Abstract: An Active Remote Module (ARM) attaches end user devices to any port of a multiport communications processing unit. The ARM includes circuit arrangements which receive serial streams of data and clock information which are arranged into data slots, control slots and outband slot carrying characteristic information, including ARM address, ARM type, end user data rate, etc., about the ARM and the end user devices. By issuing selective commands, a line adapter in the multiport communications processing unit is made aware of the user devices connected to its port and structure the data to meet the requirement of the attached end user devices.

Abstract: Interconnection system for attaching a maximum number n of equipment users EU (DCE or DTE) to the line adapter (2) of a communication processing unit. The user data and control bits are carried on transmit and receive serial link 4 and 6 in data and control slot entities arranged in frame of period T, comprising one entity per user. These entities are allocated to the user equipments through multiplexing/demultiplexing circuit (10), link adapters (12-1) to (12-8) and connecting boxes (30-1) to (30-8). The user equipments are connected through active remote modules which are specific to the standardized interfaces of the user equipments. Link adapters (12-1) to (12-8) add to the data and control slot entities an outband slot which is used for exchanging control information, such as the active remote module address and type which are stored in memory (42), to be transmitted to the line adapter (2). The advantage of the interconnection system is that the attachment of the user equipments is simplified.

Abstract: A scanning protocol is provided for the scanning of a plurality of serial transmission lines connecting users' devices to the scanning means of a communication device, said lines being coupled to the scanning means through line interface couplers (LICs) having each a wired address (n,n', . . . ) known to the scanning means. This scanning protocol requires that for each LIC configuration, a given LICn having a wired address n be re-addressable with a logical address n' corresponding to the wired address of any other active LICn'. This is done in order to determine, for said LIC configuration, the shortest possible scanning scheme including all the active LICs. The re-addressing of a LICn of wired address n, with a logical address n', includes the steps of: resetting the LICn to be affected a logical address n'; setting the logical address n' into LICn; locking said logical address n' into said LICn, and enabling the lines (26) connected to LICn re-addressed with logical address n'.