The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 18, 2003
Filed:
May. 25, 2001
R. Ashby Armistead, Los Altos, CA (US);
David W. Metcalf, Santa Cruz, CA (US);
Danyang Raymond Zheng, Fremont, CA (US);
Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A circuit and method for connecting data lines in a digital communication system are disclosed. The circuit allows either a balanced data line or an unbalanced data line to be connected to a single input port with no internal reconfiguration of the system. Connection to a balanced data line isolation transformer is provided at the port. A separate connection to ground is provided at the same port. A user connects the system to a balanced data line using a jack wired for connecting the balanced data line pair across the isolation transformer. A user connects the system to an unbalanced data line using a similar jack; however, the jack in this case is wired to short one transformer connection to the ground connection provided at the port, thereby unbalancing the transformer. In one embodiment, this second jack is part of a patch cable that accepts a coaxial connector on. one end, appropriately wired to the shorted jack on the second end. For systems with multiple such ports, a monitor port can be switched to receive the signal from any port, after that signal passes through the isolation transformer such that either balanced or unbalanced signals can be monitored.