Abstract: In a wavelength selecting switch, light output from an input port of an input/output optical system is angularly dispersed according to a wavelength thereof, with a spectral element. Then the lights of respective wavelengths are collected by a light collecting optical system and reflected with a corresponding reflecting mirror of a mirror section. The reflected light corresponding to the angle of the reflecting mirror, is input to an output port at an output destination of the input/output optical system. The respective output ports of the input/output optical system each have a lens coupled to an end face of an optical fiber, and the lens has a structure where a focal length of a first region corresponding to inside a variable range of attenuation is different from a focal length of a second region corresponding to outside the variable range.

Abstract: A method of regulating traffic flow to customer premises devices (CPDs) reachable via outside plant units (OPUs). The method comprises receiving first packets in a first traffic category via a first interface, the first packets being destined for respective CPDs; receiving second packets in a second traffic category via a second interface, the second packets being destined for respective CPDs; determining a destination OPU for each of the first and second packets. For each particular OPU that is the destination OPU for one or more packets, the packets are buffered and transmitted via an OPU interface for the particular OPU. The destination OPU for a particular packet is determined by identifying the OPU via which the CPD for which the particular packet is destined is reachable. Packet flow via the OPU interface is regulated by prioritizing transmission of first packets over transmission of second packets.

Abstract: A digital cross-connect (DXC) (10) comprises: a plurality of ports (30-100) for receiving/outputting signals and switching and switching means (20) for selectively cross-connecting signals applied to one port to one or more other ports. The cross-connect (10) is characterized in that the switching means (20) comprises a single switching matrix which is arranged to be capable of switching Optical Data Units (ODU). Alternatively or in addition the switching matrix is arranged to be capable of transparently switching complete Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) synchronous transport modules STM-N and/or complete SONET synchronous transport transport signal STS-N derived from optical carriers OC-N and/or SDH vitual containers VC-3, VC-4, and/or concatenated virtual containers VC4-nc where n=4, 16, 64 or 256 as defined in ITU-Recommendation G.707 and/or SONET synchronous transport system STS-1s, STS-nc where n=3, 12, 48, 192 or 768 as defined in Telcordia GR253.

Abstract: Provided are a network node which has a wavelength switching cross-connection function and can thus interconnect paths of a wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signal and convert wavelengths, and an operating method of the network node. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a multi-degree cross-connection system having a simple structure at lower cost by allowing transmission of optical signals supposed not to be added/dropped at a network node without converting them into electrical signals and performing O/E conversion or E/O conversion only on optical signals supposed to be added/dropped at a network node. In addition, it is possible to increase the expandability of networks by regenerating degraded signals and which can effectively utilize bandwidths by grooming low-speed electrical digital hierarchy signals and transmitting them as high-speed optical signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods herein provide for load balancing Fiber Channel traffic. In this regard, a Fiber Channel load balancer may be operable to monitor Fiber Channel paths coupled to a host bus adapter and determine the speeds of the Fiber Channel ports within the Fiber Channel paths. The Fiber Channel load balancer may also be operable to determine certain characteristics of the Fiber Channel traffic being passed over the Fiber Channel paths. For example, a load balancer may determine Fiber Channel traffic sizes of pending requests and, based in part on the traffic sizes and operable normalized speeds of the Fiber Channel ports, adaptively route the pending original traffic across the Fiber Channel ports.

Abstract: In a first node, through which optical packets are able to input to the communication network, optical packets coming from the virtual network are assembled in packet field. The first node constructs a burst comprising the packet field and a label preceding the packet field and including helping to identify the virtual network and second information helping to identify a path between said first node and a second node through which the packets are able to output from the communication network. Each packet in the packet field can be preceded by an identifier identifying an interface through which the packet outputs from the communication network, and derived from a destination address in the packet.

