Inventors:
Thomas F. Fava - Colorado Springs CO
Robert B. Holland - Colorado Springs CO
Joseph M. Keith - Manitou Springs CO
Assignee:
Digital Equipment Corporation - Maynard MA
International Classification:
G06F 1300, G06F 1336, H04L 1228
Abstract:
A distributor apparatus and its method of operation for interconnecting a node of a bus in a node-limited serial data bus computer network to a plurality of subnode devices. A transmission on the bus is distributed or routed through the distributor to each subnode device connected thereto. A transmission from a subnode device is coupled to the bus through the distributor after the distributor selects one transmitting subnode device in the event that there are more than one subnode devices transmitting or requesting to transmit. Selection of one transmitting subnode device is carried out by rotating priority arbitration that occurs during an idle timing interval or quiet slot such that bus timing parameters are obeyed.