Patent ID: 6956826

Claim:
A communication network comprising at least three nodes interconnected by at least two distinct communication links and a network controller for controlling operation of all of said nodes, wherein: each of said communication links has only two electrical conductors carrying a single communication channel; each of said communication links connects two of said nodes and is operative to communicate in a half-duplex mode; at least one of said nodes is couplable to a payload; each of said nodes has first and second line couplers and signal transfer means controlled by said network controller for controlling transfer of data to and from each of said line couplers; each of said line couplers is coupled to another one of said nodes by a respective one of said communication links; and said network controller is operative for controlling said signal transfer means of all of said nodes to establish a selected one of a plurality of operating modes, including: a first repeating mode that allows data to be repeated only in a direction from said first line coupler to said second line coupler; and a second repeating mode that allows data to be repeated only from said second line coupler to said first line coupler.