Data processing backplane with serial bus communication loop

A modular system comprising:

• a first backplane device that includes a first group of module slots and a first serial bus that communicatively couples each of the module slots, wherein each slot of the first group of module slots is configured to receive a processor module or a memory module, and the first serial bus bypasses any module slot in the first group of module slots that is unoccupied by a module wherein the first serial bus is a first communication loop that extends from a first slot in the first group of module slots to a second slot in the first group of module slots, from the second slot to an nth slot in the first group of module slots, and from the nth slot to the first slot in the first group of module slots to complete the first communication loop;
• a second backplane device that includes a second group of module slots and a second serial bus that communicatively couples each of the module slots, wherein each slot of the second group of module slots is configured to receive a processor module or a memory module, and the second serial bus bypasses any module slot in the second group of module slots that is unoccupied by a module wherein the second serial bus is a second communication loop that extends from a first slot in the second group of module slots to a second slot in the second group of module slots, from the second slot to an ith slot in the second group of module slots, and from the ith slot to the first slot in the second group of module slots to complete the second communication loop;
• a first processor module including at least one processor circuit, the first processor module coupled to a slot in one of the first and second groups of module slots, and the at least one processor circuit is configured to process a packetized data signal received from, or for output to, a different processor module or memory module in either of the first and second groups of module slots;
• and
• a link that communicatively couples the first and second groups of module slots to establish a system-level serial data loop among modules coupled to any module slot in the system.

An apparatus comprising:

• a first backplane device for use in a video display control system, the first backplane device comprising:
• a first group of video signal processing or video signal storage module slots, each of the module slots configured to receive a video signal processing or video signal storage hardware module;
• and
• a first serial bus communication loop to electrically or optically couple each of the module slots in the first group of module slots wherein the first serial bus communication loop extends from a first hardware module slot to a second hardware module slot, from the second hardware module slot to an nth hardware module slot, and from the nth hardware module slot to the first hardware module slot to complete the communication loop;
• wherein the first serial bus communication loop is maintained when at least one of the module slots in the first group is unoccupied by a video signal processing or video signal storage hardware module.