DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A data transmission system comprising a plurality of reconfiguring devices (1-6) and a method of reconfiguring such devices is described. Each device (1-6) has a plurality of input and output data links (9-12), the devices being connected in a ring (18) whereby for each reconfiguring device data is received on one data input link (9) and transferred to one data output link (11) such that data may be passed between all the reconfiguring devices along the ring. Each device includes fault recovery means for detecting the presence of a fault in the ring, the fault recovery means (7) in different devices cooperating to attempt to cause data to be transmitted around a sub-ring when a fault is detected, the sub-ring being constituted at least partially by one or more of the previously unused data links (10, 12) to enable a number of the devices (1-6) to continue to communicate; and merging means (7) for detecting that a new reconfiguring device is connected to at least one pair of previously unused data input and output links and for reconfiguring the ring to include the new device.