Abstract: Apparatus for delivering operating power from a data terminus to a utilization device includes a first data connection connecting the data terminus to a data repeater station and a second data connection connecting the data repeater station to the utilization device. A first power sourcing equipment delivers DC operating power to the data repeater station over a physical layer of the first data connection. A second power sourcing equipment at the repeater station receives operating power over the physical layer of the first data connection and delivers operating power over a physical layer of the second data connection to the utilization device.

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.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for extending an Ethernet 10Base-T local area network topology from only allowing point-to-point link segments to allowing daisy-chained segments having multiple nodes on each segment. Thus, computer equipment can be connected in a bus topology while retaining the characteristics of a 10Base-T node according to IEEE Standard 802.3 for 10Base-T Ethernet. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a non-reclocking repeater at a 10Base-T node retransmits data packets from the node to subsequent nodes in a daisy-chained segment. When the repeater is not powered, bypass circuitry connects the two ends of 10Base-T wiring to remove the inactive node from the daisy-chain segment. The repeater includes modular connectors and analog transmit and receive sections for transmitting and receiving differential signals between two network link interfaces and an AUI.