Network management interface with internal DSD

Apparatus for interfacing a network manager to a network of communication devices which communicate among themselves over a single communications channel of a plurality of signals, said network manager located at a remote location from said network and operative to communicate with the network over a communication medium, each communication device of the network being uniquely assigned a poll address for communication selection by said network manager, said network manager operative to establish communication with a communication device of the network by transmitting the poll address thereof over the single communications channel, said apparatus comprising:

• subapparatus of each communication device including:
• input port means, where input refers to a logical control direction rather than hardware signal direction;
• output port means, where output refers to a logical control direction rather than hardware signal direction, said network of communication devices being coupleable together in a daisy chain through the input and output port means thereof to form the single communications channel, said input port means for receiving and transmitting signals from and to said single communications channel upstream of its position in the daisy chain and said output port means for receiving and transmitting signals from and to said single communications channel downstream of its position in the daisy chain;
• control means, coupled to both the input and output port means, for governing the receiving and transmitting operations of each based on the poll address transmitted over the single communications channel by the network manager;
• and
• communication port means coupleable to the network manager through said communication medium thereof, wherein the control means includes means responsive to a set signal for establishing a link between said communication port means and input/output port means so that the network manager can transmit and receive signals to and from the single communications channel through the communication port means and input/output port means link of a communication device which has it s communication port means coupled to the communication medium of the network manager.

Apparatus for interfacing a network manager to a network comprising a plurality of nests of communication devices said communicating devices of each nest communicating with each other over a communications bus of a plurality of signals, said nests communicating with each other and said network manager over a single communications channel each communication device of the network being uniquely assigned a poll address for communication selection by said network manager, said network manger operative to establish communication with a communication device of the network by transmitting the poll address thereof over the single communications channel, said apparatus comprising:

• subapparatus of each communication device including:
• input port means, where input refers to a logical control direction rather than hardware signal direction;
• output port means, where output refers to a logical control direction rather than hardware signal direction, said nests of communication devices being coupleable together in a daisy chain through the input and output port means thereof to form the single communications channel, said input port means for receiving and transmitting signals from and to said single communications channel upstream of its position in the daisy chain and said output port means for receiving and transmitting signals from and to said single communications channel downstream of its position in the daisy chain, said input port means of the communication device in first position of the daisy chain being coupleable to the network manager for receiving signals, including said poll address, therefrom;
• control means, coupled to both the input and output ports means, for governing the receiving and transmitting operations of each based on the poll address transmitted over the single communications channel by the network manager;
• and
• bus port means for receiving and transmitting signals from and to the correpsonding nest communication bus, said control means including means responsive to a bus set signal for establishing a link between said input port means and said bus port means so that the network manager can transmit and receive signals to and from the corresponding nest communication bus through the input port means and bus port means link of a communication device which has its input port means coupled to the single communications channel.