Abstract: An implement method of reservation protocol with multi-services convergence transmission for OBS networks differentially processes the synchronous service flow and the asynchronous service flow, and assembles multiple different types service data into different data burst (DB) by generalized optical-burst paradigm. It functionally expands burst control packet (BCP) and classifies the BCP into two categories: routine burst control packet (R-BCP) and synchronous trace burst control packet (T-BCP). Then it can differentially reserve wavelength channel resource and preempt resource to try to keep the transmission features of synchronous service such as period, low delay jitter and low dropping probability on the base of ensuring the basic QoS requirements of various kinds of service, and realize that a single OBS network efficiently provides asynchronous service and synchronous service.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of optical communication and provides a method and system for arranging link resource fragments. The method comprises: configuring cascade services in a link in advance; generating a preset arrangement method according to an initial channel number of occupied channel(s) in the link and a cascade number of service born in the channel(s) (S210); a local end node that initiates a link resource arrangement notifying an opposite end node to arrange link resource fragments (S220); the local end node and the opposite end node reconfiguring a cross connection according to the preset arrangement method (S230). The method and system of the present invention can re-arrange the channel resources within one link, and integrate the scattered channel resource fragments into complete and available resources with a broader bandwidth, thus achieving the maximum utilization of the link bandwidth resources.

Abstract: A method for providing multi-wavelength switching. The method comprising receiving a plurality of signals through at least one input port, and separating the plurality of said signals into at least one wavelength signal set based on wavelengths, wherein a first wavelength signal set of said at least one wavelength signal sets corresponds to a first wavelength. The method further comprises providing a plurality of output lanes to at least one output port, and determining if two signals from said first wavelength signal set traveling on said first wavelength are scheduled output from an output port during an overlapping time period through said plurality of output lanes.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a SONET/SDH over Ethernet demapping point utilizes a pointer offset mechanism for clock recovery and timing. The pointer offset is determined by the difference between a client clock and a reference clock.

Abstract: A hierarchical route inquiry method in Automatic Switched Optical Network is applied to the networks having multi-layer route domains. According to the method, after the route controller RC in one child domain receives the Route Request, if it can not calculate the complete route, it sends the Route Request to the RC in the parent domain; if the RC in the parent domain can not obtain the complete route, it further interacts with other child domains to obtain the complete route and returns the Route Response back to the requester. The present invention solves the problem of creating a cross-domain connection in route inquiry in the Automatic Switched Optical Network.

Abstract: An optical switch and switching system includes a large scale switching device with a first input, a second input, a first output, and a second output. A small scale switching device includes a third input, a fourth input, and a third output, wherein the third input of the small scale switching device is coupled to the first output of the large scale switching device and the fourth input of the small scale switching device is coupled to the second output of the large scale switching device. A controller establishes a cross connect in the large scale switching device between the second input and the second output.

Abstract: An optical path switching type optical signal transmission/reception apparatus includes a one-to-seven compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus 100 that is connected to a host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus 1 via an optical fiber, a total of seven subordinate optical communication adapters 110 connected via optical fibers, user side devices 160 connected to respective subordinate optical communication adapters via an electric circuit, an optical transmission/reception control circuit provided in each of the total of seven subordinate user side optical communication adapters 110, and including an uplink optical signal transmission mechanism, a downlink optical signal reception mechanism, a control light source that can generate control light to drive the optical path switching apparatus 100, in which a wavelength of the generated control light is different from a wavelength of signal light, and an optical communication oriented transmission/reception mechanism using the

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for delayed optical router based on slow light and nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes are presented, in which three laser pulses interact with a three-level nonlinear optical medium composing two closely spaced ground states and an excited state. The delayed optical routing mechanism is based on a slow light phenomenon, in which a group velocity of an incoming input signal pulse is slowed down due to quantum coherence induced refractive index change. The two-photon coherence induced on the ground states via electromagnetically induced transparency is optically recovered via nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes. The nondegenerate four-wave mixing generation is enhanced owing to absorption cancellation. In this case, the individual pulse switching/routing time is limited by the coherence decay time that is much faster than population decay time, where the population decay-time is a limiting factor of conventional switching devices.

