A shared-line communication system, and components therefor.

摘要

A communication system having multiple distributed control elements that operatively intercommunicate through packets of digital data over a shared line for directing control of a machine process. Each control element is adapted to abort the attempted transmission of data for a period of random duration upon detection of another element attempting to do the same; to cause all other elements to be inhibited while both the respective elements are self-inhibited, and to double its abortion period if interference is still detected when its first period ends.