Telecommunications multiplexer

A multiplexer device for telecommunications circuits for multiplexing and demultiplexing signals between a plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and a relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit, the relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit being connectable to the multiplexer device through one or more telecommunications links, the multiplexer device comprising:

• a primary multiplexer circuit that can be selectively electronically enabled or disabled to place primary multiplexer the circuit in or out of an operational configuration;
• a secondary multiplexer circuit that can be selectively electronically enabled or disabled to place the primary multiplexer circuit in or out of an operational configuration;
• a controller communicating with the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits;
• and
• an interface to at least one of the telecommunication links between the multiplexer and the relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit;
• wherein the controller monitors the operational status of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits and selectively electronically enables one of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits and disables the other of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits based on the monitoring.

A multiplexer device for telecommunications circuits for multiplexing and demultiplexing signals between a plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and a relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit, the relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit being connectable to the multiplexer device through one or more telecommunications links, the multiplexer device comprising:

• a primary multiplexer circuit that can be selected or deselected to place the primary multiplexer circuit in or out of an operational configuration;
• a secondary multiplexer circuit that can be selected or deselected to place the primary multiplexer circuit in or out of an operational configuration;
• a controller communicating with the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits;
• and
• an interface to at least one of the telecommunication links between the multiplexer device and the relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit;
• wherein the controller monitors the operational status of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits and selects one of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits and deselects the other of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits based on the monitoring, the transition time between one of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits being in an operational configuration and the other of the priamry and secondary multiplexer circuits being in an operational configuration being sufficiently small to be a hitless transition.

A multiplexer device for telecommunications circuits for multiplexing and demultiplexing signals between a plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and a relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit, the relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit being connectable to the multiplexer device through two different telecommunications links, the multiplexer device comprising:

• a primary multiplexer circuit that can be selected or deselected to place the primary multiplexer circuit in or out of an operational configuration;
• a secondary multiplexer circuit that can be selected or deselected to place the secondary multiplexer circuit in or out of an operational configuration;
• an interface allowing a selected one of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits to be connected to a selected one of the two telecommunications links and the other of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits to be connected to the two other of the telecommunications links;
• and
• a controller communicating with the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits and the interface;
• wherein the controller monitors the operational status of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits and the two telecommunications links and selects one of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits and one of the two telecommunication links and deselects the other of the primary and secondary multiplexer circuits and the other of the two telecommunications links based on the monitoring.

A multiplexer device for telecommunications circuits for multiplexing and demultiplexing signals between cabling from a plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and from at least one relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit, the multiplexer device comprising:

• a plurality of interface circuit cards, each having a plurality of relatively lower speed interface circuits thereon to interface with the relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits;
• a multiplexer circuit card having components thereon for performing the multiplexing and demultiplexing;
• and
• a backplane assembly into which the interface circuit cards and the multiplexer cards are connectable and into which the cabling from the plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and the at least one relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit are connectable, the backplane assembly including at least two separate backplanes, including an internal backplane and an external backplane, which are connected together so that the two backplanes are in a parallel and juxtaposed relationship, the internal backplane being mechanically and electrically connected to the interface circuit cards, to the multiplexer card, and to the external backplane, the external backplane being mechanically and electrically connected to the internal backplane and to the cabling from the plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and the at least one relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit.

A multiplexer device for telecommunications circuits for multiplexing and demultiplexing signals between cabling from a plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and from at least one relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit, the multiplexer device being externally controllable by an external controller on a computer network to which it may be connected, the device comprising:

• a multiplexer;
• a plurality of interface circuits interfacing between the plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and the multiplexer and between the at least one relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit and the multiplexer;
• an internal controller communicating with and controlling the multiplexer and the interface circuits;
• and
• an external connector connected to the internal controller and connectable to the computer network with the external controller being a part of the computer network, the external connector allowing the external controller to communicate with the internal controller through the computer network;
• wherein the external controller can indirectly control the multiplexer and interface circuits through the internal controller.

A multiplexer device for telecommunications circuits for multiplexing and demultiplexing signals between cabling from a plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and from at least one relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit, the multiplexer device comprising:

• a device housing;
• a dual backplane connected to the device housing, the dual backplane including two separate backplanes, an internal backplane and an external backplane, which are connected together so that the two backplanes are in a parallel and juxtaposed relationship;
• a plurality of interface circuit cards, each having a plurality of relatively lower speed interface circuits thereon to interface with the relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits, the interface circuit cards being receivable within the housing and being mechanically and electrically connectable to the dual backplane, one of the interface circuit cards being a spare card that can be selectively selected to replace one of the other interface circuit cards without physically moving the spare card;
• and
• a primary and a secondary multiplexer circuit card, each having components thereon for performing the multiplexing and demultiplexing, each multiplexer card being receivable within the housing and being mechanically and electrically connectable to the dual backplane, wherein either of the primary or the secondary multiplexer circuit cards can be selected to perform the multiplexing and demultiplexing;
• wherein the interface circuit cards and the multiplexer cards are connectable into the dual backplane and the cabling from the plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and the at least one relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit are connectable to the dual backplane, the internal backplane being mechanically and electrically connected to the interface circuit cards, to the multiplexer card, and to the external backplane, the external backplane being mechanically and electrically connected to the internal backplane and to the cabling from the plurality of relatively lower speed telecommunication circuits and the at least one relatively higher speed telecommunication circuit.