DATA COMMUNICATIONS METHOD AND SYSTEM

摘要

A method of bidirectionally communicating data between a central control unit and a plurality of serially looped local control units in which a number of time-separated contiguous time slots are provided, the number of slots being substantially greater than one and substantially less than the maximum number of local controllers. The number of contiguous time slots are preceded by a header which includes synchronizing control and addressing data which permits local controllers to initiate transmission or reception of data which will continue via the specific slot assigned by the control data for the duration of the then initiated data exchange.