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US 5,249,183 AGranted
Interfacing unit for local area networks
AssigneeLevel One Communications, Inc.
InventorsDave Wong, Haim Shafir, Joe Heideman, Cheng C. Shih
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AssigneeLevel One Communications, Inc.
InventorsDave Wong, Haim Shafir, Joe Heideman, Cheng C. Shih
Estimating the term…
A local area network (LAN) having a 10Base-T media attachment unit (MAU) is disclosed for coupling an attachment unit interface (AUI) to a twisted pair link through an AUI port of the 10Base-T MAU. In addition to meeting or exceeding standards set forth in the proposed supplement (P802.3I/D10) to IEEE standard 802.3 for LANs, the MAU provides an interface between the AUI and a RJ45 (twisted pair) connector which auto-engages when activity is detected on the twisted pair link. Lack of activity on the twisted pair link forces the 10Base-T MAU to isolate its AUI port from the AUI. An Ethernet (coaxial) type MAU commonly connected with the 10Base-T MAU at the AUI may be utilized without manual intervention when the twisted pair link is inactive.
A local area network having a physical layer with a twisted pair transmission media and an alternative transmission media, comprising:
A self contained station in a local area network having alternative coaxial and twisted pair transmission media, said station having a data terminal equipment and an attachment unit interface coupled thereto, comprising;
A local area network comprising a plurality of stations, each station comprising an attachment unit interface, an Ethernet media attachment unit for interfacing to a coaxial type link and a 10Base-T MAU for interfacing to a twisted pair link, wherein said Ethernet media attachment unit and said 10Base-T MAU each have an AUI port commonly connected to said attachment unit interface, and further wherein said 10Base-T MAU includes auto-engage means, responsive to inactivity on said twisted pair link, for isolating said 10Base-T AUI port from said attachment unit interface by putting said 10Base-T AUI port into a high impedance condition thereby permitting the attachment unit interface to transmit and receive using the coaxial type link.
A local area network (LAN), a media attachment unit for interfacing an attachment unit interface to a twisted pair link, the media attachment unit comprising:
A 10Base-T MAU comprising an AUI port in accordance with propsed standards of IEEE supplement (P802.3I/D10) for LANs, and an auto-engage means, responsive to activity on a twisted pair link, for engaging said AUI port to an AUI, wherein said auto-engage means further comprises means for monitoring said twisted pair link for a link integrity test pulse or a valid data, and means for identifying inactivity on said twisted pair link when neither said link integrity test pulse or said valid data pulse are present for a predetermined time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.