Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Combining or distributing information via time channels
Patent
1997-11-10
2000-04-18
Horabik, Michael
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Combining or distributing information via time channels
714752, 341 56, H04J 312, H03M 1300, H03M 502
Patent
active
060523905
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for communicating data, and particularly, though not exclusively, to apparatus and methods for communicating data over a plurality of channels, such as a cable having a plurality of conductors (for example, four twisted pairs of wires), and for encoding and/or decoding data, for example in connection with such communications.
BACKGROUND ART
The spread of personal computers and workstations has led to the development of networks for interconnecting such equipment and common resources such as printers and data storage devices. More powerful and sophisticated computing equipment and programs have progressively become available, allowing the processing of data in larger and larger quantities, for example in the form of database information and graphic images. These developments have in turn placed increasing demands on the speed and capacity of networks.
Various new networking technologies have been proposed to cater for these demands. One recent proposal has been established as IEEE Standard 802.12, and is also known as 100VG-AnyLAN. This technology, which transfers data at 100 megabits/s (Mb/s), involves splitting a data frame to be transmitted into consecutive blocks of five bits each, encoding the blocks using a 5B6B code, and distributing the encoded blocks among four twisted-pair conductors on a cyclic basis.
Although networks based on this technology are being deployed and meet current requirements, it is envisaged that future computing developments will eventually require even higher-speed and thus higher-capacity networks. However, to minimize the costs involved it is desirable to continue to use the same kind of cabling infrastructure as is being used for current networks. However, the use of such infrastructures requires conformance with strict regulatory limits on the level of radiated electromagnetic emissions having frequencies above 30 MHz. Simply increasing the bit rate of existing networking systems, for example, would result in unacceptable levels of such emissions.
It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus and methods for communicating data at data rates in excess of 100 Mb/s, using similar conductors to those now in use and conforming to regulatory requirements.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided apparatus for transmitting blocks of data over a channel together with control signals coordinating access to said channel, said control signals being transmitted between delimiter signals different from any of said data block input signals, and said control signals being preselected from the possible values of said data blocks so that said control signals are spaced throughout the population of said possible values such that there is greater Hamming distance between said control signals than between said data signals.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided apparatus for transmitting blocks of data over a channel together with control signals coordinating access to said channel, comprising:
scrambler means for receiving and reversibly scrambling data block input signals;
encoding means coupled to the scrambler means for deriving a code block for each respective scrambled data block in accordance with a code;
transmission means coupled to the encoding means for transmitting code blocks over said channel;
control means for generating control signals and supplying said control signals to said scrambler means, said control signals being preselected ones of possible values of said data blocks; and
control means coupled to the transmission means and the encoding means for supplying encoded control signals to the transmission means between delimiter signals different from any of said data block input signals in scrambled and encoded form.
According to a further aspect of this invention there is provided a method for transmitting blocks of data over a channel together with control signals coordinating access to said channel, said control signals being
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Coles Alistair Neil
Crouch Simon Edwin
Deliot Eric Henri Ulysse
Mowbray Miranda Jane Felicity
Harper Kevin C.
Hewlett--Packard Company
Horabik Michael
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