Abstract: An optical switch assembly comprising at least two optical amplifiers (10, 20), means for applying a first input signal to one end of both amplifiers (10, 20) and a second input signal to another end, and means for simultaneously driving one or other of the amplifiers into a saturated state whilst the other is unsaturated such that only the amplifier that is unsaturated provides any significant amplification to the input signals at each end, and means for feeding the amplified output signals from the amplifiers to at least two output nodes such that the two amplifiers (10, 20) are connected to the two output nodes in opposite connections.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, apparatus and system for transmitting and receiving a client signal. The method for transmitting a client signal includes, at the transmitting end, mapping a client signal to be transmitted to a corresponding low-order Optical Channel Data Unit (ODU) in a low-order ODU set, wherein low-order ODUs in the low-order ODU set having rates increased in order, and having rate correspondence relations with the client signals; mapping the low-order ODU to a timeslot of a high-order Optical Channel Payload Unit (OPU) in a high-order OPU set; and adding overheads to the high-order OPU to form an Optical Channel Transport Unit (OTU), and transferring the OTU to an Optical Transport Network (OTN) for transmission.

Abstract: An optical node may include a plurality of optical input components operable to receive a plurality of signals communicated in an optical network and a plurality of optical output components operable to transmit a plurality of signals to be communicated in the optical network.

Abstract: The invention pertains to methods, apparatus, and systems optical of networking using tunable receivers, optical blocking elements selectively placed in the network, and optical routing elements comprised of passive elements, such as optical couplers and splitters. The routing elements have a plurality of ports and comprise passive elements such as couplers and splitters configured so that input light received at any port of the element is output from each of the other ports of the element, but not at port at which it was input.

Abstract: A multi-chassis network device includes a plurality of nodes that operate as a single device within the network and a switch fabric that forwards data plane packets between the plurality of nodes. The switch fabric includes a set of multiplexed optical interconnects coupling the nodes. For example, a multi-chassis router includes a plurality of routing nodes that operate as a single router within a network and a switch fabric that forwards packets between the plurality of routing nodes. The switch fabric includes at least one multiplexed optical interconnect coupling the routing nodes. The nodes of the multi-chassis router may direct portions of the optical signal over the multiplexed optical interconnect to different each other using wave-division multiplexing.

Abstract: A system and method for determining non-fragmentation for communication of data packets includes generating a plurality of packets and storing in a cell-list at least one cell-value indicating a transmission duration of at least one of the packets in units of cell-size, where the cell-size represents a fixed, predetermined time required to transmit at least a minimum length packet. This facilitates determining non-fragmentation for communication of packets having reduced complexity, lower memory requirements, and shorter processing time than conventional techniques. The complexity is O(1), in contrast to conventional non-fragmentation techniques that have complexities O(N). Corresponding to the reduced complexity, the processing time is shorter than for conventional techniques. Depending on the application, the current embodiment has lower memory requirements than conventional non-fragmentation techniques.

Abstract: Multiple switch planes, each having meshed bufferless switch units, connect source nodes to sink nodes to form a communications network. Each directed pair of source and sink nodes has a first-order path traversing a single switch unit in a corresponding switch plane and multiple second-order paths each traversing two switch units in one of the remaining switch planes. To reduce processing effort and minimize requisite switching hardware, connectivity patterns of source nodes and sink nodes to the switch planes are selected so that each pair of source node and sink node connects only once to a common switch unit. Widely-varying flow rates may be allocated from each source node to the sink nodes. To handle frequent changes of flow-rate allocations, in order to follow variations of traffic distribution, a high-throughput scheduling system employing coordinated multiple scheduler units is provided in each switch plane.

Abstract: A joint route query method in ASON. After the route controller in each route domain has received a route query request, it calls a routing algorithm based on the request and the route calculation is performed based on the route database of the current node; if the route calculation succeeds, a route query result is returned to the requester, if no complete route can be obtained, said route query request will be forwarded to the RC in the parent domain. Based on the request, the RC in the parent domain interacts with RCs in other domain of the same layer, and the RCs in the sub-domains contained in the parent domain to complete the route query, and calculates to obtain a complete route, then a route query result will be returned to the RC that initiates the request and this RC will return the route query result to the requester.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a bidirectional communications system includes a first non-blocking network including a bidirectional optical switch, a plurality of nodes, a plurality of optical transceivers connected between the bidirectional optical switch and the plurality of nodes, each optical transceiver including a transmitter, a receiver and an optical combiner, and a second network connected to at least one of the nodes and the at least one at least one bidirectional optical switch for control of a crossconnect.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for transmitting an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) message in a Passive Optical Network (PON). The method includes: receiving a Router Advertisement (RA) message comprising Optical Line Terminal (OLT) port information, Optical Network Unit (ONU) port information, and an IPv6 address prefix; binding the IPv6 address prefix with an OLT port indicated by the OLT port information; and sending the RA message to an ONU through the OLT port, so that the ONU binds the IPv6 address prefix with an ONU port indicated by the ONU port information and provides the RA message for a user terminal through the ONU port. Embodiments of the present disclosure further disclose a PON system and an apparatus for transmitting an IPv6 message in a PON.

