3Com Corporation

Edward S Baxter

Steven Lyle Gardner

Dean A Warren

David B Aronoff

Thomas F Ertel

According to the invention an intelligent network backplane interface is provided for an intelligent local area network hub and a method for implementing the common interface is provided. The hub includes a concentrator backplane operating one or more local area access method. Modules are provided for connection to said backplane for providing a local area network function. A common interface, in the form of a carrier unit having an interface management processor is provided for establishing a connection between any one of various modules and the backplane. The processor provides a control for exchanging information between a module and the common interface with a first mailbox for reading information signals from the module and writing information signals to the interface and a second mailbox for reading information from the interface and writing information to the module. Information acquired by the control is used to form a parameter table for listing features of the module. The features are received as information signals. The features are used by the intelligent hub for determining management of the module for connection of said module to said backplane. In this can the designer of the module does not limit its design to a specific concentrator for backplane and a module can be used with any backplane based on the common interface.

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Cherry Valley, MA, United States of America

Edward S Baxter