摘要 |
<p>COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK A digital optical fiber communications system includes a plurality of communications nodes, each of which may include a processor, at each of a plurality of different locations. For packet data communications among the processors, a communications network comprises a first set of unidirectional communications loops, each at a respective location for communications among the processors at the respective location, and a second set of unidirectional communications loops, multiplexed onto the optical fiber channels, for communications among processors at different locations. Data packets are broadcast on both sets of loops throughout the network so that they reach all processors even in the presence of severe failures among the optical fiber channels, thereby providing a very reliable processor communications facility.</p> |