| 摘要 |
PCT No. PCT/GB84/00356 Sec. 371 Date Jun. 7, 1985 Sec. 102(e) Date Jun. 7, 1985 PCT Filed Oct. 22, 1984 PCT Pub. No. WO85/01850 PCT Pub. Date Apr. 25, 1985.Communication networks, specifically network topologies and apparatus therefor suitable for data communication between computers, tend to be of three main types-those with a star topology (the older sort), those with a bus topology, and those with a ring topology. The ring topology networks have many advantages, but their simpler forms are highly vulnerable to link or repeater failure. The invention proposes another ring network system, which is particularly resilient to repeater and/or link failure, and which is based upon the use of a multiplicity of inter-link repeater units each capable of being connected by communication IN/OUT port pairs to a suitable combination of IN/OUT lines (by which it is connected to other repeater units) by internal switching such that regardless of the actual physical-disposition interconnection arrangement of the units relative to one another the network may be configured as a ring by suitably internally connecting each such unit's communication port pairs so as to form a circular communications link serially joining all of the units in the network.
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