Patent ID: 7430161

Claim:
A communication system comprising: a first network element and a second network element, each of the network elements comprising: a plurality of transmission ports; a plurality of receive ports, wherein the receive ports are spaced at consecutively greater physical distances from the transmission ports, and wherein the transmission ports are spaced at consecutively greater physical distances from the receive ports; and a controller operable to set pre-emphasis gain for each of the transmission ports and to set post-emphasis gain for each of the receive ports; and a cross-connected cable assembly electrically interconnecting the first network element and the second network element, the cross-connected cable assembly comprising: a first connector having a plurality of transmission plugs and a plurality of receive plugs arranged to mate with corresponding transmission ports and receive ports of the first network element; a second connector having a plurality of transmission plugs and a plurality of receive plugs arranged to mate with corresponding transmission ports and receive ports of the second network element; a first plurality of lines each capable of transporting electrical communications, each of the first plurality of lines having a first end connecting to one of the transmission plugs of the first connector and a second end connecting to one of the receive plugs of the second connector, such that an ordering of connections of the first ends with respect to the receive plugs of the first connector is inverted as compared to an ordering of connections of the second ends with respect to the transmission plugs of the second connector; and a second plurality of lines each capable of transporting electrical communications, each of the second plurality of lines having a first end connecting to one of the receive plugs of the first connector and a second end connecting to one of the transmission plugs of the second connector, such that an ordering of connections of the first ends with respect to the transmission plugs of the first connector is inverted as compared to an ordering of connections of the second ends with respect to the receive plugs of the second connector.