JPH11177599A - Ethernet repeater - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an Ethernet repeater lower in price than a switching hub and capable of transmitting data simultaneously by plural Ethernet LAN terminals. SOLUTION: This Ethernet repeater is provided with plural ports 151-15n, a switching part 56 for executing switchings of a number smaller than the number (n) of the ports, plural internal buses 551-55m to be switched by the switching part 56 and change-over connecting parts 521-52n for changing-over and connecting the optical ports to the internal buses 551-55m respectively. The plural ports which are connected to the switching part 56 with the internal buses can simultaneously execute data communication.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an Ethernet repeater for interconnecting a plurality of Ethernet LAN terminals, and more particularly to an Ethernet repeater which is less expensive than a switching hub and which allows a plurality of Ethernet LAN terminals to transmit data simultaneously. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a configuration of a conventional Ethernet repeater. The conventional Ethernet repeater 10 includes input / output ports 151 to 15n (the last digit of the code indicates a port number; the same applies hereinafter) and a repeating unit 11. 141 to 14n are transmission lines, and 121 to 12n are Ethernet LAN terminals.

FIG. 5 shows an equivalent circuit during operation of a conventional Ethernet repeater. 21 is a virtual transmission line formed inside the Ethernet repeater. Ethernet L
The data transmitted by the AN terminal 121 is transmitted to all Ethernet LAN terminals 122 to 12n other than 121.

[0004]

In the conventional Ethernet repeater, when one Ethernet LAN terminal is transmitting data, another Ethernet LAN terminal cannot transmit data. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the Ethernet LAN terminal 12n-1 is transmitting data, the Ethernet LAN terminal 121
Cannot send data.

[0005] Network devices that allow a plurality of Ethernet LAN terminals to transmit data at the same time include, for example,
As shown in FIG. 7, there is a switching hub 40 having n to n switching units 41 equal to the number of ports. But,
In the switching hub 40, as the number of ports n increases, the structure of the switching unit 41 becomes more complicated, and the processing speed of the switching unit 41 must be increased, so that the price of the entire hub becomes higher.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an Ethernet repeater which is less expensive than a switching hub and which allows a plurality of Ethernet LAN terminals to transmit data simultaneously.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of ports, a switching unit for performing a plurality of switching operations less than the number of ports, and a plurality of internal units switched by the switching unit. A bus and a switching connection unit for switching and connecting an arbitrary port to each of these internal buses.

[0008] A data amount detection unit for detecting the communication data amount of each port may be provided, and a port having a large communication data amount may be preferentially connected to the internal bus.

[0009]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] The Ethernet repeater of the present invention comprises a plurality of ports, a number m of two or more switching units which are sufficiently smaller than the number of ports n, an equal number m of switching units, and m internal buses switched by the switching units. A switching connection unit for switching and connecting an arbitrary port to each internal bus is provided, and a data amount detection unit for detecting a communication data amount of each port is provided. To the (m-1) th port are connected to the internal bus, and all the ports from the (m) th port are connected to the internal bus of the repeating unit. The repeating unit is connected to the switching unit.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an Ethernet repeater according to the present invention. The Ethernet repeater 50 of the present invention includes input / output ports 151 to 15n, a data amount detection unit 51 for detecting the amount of communication data of each port, and a switching connection for switching each port to one of the internal buses 53, 551 to 55m. Units 521 to 52n, a repeating unit 54,
It comprises an internal bus 53 connected to the repeating unit 54, internal buses 551 to 55m connected to the switching unit, and an m-to-m switching unit 56. 141 to 14n are transmission lines, and 121 to 12n are Ethernet LAN terminals.

In the Ethernet repeater of the present invention, the amount of data transmitted by each Ethernet LAN terminal (the amount of communication data of each port) is detected at regular intervals. The first to m-1th Ethernet LAN terminals having a large amount of detected transmission data are respectively connected to the internal buses 551 to 5.
By connecting to any one of 5 m, it is directly connected to the switching unit 56. By connecting to the internal bus 53, all the Ethernet LAN terminals after the m-th rank are connected to the switching unit 56 via the repeating unit 54.
Connect to

The connection relationship between each port and the internal bus changes dynamically according to the transmission data amount of each Ethernet LAN terminal. Ethernet L with large amount of transmission data
The AN terminal is preferentially connected directly to the switching unit 56 and can transmit data even when another Ethernet LAN terminal is transmitting data. On the other hand, since Ethernet LAN terminals having a small amount of transmission data are commonly connected to the repeating unit 54, data cannot be transmitted when another Ethernet LAN terminal is transmitting data. It is rare because the amount of data is small.

[0014] In this way, the switching unit that switches the number of ports smaller than the number of ports is used to preferentially switch the port having a large amount of communication data.
In addition, a plurality of Ethernet LAN terminals can transmit data at the same time.

FIG. 2 shows an operation example of the Ethernet repeater of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows an equivalent circuit during the operation.

As shown in FIG.
Ethernet LAs whose transmission data amount is from the first place to the m-1th place in the n-1 and the input / output port 152, respectively.
N terminals 60 and 61 are connected. I / O port 15
1 and the input / output port 15n are connected to Ethernet LAN terminals 62 and 63, respectively, whose transmission data amount is the mth or higher. By the function of the switching connection parts 521 to 52n,
Ethernet LAN terminals 60 and 61 are connected to internal bus 551 and
It is directly connected to the switching unit 56 via 552. Ethernet LAN terminals 62 and 63 are connected to internal bus 53
Is connected to the repeating unit 54 via the. And is connected to the switching unit 56 via the repeating unit 54.

As shown in FIG. 3, the Ethernet LA
When the N terminal 60 transmits data to the Ethernet LAN terminal 61, the Ethernet LAN terminal 60 and the Ethernet LAN terminal 61 are connected by a virtual transmission path 70, while, when the Ethernet LAN terminal 62 transmits data, The Ethernet LAN terminal 62 and the Ethernet LAN terminal 63 are connected by a virtual transmission path 70. In this way, a plurality of Ethernet LAN terminals can transmit data at the same time.

The Ethernet repeater of the present invention periodically detects the amount of communication data of each port, preferentially connects a port having a large amount of communication data to a switching unit, and connects a port having a small amount of communication data to a repeating unit. Therefore, the Ethernet LAN terminals connected to each port are dynamically given priority according to the amount of transmission data, and the number of Ethernet LAN terminals that cannot transmit data decreases.

[0019]

The present invention exhibits the following excellent effects.

(1) A plurality of Ethernet LAN terminals can transmit data at the same time.

(2) Since it is only necessary to perform switching less than the number of ports, the switching unit is simplified.
Therefore, it can be constructed at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an Ethernet repeater showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating an operation example of the Ethernet repeater of FIG. 1;

3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the Ethernet repeater of FIG. 2 during operation.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional Ethernet repeater.

5 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the Ethernet repeater of FIG. 4 during operation.

FIG. 6 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the Ethernet repeater of FIG. 4 during operation.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a switching hub.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 50 Ethernet repeater 151-15n I / O port 51 Data amount detection unit 521-52n Switching connection unit 53, 551-55m Internal bus 54 Repeating unit 56 Switching unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of ports, a switching unit that performs a plurality of switching operations less than the number of ports, a plurality of internal buses switched by the switching unit, and an arbitrary port connected to each of the internal buses. An Ethernet repeater comprising: a switching connection unit that performs switching. 2. The Ethernet repeater according to claim 1, further comprising a data amount detection unit for detecting a communication data amount of each port, wherein a port having a large communication data amount is preferentially connected to the internal bus.