Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing timing information to radio heads in a wireless communications system. One or more radio heads are connected to a central unit by a respective cable. This cable includes at least two sets of conductors. The first set carries communication data between the central unit and the radio head. This communication data may be user data, such as voice, data, or fax data, and optionally control data. This communication data is transferred between the radio head and the central unit using an asynchronous transmit method. Due to its variable timing of successful receipt, it may be difficult to send highly accurate timing data via asynchronous transmit methods. Instead, a synchronous transmit method may be advantageously employed to send timing data in the present invention. The timing data is sent on the second set of conductors of the same cable using a synchronous transmit method.

Abstract: A distributed antenna system in a communication system includes a programmable band pass filter at each antenna within the distributed system. Control information from a processor associated with the base station may instruct the band pass filter as to on which channels a particular antenna should transmit. In this manner, channel reuse may be promoted and channels can be dynamically reassigned during periods of peak usage.

Abstract: Messages are communicated among a plurality of devices that are serially connected, such that a preceding device is connected to a succeeding device, by receiving a message from a preceding device, bit shifting the message that was received from the preceding device and transmitting the bit shifted message that was received from the preceding device to a succeeding device. When a message is received from a succeeding device, it also is bit shifted and the bit shifted message that was received from the succeeding device is transmitted to the preceding device. Preferably, messages that are received from the preceding device are shifted in a first direction such as left by a predetermined number of bits and messages that are received from the succeeding device are shifted in a second direction that is opposite the first direction such as right by the predetermined number of bits. Preferably, the predetermined number of bits corresponds to at least one TDMA slot.

Abstract: A round-trip communications delay between two devices that communicate with one another over a communications network is repeatedly measured. An adjustable retransmission timeout is adjusted based upon at least one of the round-trip communications delays that are repeatedly measured. A message that is not acknowledged during the adjustable retransmission timeout is retransmitted. Accordingly, the overall communications speed between the two devices may be increased by accounting for the actual delay that is present in a network at a current time, and basing an adjustable retransmission timeout on this actual delay.