Digital multiplexer with logically allocatable channels and bit rates
AssigneeCanadian Institute for Broadband & Information Network Technologies, Inc. (CIBINT)
InventorTownes T. H. Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A data multiplexer system is comprised of a space division multiplexer having a plurality of space divided (SDM) input channels, each SDM channel adapted to carry a first number of time divided TDM channels at a first clock rate; at least one digital data source; apparatus for generating a second clock rate derived from the first clock rate, which is at the clock rate of the data source; apparatus for selecting data from the one source in synchronism with the second clock rate; and apparatus for applying the selected data to at least one of the SDM channels; whereby data from a digital data source having a clock rate either the same or different from the clock rate of a TDM channel may be applied to and be carried by any SDM channel.
Claims21
A data multiplexer-demultiplexer system comprising:
- (a) a space division multiplexer for receiving a first clock signal at a first clock rate and having a first number of space divided SDM (Space Division Multiplex) data channels, each of said data channels being adapted to carry at said first clock rate a second number of time divided TDM (time Division Multiplex) sub-channels received from one or more external data signal sources;
- (b) means for receiving said first clock signal and generating a group of second clock rate signals defining second clock rates derived from said first clock rate;
- (c) means in communication with said data channels for selecting at least one of said TDM sub-channels by using at least one of said second clock rates, combinations and multiples thereof;
- (d) means for selecting and sampling in said multiplexer (multiplex sampling) at least one data signal received or derived from external signal sources, at said at least one of the second clock rates, combinations and multiples thereof, and placing said selected at least one multiplex sampled data signal into said selected at least one TDM sub-channel;
- (e) means in communication with said data channels for selecting an SDM data channel to which said selected at least one multiplex sampled data signal is applied;
- (f) means in communication with said data channels for applying said selected at least one multiplex sampled data signal to said selected SDM data channel;
- and
- (g) means for providing when required, at least one of said second clock rates, combinations and multiples thereof to said one or more external data signal sources.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.