Echelon Corporation

Echelon Systems Corporation

G Michael Hey

Philip H Sutterlin

Kenneth T Small

Donald D Baumann

William R Bemiss

A transistorized source power coupler for coupling a power source to a pair of transmission lines. DC power from the power source is conducted by the transistorized source power coupler to the transmission lines. Meanwhile, AC signals on the transmission lines are isolated from the power source by the source power coupler. Consequently, the same pair of transmission lines can be used to supply power to cells of a communications system while also conducting data signals between those cells with minimal effect to the power source.

Source power coupler

A data communications network for delivering power and communications over the same cable bundle includes a plurality of communications nodes wherein associated with each of the nodes is a transformer having a core, a primary winding and a secondary winding. The secondary winding has a centertap connection which either splits or merges the current in the secondary winding to eliminate net DC flux within the transformer. A DC/DC converter is also included for transforming the relatively high DC voltage of the cable down to a regulated supply potential for use by that node. The converter is coupled between the centertap of the transformer and the cable bundle. A power source provides the DC voltage distributed across the network and is coupled to the cable bundle via a centertap connection of another winding.

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

G Michael Hey