Abstract: Protection systems and methods for electronic devices including at least one communication line interface are disclosed. A switch connected to each interface and a working communication path in an electronic device is adapted for connection to a protection communication path and controllable to connect each interface to either the working communication path or the protection communication path. Inter-device messaging provides for switch control by a protection device connected to the protection communication path, monitoring of devices in a protection group, protection communication path monitoring, and automatic configuration of a protection group.

Abstract: A timeslot interchange switch has a three stage pipelined construction. A cross-connect stage identifies egress timeslots for which there is a corresponding data source. The cross connect stage has a set of flags which indicate whether or not there is a data source for each of a plurality of egress timeslots. The cross connect stage takes the flags in groups. If one or more flags in a group indicates an egress timeslot has a corresponding data source then information identifying the egress timeslot is passed to a connection scheduler via a FIFO. The connection scheduler looks up the data source for each the egress timeslot.

Abstract: A bridge for interconnecting a processor to a peripheral device by way of a PCI bus may have a read buffer. The bridge autonomously requests data from the peripheral device and places received data in the read buffer. The processor reads the data from the receive buffer. The bridge may have a write buffer. The bridge accumulates data in the write buffer until a triggering event occurs. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event the bridge sends the data in the receive buffer to the peripheral device in a burst.

Abstract: A bridge for interconnecting a processor to a peripheral device by way of a PCI bus may have a read buffer. The bridge autonomously requests data from the peripheral device and places received data in the read buffer. The processor reads the data from the receive buffer. The bridge may have a write buffer. The bridge accumulates data in the write buffer until a triggering event occurs. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event the bridge sends the data in the receive buffer to the peripheral device in a burst.

Abstract: Protection systems and methods for electronic devices including at least one communication line interface are disclosed. A switch connected to each interface and a working communication path in an electronic device is adapted for connection to a protection communication path and controllable to connect each interface to either the working communication path or the protection communication path. Inter-device messaging provides for switch control by a protection device connected to the protection communication path, monitoring of devices in a protection group, protection communication path monitoring, and automatic configuration of a protection group.

Abstract: A bridge for interconnecting a processor to a peripheral device by way of a PCI bus may have a read buffer. The bridge autonomously requests data from the peripheral device and places received data in the read buffer. The processor reads the data from the receive buffer. The bridge may have a write buffer. The bridge accumulates data in the write buffer until a triggering event occurs. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event the bridge sends the data in the receive buffer to the peripheral device in a burst.

Abstract: A timeslot interchange switch has a three stage pipelined construction. A cross-connect stage identifies egress timeslots for which there is a corresponding data source. The cross connect stage has a set of flags which indicate whether or not there is a data source for each of a plurality of egress timeslots. The cross connect stage takes the flags in groups. If one or more flags in a group indicates an egress timeslot has a corresponding data source then information identifying the egress timeslot is passed to a connection scheduler via a FIFO. The connection scheduler looks up the data source for each the egress timeslot.