Method and apparatus for automatic configuration of a network connection
US5577023A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 6, 1993 |
| Grant date | Nov 19, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 6, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L12/44
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides automatic configuration of the transmit and receive paths of a network connection, preferably a 10Base-T network connection. It senses which pair in a cable is used for TX signals and which is used for RX signals, then it automatically swaps or unswaps the RX and TX pairs of the port so that a connection is made regardless of whether a crossover or straight-through cable is used. The invention uses link integrity pulses, which are used to periodically test the integrity of the network, to determine which pair is for reception and which is for transmission. Since the auto-crossover transceiver has line receivers and line drivers connected to both pairs of the cable, once it determines which pair is TX and which is RX, it selects the appropriate line receiver and driver to match the cable configuration. The present invention allows connection to a network where another node on the network is either of the standard "hub" type, of the standard "MAU" type, or of the auto-crossover type.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.