Abstract: A digital information mapper and method for mapping sequences of information characters into a SONET (synchronous optical network) payload in such a manner that there can be an arbitrary mixture of control and/or data values in those sequences. Each information character comprises 9 bits consisting of an 8 bit information byte, being either a control byte or a data byte, and one octet type bit identifying the byte as control or data. A processor applies a mapping algorithm of a mapping module to the input information characters. The mapping algorithm is applied to sequences of eight input information characters, the algorithm being operable to map the information bytes of each sequence of eight information characters to eight of a sequence of nine contiguous SPE octets. The algorithm then maps the octet type bits for the eight mapped information bytes of the character sequence to the ninth octet of the contiguous SPE octets of the SPE octet sequence.

Abstract: A communication system is provided for transmitting and receiving data cells containing control messaging and customer data, including a real-time development system (RDS) and means for generating a plurality of RDS events and RDS commands at predetermined locations within the communication system. Each of the RDS events having an event identifier and a variable length sequence of data bytes for defining the event. Each of the RDS commands having a command identifier and a variable length identifier for defining the command. The communication system also includes means for transmitting the RDS events and RDS commands as data cells throughout the communication system via identical communication links. The communication system also having means located throughout the communication system for selectively filtering the RDS events and RDS commands from the control messaging data and customer data.

Abstract: A communication system is disclosed having a hub slot adapted to receive any one of a plurality of hub cards for receiving and transmitting data cells; a plurality of universal card slots; a plurality of interface cards insertable into any one of said plurality of universal card slots for receiving incoming ones of said data cells containing data and transmitting outgoing ones of said data cells containing data; an add bus having respective data links connected between individual ones of said universal card slots and said hub slot for receiving said outgoing ones of said data cells from said plurality of interface cards and transmitting said outgoing ones of said data cells to said hub slot; a drop bus having a single data link connected between all of said universal card slots and said hub slot for transmitting said incoming ones of said data cells from said hub slot to said plurality of interface cards; and means within each of said interface cards for filtering said incoming ones of said data cells from sa

Abstract: A communication system comprising a hub slot adapted to receive any one of a plurality of hub cards for receiving and transmitting data cells; a plurality of universal card slots; a plurality of interface cards insertable in any one of the plurality of universal card slots for receiving incoming ones of the data cells containing data and transmitting outgoing ones of the data cells containing data; an add bus having respective data links connected between individual ones of the universal card slots and the hub slot for receiving the outgoing ones of the data cells from the plurality of interface cards and transmitting the outgoing ones of the data cells to the hub slot; a drop bus having a single data link connected between all of the universal card slots and the hub slot for transmitting the incoming ones of the data cells from the hub slot to the plurality of interface cards; and an arrangement within each of the interface cards for filtering the incoming ones of the data cells from the drop bus and thereby