Daisy-chained ring of remote units for a distributed antenna system

A system for routing and switching signals, the system comprising:

• a first plurality of digital remote units, each of the first plurality of digital remote units configured to receive one or more downlink channel signals and to transmit one or more uplink channel signals;
• a second plurality of digital remote units different from the first plurality of digital remote units, each of the second plurality of digital remote units configured to receive one or more downlink channel signals and to transmit one or more uplink channel signals;
• and
• at least one digital access unit configured to receive and transmit radio frequency (RF) signals and to receive and transmit optical signals, wherein the at least one digital access unit is configured to communicate via the RF signals with one or more base station units, and the at least one digital access unit is configured to communicate via the optical signals with at least two of the first plurality of digital remote units and at least two of the second plurality of digital remote units;
• wherein each of the first plurality of digital remote units and the at least one digital access unit are daisy-chained in a first loop configuration such that each of the first plurality of digital remote units is linked to a next one of the first plurality of digital remote units or the at least one digital access unit by a single bi-directional optical fiber, each of the first plurality of digital remote units being accessible in either direction around the first loop configuration;
• wherein each of the second plurality of digital remote units and the at least one digital access unit are daisy-chained in a second loop configuration such that each of the second plurality of digital remote units is linked to a next one of the second plurality of digital remote units or the at least one digital access unit by a single bi-directional optical fiber, each of the second plurality of digital remote units being accessible in either direction around the second loop configuration;
• and
• wherein at least one of the first plurality of digital remote units is configured to change a number of channel signals received from the at least one digital access unit and to change a number of channel signals transmitted to the at least one digital access unit, and changing the number of channel signals received and transmitted determines whether the at least one of the first plurality of digital remote units carries a predetermined traffic load.