Programmable data-routing multiplexer

Abstract

A multiplexer for use in a digital subscriber controller having a number of analog ports and digital ports which can be programmed via an external microprocessor to establish time-division multiplexed bidirectional data paths between three subscriber-selected ports designated as "sources" and three subscriber-selected ports designated as "destinations". Among the ports is a line-interface port having two 64 kilobit-per-second channels on which analog/digital data is received from and transmitted onto the network transmission line. Among the digital ports is a three-channel serial port and a two-channel microprocessor interface port. An analog port is also provided at which a variety of audio transducers may be connected. The data-routing multiplexer consists of three sections, each comprising a plurality of registers connected to a single internal bus on which time-division-multiplexed signals are generated and received by particular subscriber-selected registers, each register within a section serving as either a generator or a receiver for the internal bus for a particular digital channel. An extension of the internal bus is connected to the analog port. A set of three control registers stores the subscriber-selected sources and destinations. Control signals are generated therefrom which affect the subscriber-selected interconnection of registers within the data-routing multiplexer with the internal bus. The multiplexer facilitates maintenance and testing of the digital subscriber controller by permitting a loopback path to be established for a device connected to a port by simply designating a path having that port as both its source and destination.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.