METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE COLLISION OF DATA PACKETS

摘要

Method and apparatus for detecting when a collision occurs between two or more binary data signal packets at a single binary data signal receiver. Whenever a packet is transmitted, a large signal impulse is substituted for the initial bit of the packet. The amplitude of the impulse is such that it is significantly greater than the highest binary signal level transmitted. The receiver recognizes the impulse not as a data bit but as an indication of the beginning of a packet. Every packet has a known duration (or packet period) and is separated from the next packet by at least a known gap period. If two impulses are received within a period less than or equal to the sum of the packet and gap periods, a collision has occurred and a packet collision signal is generated.