Communication system and methodology for sending a designator for at least one of a set of time-division multiplexed channels forwarded across a locally synchronized bus

Abstract

A communication system, network interface and communication port is provided that includes a media local bus. The local bus is connected between a controller and one or more multimedia devices located within a node of the communication system. The controller periodically broadcasts sync signals to the source device, or devices, to synchronize data transmission partitioned into time slots. Each time slot represents is dedicated to a particular data type. Thus, time slotcan accommodate packetized data, time slotcan accommodate synchronous data, time slotcan accommodate control data, and time slotcan accommodate isochronous data. Various combinations and variations of those time slots can occur where fewer than four data types can be present within a frame or all four data types can be present. The local bus includes a signal line and one or more data lines.