Abstract: An optical communications network node (10) comprising an optical transmitter module (16), an optical receiver module (12), an electrical cross-point switch (20) and control apparatus (24, 26). The optical transmitter module (16) comprises optical sources (18) each having a different operating wavelength and each being selectively assignable as an optical circuit switching channel source or an optical burst switching channel source. The optical receiver module (12) comprises a said plurality of optical detectors each operable at one of said operating wavelengths. The electrical cross-point switch (20) comprises switch paths (22) and is configurable to allocate a first set of switch paths for optical circuit switching and a second set of switch paths for optical burst switching.

Abstract: A backbone network, comprising a network switch configured to communicate data over Ethernet and SONET/SDH interfaces without encapsulating the data. Also disclosed is a backbone network, comprising a plurality of synchronized network switches, wherein the switches are configured to communicate a plurality of time division multiplexed data streams across at least part of the network via a plurality of Ethernet interfaces and a plurality of SONET/SDH interfaces, and wherein the switches are configured to communicate the data streams without encapsulating the data streams.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for transferring optical data in an optical switching system using time synchronization. The apparatus performs time synchronization on optical data to input the optical data at regular intervals through fiber delay line for time synchronization respectively disposed on input ports. Therefore, the apparatus can efficiently reduce a data blocking rate in comparison with a conventional optical switching system using an asynchronous electric buffer without a synchronous process, and achieve the same performance as conventional asynchronous technology despite using fewer wavelength converters and buffers, thus reducing system cost. In addition, using dynamic time synchronization modules, the apparatus performs time synchronization for minute time variation due to an environment such as temperature.

Abstract: An optical switch including a first reversible optical circulator and a second reversible optical circulator is provided. Each of the first reversible optical circulator and the second reversible optical circulator respectively has four I/O ports, wherein the four I/O ports are respectively a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, the four terminals sequentially transmit an optical signal in a forward circulation or a backward circulation according to a control signal, and an open end is formed between the first terminal and the adjacent fourth terminal. The open ends of the first reversible optical circulator and the second reversible optical circulator are coupled with each other.

Abstract: A drive circuit includes a first transistor that is controlled to be in on or off state in response to a control signal, and outputs, in on state, a positive current which is input from a first operational amplifier connected with a drain of the first transistor to a semiconductor optical amplifier; and a second transistor that is connected with a source of the first transistor, and is in inverse on or off state to the state of the first transistor. The drive circuit also includes a negative voltage circuit that is connected to a source of the second transistor, and outputs, when the second transistor is in on state, a negative current to the semiconductor optical amplifier.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to arrangements of multiple optical buses to create scalable optical interconnect fabrics for computer systems. In one aspect, a multi-bus fabric (102) for transmitting optical signals between a plurality of nodes (108-111) comprises a plurality of optical buses (104-107). Each optical bus is optically coupled to each node of the plurality of nodes, and each optical bus is configured to so that one node broadcasts optical signals generated by the node to the other nodes of the plurality of nodes.

Abstract: Leaf switches and spine switches in a Clos network are interconnected by optical fibers. The network enables large numbers of servers or other apparatus to communicate with each other with minimal delay and minimal power consumption.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to communicate over an optical network by using hop-by-hop routing over an optical network; and dynamically constructing a network topology.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for a method to communicate over an optical network by using hop-by-hop routing over an optical network; and dynamically constructing a network topology.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for a method to communicate over an optical network by using hop-by-hop routing over an optical network; and dynamically constructing a network topology.

Abstract: A modular routing node includes a single input port and a plurality of output ports. The modular routing node is arranged to produce a plurality of different deflections and uses small adjustments to compensate for wavelength differences and alignment tolerances in an optical system. An optical device is arranged to receive a multiplex of many optical signals at different wavelengths, to separate the optical signals into at least two groups, and to process at least one of the groups adaptively.

