Abstract: For routing a data unit through a chain of nodes, the nodes are assigned addresses that are increasing in one direction of appearance of the nodes in the chain. For routing the data unit, the receiving node first verifies if the destination address of the data unit corresponds with the address of its first hop neighbor or its second hop neighbor, and the node routes the data unit directly to its first hop neighbor or its second hop neighbor if this is the case. Otherwise, the node determines the difference between the destination address of the data unit and its own address or the difference between the source and destination address of the data unit, selects a routing direction depending on the sign of this difference, and selects a first hop link when the difference is in magnitude below a threshold value or a second hop link when the difference is above the threshold value.

Abstract: The access node includes first transmit/receive circuitry with digital signal processing logic and digital-to-analog/analog-to-digital conversion logic, and second transmit/receive circuitry with transmit/receive amplifiers and line adaptation units for connection to a transmission line. The access node further includes an analog switch for dynamically connecting one of the first transmit/receive circuitry with one of the second transmit/receive circuitry according to a transmit/receive cross-connect table, and transmit/receive control logic for updating the transmit cross-connect table according to a transmit/receive traffic pattern over the respective transmission lines.

Abstract: For routing a data unit through a chain of nodes, the nodes are assigned addresses that are increasing in one direction of appearance of the nodes in the chain. For routing the data unit, the receiving node first verifies if the destination address of the data unit corresponds with the address of its first hop neighbour or its second hop neighbour, and the node routes the data unit directly to its first hop neighbour or its second hop neighbour if this is the case. Otherwise, the node determines the difference between the destination address of the data unit and its own address or the difference between the source and destination address of the data unit, selects a routing direction depending on the sign of this difference, and selects a first hop link when the difference is in magnitude below a threshold value or a second hop link when the difference is above the threshold value.

Abstract: The access node includes first transmit/receive circuitry with digital signal processing logic and digital-to-analog/analog-to-digital conversion logic, and second transmit/receive circuitry with transmit/receive amplifiers and line adaptation units for connection to a transmission line. The access node further includes an analog switch for dynamically connecting one of the first transmit/receive circuitry with one of the second transmit/receive circuitry according to a transmit/receive cross-connect table, and transmit/receive control logic for updating the transmit cross-connect table according to a transmit/receive traffic pattern over the respective transmission lines.

Abstract: Distributed communication equipment architectures and techniques are disclosed. A host system includes an expansion unit through which control information and communication traffic may be exchanged with an expansion system. The expansion system is thereby controllable by a controller at the host system, significantly simplifying the design and reducing the cost of the expansion system. The expansion unit for a host system may also provide one or more configurable communication link interfaces. Each configurable interface may be independently configured as a network-side interface for connection to upstream communication equipment or as an access-side expansion interface for connection to an expansion system, allowing provisioning of network and access interfaces at the host system as needed.

Abstract: Distributed communication equipment architectures and techniques are disclosed. A host system includes an expansion unit through which control information and communication traffic may be exchanged with an expansion system. The expansion system is thereby controllable by a controller at the host system, significantly simplifying the design and reducing the cost of the expansion system. The expansion unit for a host system may also provide one or more configurable communication link interfaces. Each configurable interface may be independently configured as a network-side interface for connection to upstream communication equipment or as an access-side expansion interface for connection to an expansion system, allowing provisioning of network and access interfaces at the host system as needed.