Importance

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Abstract

A plurality of packet data sources, e.g., packet application modules, and synchronous data sources, e.g., synchronous application modules, are coupled to the same TDM bus for communicating data to a network access module. A portion of the bandwidth, or time-slots, of the TDM bus is allocated as a multiple-access packet channel that is shared among the packet application modules. As a result, the network access module receives a single, continuously multiplexed, packet stream for transmission to an opposite endpoint. Packet application modules on the TDM bus contend for this multiple access packet channel when transmitting to the opposite endpoint. In the receiving direction, each packet application module accepts the entire received packet stream from the network access module and may either filter the packets using their address field or may transparently forward the data to a packet service.

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First Claim