Abstract: The system includes switching nodes with multiple ports for node-host communication, each port thereby connects the switching nodes to one or more hosts. One of the ports in a switching node is designated as a primary or master port and it connects the switching node to a default host. The default host controls all ports in the switching node and because applications on the default port are given the highest priority during switching node processing, the default host is useful for applications that require instant response from the switch. The other ports in the switching node are secondary ports and they connect the switching node to one or more secondary hosts simultaneously. The applications on the secondary hosts are given a lower priority than the default host's application. Therefore, the secondary hosts are useful for applications that do not require instant response from the switching nodes.

Abstract: A telephone switching system comprises a plurality of switching nodes interconnected by a call-switching network. The switching nodes are also linked by a host network to one or more hosts that exercise supervisory control over the nodes. The hosts communicate directly with one or more of the nodes, termed "switching nodes", by means of virtual connections over the host network. The other switching nodes, termed "slave nodes", are assigned to host nodes. The hosts communicate indirectly with the slave nodes by way of switching nodes to which they are assigned. Communications between a host and a slave node thus comprise messages (a) over the host network between the slave node and the switching node to which the slave node is assigned and (b) by way of a virtual connection between the switching node and the host.

Abstract: Redundancy, expanded switching capacity and fault isolation arrangements for use with an expandable telecommunications system. An inter-nodal network connects a plurality of programmable switching nodes or other nodes. One or more additional inter-nodal networks may be provided across some or all of the ones. The bandwidth provided by the additional network(s) may be used to provide redundancy against failure of the primary network or the nodes, increased switching capacity or a combination of both. In addition, faults which occur either within a particular node or within an inter-nodal network may be effectively isolated and prevented from degrading system performance.

Abstract: An elongate article, such as a bundle B of individual elements A with or without an immediate wrapper, is wrapped by forming thereon a winding 20 composed of a strip of wrapping material, and laying on the article a tear member 15 which extends along substantially the entire length of the article and has an end portion thereof exposed. By pulling the exposed end portion of the tear member away from, and along the length of, the article, the wrapping may be disrupted without the use of cutting tools or the like which may damage the wrapped article.