Importance

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Abstract

A bit oriented communications network includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by a broadcast communications medium. Each node samples inputs connected to it and broadcasts the values of those inputs. All of the nodes then monitor the broadcasts and map selected bits to outputs connected locally through an output mapping process. Connections are established between inputs and outputs by the output mapping process, and such connections may be changed simply by changing the output mapping selections. Both the input and output bits may be either physical devices or, as described in a second embodiment, may be exchanged with an external system through a shared memory. A Dynamic Time Division Multiple Access (DTDMA) time slot allocation scheme is used to synchronize transmissions from each node in a round robin fashion. Each node is allocated one time slot for transmission and maintains a current time slot value in a gap timer. The gap timers of all nodes are synchronized by monitoring a source address field in the round robin broadcasts.

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First Claim