Abstract: A polarization multiplexing optical receiver according to the invention includes a polarization splitting unit receiving polarization multiplexed lights which are modulated according to a first input signal and a second input signal including respective identifier, and splitting the polarization multiplexed light into a first polarized received light and a second polarized received light, a pair of photoelectric conversion units, a demodulation unit performing symbol recognition about the first received signal and the second received signal, and outputting a first demodulated signal and a second demodulated signal, an identifier detecting unit detecting the identifiers from the first demodulated signal and the second demodulated signal, and a delay compensation unit calculating a delay difference between the first demodulated signal and the second demodulated signal based on the identifiers, and inserting delay time corresponding to the delay difference into the first demodulated signal or the second demodula

Abstract: The present invention discloses a passive optical network (PON) protection method, a switchover control device, and a PON protection system. In embodiments of the present invention, a protection optical line terminal (OLT) is connected to optical links of at least two working OLTs through the switchover control device; when a working OLT or working optical link fails, the switchover control device replaces the working OLT through the protection optical link, thus ensuring smooth communication. In addition, by using the networking mode of multiple working OLTs and one protection OLT, the embodiments of the present invention greatly saves the networking cost and facilitates the application of the PON technology.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for routing and transmission of inverse multiplexed signals over optical communications networks are described. A method for routing includes determining a plurality of paths for transmission of a plurality of inverse-multiplexed optical signals from a source node to a destination node of an optical network. Each path is for transmission of at least one of the inverse-multiplexed optical signals. A latency difference between a fastest one of said paths and a slowest one of said paths is less than a predetermined time period.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for selective subscriber service connect and disconnect in a fiber-optic network. In one embodiment, disconnect is achieved by the purposeful use of signal attenuation due to macrobending losses within the optical fiber. In another embodiment, the macrobending optical switch apparatus is used to merely decrease signal intensity to the point where the value of the service cannot be received. In a further embodiment, the macrobending signal loss is used to protect the network from unwanted interference signals that may disturb the network operation. In another embodiment, the macrobending switch apparatus is used to selectively induce chromatic dispersion within one or more wavelengths of light being carried on the fiber, thereby providing for range-selective service disconnect or denial. Optical multiplexer apparatus is also utilized to remotely connect ore reconnect service to selected subscriber premises or network nodes.

Abstract: A passive optical network (PON) processor comprises a packet processor for processing packets belonging to a certain flow through a plurality of processing stages of a programmable data-path; a microprocessor-data for performing one or more user-defined functions in the programmable data-path on designated packets belonging to the certain flow, wherein packets of respective flows to be processed by the microprocessor-data are designated in a flow table; a microprocessor-control for managing connections handled by the PON processor; a data-path bus for connecting the packet processor and the microprocessor-data, wherein the designated packets are transferred between the packet processor and the microprocessor-data on the data-path bus; and a control-path bus for connecting the packet processor and the microprocessor-control.

Abstract: A fiber optic network includes a fiber distribution hub including at least one splitter and a termination field; a plurality of drop terminals optically connected to the fiber distribution hub by a plurality of distribution cables; and a distributed antenna system (DAS). The DAS includes a base station and a plurality of antenna nodes. The base station is optically connected to the fiber distribution hub and the antenna nodes are optically connected to the drop terminals. Example splitters include a passive optical power splitter and a passive optical wavelength splitter. Signals from a central office can be routed through the passive optical power splitter before being routed to subscriber locations optically connected to the drop terminals. Signals from the base station can be routed through the wavelength splitter before being routed to the antenna nodes.

Abstract: An optical routing element may include a planar dielectric photonic crystal which includes a lattice of holes having a first linear defect adjacent a second linear defect, with the two defects being separated by a central row of lattice holes. The first linear defect in the lattice of holes may form a first single mode line defect waveguide, and the second linear defect in the lattice of holes may form a second single mode line defect waveguide. Optical energy may be selectively coupled between the first and second waveguides across the central row of lattice holes. A free-carrier injector may be included to inject free-carriers into the dielectric photonic crystal, activation of which may alter selectivity of the optical coupling between the first and second waveguides. A plurality of optical routing elements with associated free-carrier injectors may be interconnected to form a bi-directional optical routing array.

