Abstract: A hopping mesh network is described that employs two or more disparate media to connect multiple intelligent devices into a network capable of passing high-speed data. Each intelligent device is able to select the most appropriate media based on the data to be used to transmit the media, and may switch data between disparate media as necessary during the transmission of the data. Each media is configured to contain multiple channels which are also used by the intelligent devices to transmit data on the network. A generic, protocol-neutral wrapper can also be used in the hopping mesh network to allow transmission of multiple protocols without the need for conversion between protocols.

Abstract: A digital subscriber line (DSL) system including a central office (CO) switch (2) and a customer premises equipment (CPE) DSL modem (12), in which asymmetric DSL communications are implemented in a symmetric manner, is disclosed. Two twisted-wire pairs (10A, 10B) at the CPE are used to each carry ADSL traffic into and out of the modem (12). The CPE DSL modem (12) includes two transceiver functions (25R, 25C), with one transceiver (25C) communicating signals over its twisted-pair (10B) in a complementary manner relative to the signals on the other twisted-pair (10A). The combination of the two ADSL links provides symmetric data rates for the upstream and downstream directions.

Abstract: A materials properties measuring system for using electromagnetic radiation interactions with selected materials positioned at a measuring location to determine selected properties thereof having an electromagnetic radiation source along with a plurality of radiation convergence elements for receiving any incident beams of electromagnetic radiation including the source having corresponding selected cross sections substantially perpendicular to the input path, and for converging these incident beams into corresponding departing beams including to the selected material each having a selected cross section substantially perpendicular to the output path that is smaller than that of its corresponding incident beam, and transmitting them to a beamsplitter that has an area as great as any such element. An electromagnetic radiation receiver is provided to receive any beams of electromagnetic radiation incident thereon after propagating thereto from the beamsplitter.

Abstract: Methods and devices for adaptively changing a parameter (such as sub-carrier bit allocation and/or gain) in a multi-carrier communication signal are described. In a method aspect, a unit that determines a need for a change sends an express change request to a second unit. The change request identifies one or more specific sub-carrier carrier to be altered and a desired value for the parameter to be changed for each identified sub-carrier. The requesting unit then monitors the communication signal it receives to determine whether the requested change has been implemented. The determination of whether the requested change has been implemented is based at least in part upon an analysis of a portion of the received communication signal that was intended to be changed. In another aspect of the invention, the change request command includes a header, a control field, at least one sub-carrier identifier, at least one desired parameter value indicator, and an error field.

Abstract: A network switch having switch ports for communication of data packets with respective computer network nodes according to CSMA/CD protocol that resets a retry counter within any one of the respective switch ports if backpressure is asserted by that port. The resetting of the retry counter within a port after assertion of backpressure affords the port a greater probability of winning collision mediation under the CSMA/CD protocol, thus more quickly relieving congestion which may occur in the network switch.

Abstract: A network switch having switch ports for communication of data packets with respective computer network nodes according to CSMA/CD protocol that resets a retry counter for counting data packet transmission attempts within any one of the respective switch ports if backpressure is asserted by that port. A retry limit value for the retry counter is selectively modified according to programmed information to ensure that the total number of retrys does not exceed a maximum total number of allowable retrys. Resetting the retry counter within a port after assertion of backpressure affords the port a greater probability of transmitting earlier under the CSMA/CD protocol, thus more quickly relieving congestion which may occur in the network switch. Selective modification of the retry limit value according to programmed information adds flexibility to vary the maximum total number of allowable retrys based upon current network switch conditions or the priority of a particular data packet.

Abstract: A network switch having switch ports for communication of data packets with respective computer network nodes according to CSMA/CD protocol that resets a retry counter for counting data packet transmission attempts within any one of the respective switch ports if backpressure is asserted by that port. A retry limit value for the retry counter is modified to ensure that the total number of retrys does not exceed a maximum total number of allowable retrys. The resetting of the retry counter within a port after assertion of backpressure affords the port a greater probability of transmitting earlier under the CSMA/CD protocol, thus more quickly relieving congestion which may occur in the network switch. The modification of the retry limit value ensures that the number of retrys for the port does not exceed industry standards.

Abstract: A method for communicating a Physical Layer (PHY) mean square error (MSE) to an upper layer device driver includes: receiving a frame by the PHY; computing a MSE for the frame by the PHY; sending the MSE and the frame to a Media Access Control (MAC); inserting the MSE into a frame status frame (FSF) associated with the frame by the MAC; and sending the frame and the FSF to the upper layer driver software. With access to the PHY MSE, the upper layer driver software can compute the average mean square error (AMSE) and determine if a change in the payload encoding (PE), or data transmission rate, should be negotiated. In this manner, the data transmission rate can be optimized while maintaining a low error rate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for supporting frame priority in a home phone line network. The method includes: detecting a limited automatic repeat request (LARQ) header in a frame with a priority tag; stripping the LARQ header and a frame check sequence (FCS) in the frame with the priority tag; recalculating the FCS for the stripped frame with the priority tag; and adding the recalculated FCS to the stripped frame with the priority tag. The method strips the LARQ header from a HPNA frame with the priority tag before it is sent to an Ethernet controller. By stripping the LARQ header, the Ethernet controller will correctly recognize the priority tag and send the frame to the appropriate priority queue. In this manner, frame priority is supported.