Abstract: Apparatus for facilitating the transport and switching of synchronous and asynchronous digital data signals presented by data terminal or data communication equipments to a voice switching network such as a PBX advantageously without the use of modems. The clock rate of the PBX user's digital data is multiplied by a variable factor to define a synchronous transmission clock rate on a data link between a pair of interfaces, one locally connecting to the data terminal or data communications equipment and the other appearing as a port of the PBX switching equipment. The higher rate on the data link permits both the digital data as well as a control channel to be provided. Variations in the data terminal or data communications equipment clock rate do not affect the control channel. Variations in the voice sampling rate of switching modules serving different groups of ports through which the digital data is transported are accommodated.

Abstract: In a PAM bus switching bus which normally handles analog voice signals, the different DC offsets caused by the different buffing, summing and distribution amplifiers cause no ill effects because DC voltages are not passed by the remainder of the support elements. However, when it is attempted to switch logic level DC signals through such a PAM bus network, the DC offset which is an indeterminate function of the particular switching path established, makes it impossible to establish a uniform slicing level. In the illustrative embodiment a uniform slicing level is achieved by clamping the summing bus of the PAM system during a preamble of the time slot, measuring the offset on the distribution bus and then applying the measured offset to compensate the distribution bus during the remainder of the time slot when the actual data signal is allowed to be applied to the summing bus.