Lucent Technologies Inc.

Michael Scott Habeck

Douglas A Kimber

A modular switch box which is responsive to a control signal, is diagnosable, and is not dependent upon the type of protocol being switched. There may be a plurality of switch boxes wherein each switch box includes a plurality of inputs and an output. There is a selector for selecting which input is connected to the output and a controller for controlling the selector. There is also a control means for controlling the switch boxes. The switch boxes are connected in a chain so that the input of one switch box is connected to the output of the next, etc., until the output of the last switch box is connected back to the controller. The controller sends a command message to the first switch box which then executes the command and forwards the message on to the next switch box, etc., until the command returns to the controller. In this manner, the controller knows that all switch boxes have received the command. If the command does not return within a reasonable time, then the controller knows that one of the switch boxes or a control link may be faulty. The controller then sends the same command through the chain in the opposite direction. In this manner, all switch boxes will receive the command, except for the one that is faulty.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Michael Scott Habeck