Signal and devices for wired networks
AssigneeApollo Fire Detectors Limited
InventorsDanny Burns, Steve Farmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A signal for use on a wired network interconnecting electronic devices, comprising: a base voltage for conveying power to the electronic devices; a pulsed voltage signal bearing coded information for transfer between the electronic devices; and a digital signal superimposed onto selected portions of the pulsed voltage signal, wherein the digital signal comprises a carrier signal modulated by a data signal for transfer between the electronic devices. This is used in fire alarm networks, for example, to convey multimedia or other data such as control signals, whilst maintaining compatibility with existing protocols using the pulsed voltage signal.
Claims12
A wired network interconnecting electronic devices, the electronic devices being configured to transmit and/ or receive a signal comprising:
- a base voltage for conveying power to the electronic devices;
- a pulsed voltage signal bearing coded information for transfer between the electronic devices;
- and a digital signal superimposed onto selected portions of the pulsed voltage signal, wherein the digital signal comprises a carrier signal with a frequency substantially greater than that of the pulsed voltage signal, the carrier signal being modulated by a data signal for transfer of the data signal between the electronic devices;
- the wired network including:
- a network control device having a interface arranged to transmit the said signal containing the data signal on the network to the electronic devices on the network, the network comprising a databus in which each electronic device is uniquely addressable digitally;
- wherein the databus has a first termination and a second termination connected respectively to the network control device at a first interface and a second interface to form a loop;
- and
- wherein the network control device is arranged to transmit the said signal from the first interface, to monitor the said signal received at the second interface, and to transmit the said signal from the second interface if it detects that the said signal has not been received at the second interface from the first interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.