High speed trunk interface with concurrent protocol handlers

An arrangement for receiving a plurality of packets from a high speed digital trunk, comprising:

• a first protocol handler means responsive to the start of one of said packets for storing a subset of said one of said packets;
• said first protocol handler means further responsive to said start of said one of said packets for transmitting an interrupt signal;
• means for delaying said one of said packets from said trunk;
• means for interfacing said arrangement to a plurality of customer terminals;
• means for controlling the transfer of said delayed one of said packets to said interface means;
• processor means responsive to said interrupt signal and said stored subset for controlling the transfer control means for facilitating the communication of said delayed one of said packets;
• and
• a second protocol handler means responsive to said delayed one of said packets for communicating said delayed one of said packets via said transfer control means to said interface means.

A method for receiving a plurality of packets from a high-speed digital trunk by an arrangement comprising a first and second protocol handlers and a delay circuit and a controller, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing a subset of one of said packets by said first protocol handler in response to the start of said one of said packets;
• transmitting an initialization signal in further response to the start of said one of said packets by said first protocol handler;
• delaying the communication of said one of said packets from said trunk to said second protocol handler for a predefined amount of time;
• processing the delayed one of said packets by said second protocol handler;
• and
• controlling the communication of said delayed one of said packets from said second protocol handler by said controller in response to said initialization signal and said stored subset.

A method for receiving a plurality of packets from a high speed digital trunk by utilizing a digital trunk controller having a first and second protocol handler and a delay circuit and an interface circuit to a plurality of customer terminals and a control circuit and a processor, the method comprises the steps of:

• storing a subset of one of said packets by said first protocol handler in response to the start of said one of said packets;
• transmitting an interrupt signal by said first protocol handler in response to said start of said one of said packets;
• delaying said one of said packets from said trunk by said delay circuit;
• controlling the control circuit to facilitate the communication of said delayed one of said packets from said second protocol handler by said processor in response to said interrupt signal and said stored subset;
• and
• communicating said delayed one of said packets via said control circuit by said second protocol handler in response to said delayed one of said packets.