transmit said commands to said each slave device; and receive said status signals and provide information relating to said status signals to said master controller; a downstream communication link comprising a multiplexed signal gathering communications from each said communication controller into a single multiplexed stream and providing a demultiplexed signal split from said single multiplexed stream to each said slave device; an upstream communication link from each said slave device to its communication controller; a timing arrangement controlling transmission times of communications carried on said downstream communication link, wherein said local commands executed by said plurality of slave devices are used to replace other commands directed by said master controller to said plurality of slave devices and each of said slave devices communicates independently with said master controller.