COMMUNICATION METHOD AND LAN SWITCH

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a LAN switch that transmits a clock signal to a LAN so as to synchronize units interconnected on the LAN. SOLUTION: The LAN switch 10 has a clock input/output port (master port) 12a and a plurality of clock output ports (slave ports) 12. Each port is configured with a connector having idle pins. A master unit 14 is connected to the master port by a LAN cable 18. A slave unit 16 is connected to the other ports by LAN cables 18. A clock signal generated from the master unit is transmitted through an idle core wire of the LAN cable and given to an idle pin of the master port. The LAN switch distributes this clock signal to the idle pins of each port. The clock signal outputted to the idle pin of each port is transmitted through the other idle core wire of the LAN cable and given to each unit to synchronize the slave units 16 with each other.