Abstract: The present invention relates transmission network, which involves Passive Optical Network and thereto connected units, e.g. Optical Network Units. It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the upstream data packet traffic congestion problem in transmission networks that comprises a PON system. Said problem is solved by providing adapted node devices and methods for such scheduling control that within the prescribed standard requirements, e.g. QoS, for passive optical network systems eliminate the congestion problem.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a wavelength-shifted dynamic intelligent bidirectional access optical system utilizes key optical elements such as: a quantum dot enabled semiconductor optical amplifier, a phase modulator and an intensity modulator to provide upstream optical signals. These key optical elements reduce the Rayleigh backscattering effect on the transmission of optical signals. to enable a longer-reach access network topology between a subscriber unit and a super node (e.g., many local nodes collapsed into one super node). Such a longer-reach access network topology eliminates operational and capital costs related routers and switches. Furthermore, a wavelength to a subscriber unit may be protected and dynamically varied for on-Demand bandwidth, information and services and also a subscriber's unit may be configured with any array of connectivity options.

Abstract: It is provided an optical receiver comprising a compensator, a compensation controller and a clock extractor. The optical receiver selects first and second values, and obtains a stabilization time necessary to change the dispersion value and a transition time shorter than the stabilization time, compensates the received optical signal using the selected first value, changes the dispersion value from the first value into the second value, compensates the received optical signal using the dispersion value when the transition time has passed since starting to change the dispersion value, creates second extraction information of the dispersion value after the transition time, compensates for dispersion of the optical signal using an dispersion value calculated based on the second value and the difference between the dispersion value after the transition time and the second value in a case where the created second extraction information indicates that the clock extraction is available.

Abstract: An optical intensity control system for use with an optical switch providing individual signal paths between input and output ports. The system has a optical splitters connectable to output multiplexers of the switch and also has variable optical intensity controllers (VOICs) for insertion into the individual signal paths. The VOICs individually control the intensity of optical signals present in the signal paths in accordance with intensity control signals. An equalizer is connected to the splitters and to the VOICs, for producing an estimate of the optical power of each individual switched optical signal and generating the intensity control signals. The equalizer is adapted to controllably isolate individual switched optical signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enabling different network nodes of a network access system to share a backhaul communication link are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes: connecting a first modem to a first node of the network access system; connecting a second modem to a second node of the network access system; connecting the first modem to a first port of a splitter filter; connecting the second modem to a second port of the splitter filter; and connecting a backhaul communication link to a third port of the splitter filter, which is configured to multiplex signals transmitted by the modems onto the backhaul communication link, wherein the frequency spectrum of the signal transmitted by the first modem does not overlap substantially with the frequency spectrum of the signal transmitted by the second modem.

Abstract: Service providers can reduce multiple overlay networks by creating multiple logical service networks (LSNs) on the same physical or optical fiber network through use of an embodiment of the invention. The LSNs are established by the service provider and can be characterized by traffic type, bandwidth, delay, hop count, guaranteed information rates, and/or restoration priorities. Once established, the LSNs allow the service provider to deliver a variety of services to customers depending on a variety of factors, for example, a customer's traffic specifications. Different traffic specifications are serviced on different LSNs depending on each LSN's characteristics. Such LSNs, once built within a broadband network, can be customized and have its services sold to multiple customers.

Abstract: A method of transmitting a packet in an optical transport network includes: generating a GFP frame by GFP encapsulating a packet client signal; mapping the GFP frame to a dynamic data unit; multiplexing to a high order data unit in an order higher than that of the dynamic data unit using at least one dynamic data unit; generating a high order transport unit using the multiplexed high order data unit; and transmitting the high order transport unit.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that prevent buffer overflow in multibus systems. In one aspect, a method for controlling the flow of data in a multibus system includes, for each node having an associated broadcast bus in the multibus system, generating status information regarding available data storage space of each receive buffer of the node. The method includes broadcasting the status information to the other nodes connected to the broadcast bus and collecting status information regarding the available storage space of receive buffers of the other nodes connected to the broadcast bus. The method also includes determining whether or not to send data from the node to at least one of the other nodes over the broadcast bus based on the collected status information.