Abstract: A power switching and voltage regulation system utilizing a conventional switching element to provide distributed power switching and voltage regulation. The system utilizes a switching element to impose an impedance in a controlled manner to provide power to a load such as a plug-in module in an electronic apparatus. The power source supplying an input DC voltage is intentionally set to a higher voltage than the level required by the plug-in module. The voltage supplied is required to be sufficiently high such that the voltage delivered to the plug-in module, exceeds the maximum permitted voltage level of the voltage required by the particular plug-in module. Once the switching device is turned on, the switching element exerts an impedance which functions to drop the voltage supplied to the load to the required value. The impedance is generated in accordance with a feedback control signal.

Abstract: A local net area network, or LAN, configuration is provided with a multiple generic LAN channel architecture which can be logically and dynamically changed. The configuration control can be applied to each module of the network and to each port of a module of a LAN hub. The architecture provides multiple LAN protocols to be used simultaneously, as needed, through protocol specific functions. Industry standard protocol such as: token bus, token ring, and fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), can be implemented using the generic channel architecture and its characteristics providing respective network functions. The architecture also provides a digital collision detection method and provides information necessary for precise network statistics monitoring. The token passing ring architecture provides a logical ring formation within the generic channel. A token passing bus architecture uses modified Ethernet.TM.

Abstract: A local net area network, or LAN, configuration is provided with a multiple generic LAN channel architecture which can be logically and dynamically changed. The configuration control can be applied to each module of the network and to each port of a module of a LAN hub. The architecture provides multiple LAN protocols to be used simultaneously, as needed, through protocol specific functions. Industry standard protocol such as: token bus, token ring, and fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), can be implemented using the generic channel architecture and its characteristics providing respective network functions. The architecture also provides a digital collision detection method and provides information necessary for precise network statistics monitoring. The token passing ring architecture provides a logical ring formation within the generic channel. A token passing bus architecture uses modified Ethernet.TM.