The Whitaker Corporation

Amp LLC

Nestronix, Inc.

Bret Allen Matz

William John Schnoor

K C Babu

Michael S Cohen

Richard Charles Downs

Hemant K Kumar

Nathan Ross Fritts

Steven Jay Millard

Keith James McKechnie

S Krishnakumar Rao

Soma Rakshit

Hemant Kumar, K R

Kalampukattussery C Babu

Kumar K R Hemant

Geeta George

Thomas A Donnelly

Systems and methods for actively monitoring and managing the integrity of an optical fiber communications link. The optical fiber link integrity is monitored to guard against intrusions and other security breaches. In one embodiment, a local and a remote active monitoring system are coupled by four fiber paths that provide primary and back-up transmit and receive paths between communication equipment. In one embodiment, a security light signal is transmitted using a secondary wavelength that differs from the wavelength used to transmit a user data light signal and travels in an opposite direction relative to the user data light signal. An active monitoring system monitors both administrative information contained within the security light signal and the intensity of the security light signal to manage the integrity of the fiber optic link. Methods are provided to characterize events impacting the fiber optic link integrity.

Systems and methods for active monitoring and management of fiber links

An expansion module for connecting additional communication ports (64) to a hub (10) of a communications network, an enclosure containing additional communication ports (64) on a motherboard (43), a hub receiving portion on an exterior of the enclosure, the hub receiving portion being adapted for mounting to a hub (10) of a communications network, a hub receiving opening (37) in the enclosure, a mating interconnection board (121) connected to the motherboard (43) and facing the hub receiving opening (37), the mating interconnection board (121) being adapted for electrical connection with a card edge connector (45) on the hub (10).

Expansion module for a communcations network

A network apparatus in the form of a base hub (10) containing a motherboard (43) and active circuitry (62) on the motherboard (43) for operation in a communications network and multiple communication ports (64) connected to the active circuitry (62), an expansion module (20) containing additional communication ports (64), and an interconnection mechanism (16) for connecting the additional communication ports (64) and the active circuitry (62).

Network apparatus

A hub for a communications network, a base hub (10), multiple communications ports (64) on the base hub (10), a motherboard (13) on which is mounted circuitry (62) for operation in a communications network, an expansion port opening (101) in the base hub (10), an interconnection board (42) in the base hub (10) carrying circuitry for operation in a communications network, the interconnection board (42) pointing toward the expansion port opening (101) for electrical connection to an expansion module (20) containing additional communication ports (64), and containing a mating interconnection board (121) for connection to the interconnection board (42) in the base hub (10).

Hub for a communications network

An interconnection mechanism for a communications network is described with communication ports (64) and active circuitry (62) on a motherboard (43), a second motherboard (43) without the active circuitry (62) and on which are mounted additional communication ports (64), and the two motherboards (43) being disconnectedly mated to each other through an interconnect board (42) in a base hub (10) and a mating interconnect board (121) in an expansion module (20) that mates with a card edge connector (45) on the interconnect board (42).

Mechanism for a communications network

An arrangement whereby a passive line concentrator (100) can be connected in a managed token ring network includes a special concentrator port (200) in an active concentrator (10) which is adapted to have inserted the ring-in port (130) of the passive line concentrator. The special concentrator port of the active concentrator supplies a small phantom current to the passive concentrator, which returns the phantom current only if it has at least one active port. Detection of the returned phantom current controls insertion of the special concentrator port into the network.

Arrangement for utilizing a passive line concentrator in a managed token

A ring communications network having a plurality of line concentrators (10) each including a ring-in port (16), a ring-out port (18), and a plurality of station ports (20), includes the feature of being able to detect a fault in the trunk cable between concentrators and reconfiguring the ring to bypass that fault. Fault detection is accomplished by injecting a phantom DC voltage at the ring-out port and sensing whether current due to that voltage is present at both the ring-out port and the ring-in port of the next adjacent concentrator in the ring.

Trunk cable fault detection and reconfiguration arrangement in a ring

An arrangement in a token ring line concentrator for providing appropriate connections to a cable includes a connector adaptor (30, 60) having a printed circuit board (34, 64) on which selected contact members (36, 38; 66, 68) are left either unconnected or shorted together to identify the particular type of adaptor, thus identifying the particular type of cable plugged into the adaptor. The port to which the adapter is inserted includes switchable connections controlled by the selective energization of a relay coil (138). The coil (138) is energized when an open connection between the selected contact members is identified.

Cable type identifying and impedance matching arrangement

A concentrator for a token ring network utilizes latching relays having separate set and reset coils for controlling the insertion/bypass of the ports into the token ring network. Circuitry for providing a global reset capability for all of the ports includes transistors which function to both provide a path for the global reset pulse to the reset coils and to isolate each reset coil in a port from the reset coils of the other ports. Other circuitry is provided for preventing activation of the global reset function from affecting an active port.

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Mechanicsburg, PA, United States of America

Bret Allen Matz