KR20010098279A - Device for Network Interface - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a network interface device,

Data repeater and switch circuits are built into the internal network interface card so that the data terminal for the network with the transmitting and receiving terminals can be used in the network construction. Data terminals added more than the number of input / output terminals of the hub can be connected without changing), thus enabling a network configuration in a small space and shortening the cable between the data terminals.

Description

Network Interface Device {Device for Network Interface}

The present invention relates to a network interface device, and more particularly, by embedding a repeater and a switch circuit in a network interface card for a network inside a data terminal to add a transmitter and a receiver to connect a plurality of data terminals without a hub or to connect a network even when the hub is connected. The present invention relates to a network interface device capable of connecting data terminals added to the number of input / output terminals of a hub without changing the topology.

The basic configuration of the 10BaseT network, the world's most widely used in the local area network market, is to form a star topology of one hub and multiple data terminal equipment (DTE). In the case of the hub, the number of input / output terminals for network connection is already determined at the time of manufacture regardless of the number of data terminals.

In the conventional 10BaseT network illustrated in FIG. 1, a repeater 11 to 16 corresponding to a predetermined number of input / output terminals are provided, and a hub having one data terminal 20, 30, 40 connected to each repeater 11 to 16. 10) is provided.

At this time, the data terminal 20, 30, 40 has a network interface card 21 is built in, the network interface card 21 is a receiving end 22 for receiving and transmitting signals input and output from the hub 10 and Transmitter 23 and the Ethernet controller integrated circuit 24 for controlling the operation of the system by interpreting the signals input and output through the receiver 22 and the transmitter 23.

Referring to the operation of the conventional 10BaseT network configured as described above are as follows.

Data terminals 20, 30, and 40 are connected to each repeater 11 to 16 of the hub, so that network transmission of data is possible, that is, a network interface card built in the data terminals 20, 30, and 40 ( 21. The signal transmitted through the transmitting terminal 23 of the 21 is the first network transmission signal via the repeater 11 to 16 through the input terminal of the hub 10, the corresponding data terminal 20 designated by the first network transmission signal. , 30 and 40 are delivered to the network interface card receiving end 22.

The second network transmission signal output from the first data terminal 20 to the other data terminals 20 and 40 through the transmitting end of the second data terminal 30 during the network transmission is input to the input terminal of the hub 10. Through the repeaters 11 to 16, the signal enters the network interface card receiving end 22 of the data terminal designated by the signal, and is interpreted by the Ethernet controller IC 24 to perform an operation.

However, when building multiple data terminals in a single hub in a conventional 10BaseT network, the hub has already been determined at the time of manufacture regardless of the number of data terminals to be built. If you need to purchase a hub with more than two I / O terminals, and if you have four data terminals connected when you purchase a hub with four I / O terminals, if one data terminal is installed additionally There is a problem of purchasing a new hub having a terminal.

In addition, since all cables must pass through the hub when interconnecting the hub and the data terminal, a cable corresponding to twice the distance between the hub and the data terminal is required, and a separate construction is added for the cable wiring. There is a problem that a lot of waste occurs such as cost and installation space.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems of the prior art, the object of which is to easily extend the existing 10BaseT Ethernet built-in repeater and switch in the network interface card in the data terminal by adding a transmitter and a receiver Since it is possible to build a network without a hub, it is easy to build a small, inexpensive network suitable for each home and office environment in the SOHO era, and a differentiated product that can enter a saturated network interface market. It is to provide a network interface device that can be developed.

1 is a block diagram showing a 10BaseT network configuration according to the prior art;

2 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a network interface device according to the present invention;

3 is a block diagram showing a data terminal for a network according to the present invention;

4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of a network interface device according to the present invention;

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

50: hub 128a, 128b: switch

100, 110, 130, 140, 170: data terminal

120, 150, 160: Data terminal for network

101, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 171: first receiving end

102, 112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162, 172: first transmitting end

125, 155, 165: second receiver 126, 156, 166: second transmitter

123: network interface card 124: Ethernet controller integrated circuit

127a: upward repeater 127b: downward repeater

According to a first aspect of the network interface apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above problems, the first to N-th data having the first and second transmitting end and the first and second receiving end are built in for network transmission and reception A terminal (N = 2 or more natural number) is provided, and the second receiving end of the N-1th data terminal is connected to the first transmitting end of the Nth data terminal so that each data terminal is connected to the network, and the N-1th data terminal The second transmitting end of are respectively connected with the first receiving end of the Nth data terminal.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hub having a predetermined number of input and output terminals for distributing and transmitting the received data according to a transmission position of data received through a network, and a transmitting end and a receiving end connected to the input and output terminals of the hub. A plurality of data terminals configured to perform data processing functions transmitted and received, and first and second terminals connected to the input and output terminals to form a network connection between the data terminals added to the number of input and output terminals of the hub. A data terminal for a network on which a second transmitting end and a receiving end connected to the transmitting end and the receiving end of the terminal are formed is connected to each other.

According to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, the second transmitting end and the receiving end are provided with operation control means so that the signal lines are respectively directly connected to the first transmitting end and the receiving end when the data terminal is turned off. The operation control means may include an uplink repeater for transmitting a signal from a first receiver to a second transmitter, a downlink repeater for transmitting a signal from the second receiver to a first transmitter, and a signal line according to power on / off of the data terminal. It is composed of a switching unit for selectively connecting.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, the network interface device includes a hub 50 having an input / output terminal determined at the time of manufacture, and data terminals connected to the hub 50 by the number of input / output terminals of the hub 50. Transmitting end 126 and receiving end 125 connected to a network connected to the hub 50 when additionally connecting 100, 110, 120, and the data terminal 130 exceeding a predetermined number of input / output terminals of the hub 50. This additional network data terminal 120 is configured.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hub 50 may be used by the transmitting terminal 102 of the first data terminal 100 during network transmission between the first data terminal 100 and the second data terminal 110. When the first network transmission signal is transmitted to the input terminal of the first data signal from the hub 50 to the receiving terminal 111 of the second data terminal 110 through the output terminal connected to the second data terminal 110. Will be sent.

In the case of signal transmission between other data terminals, the same operation is performed as described above, wherein the transmitting end 132 and the receiving end 131 of the fourth data terminal 130 added to the number of input and output terminals of the hub 50 are It is connected to the second receiving end 125 and the second transmitting end 126 of the data terminal 120 for the third network, and selectively transmitted to the corresponding data terminal designated by the signals of the hub 50 and other data terminals, or transmitted to the entire network. Are sent in batches.

An operation between the third network data terminal and the fourth data terminal will be described in more detail with reference to the network data terminal shown in FIG. 3A.

When a signal is input to the first receiving end 121 of the network data terminal 120 connected to the output terminal of the hub, the signal is simultaneously input to the Ethernet controller integrated circuit 124 in the data terminal 120 for the network. The uplink repeater 127a is transmitted to the upstream repeater 127a by the control of the Ethernet controller integrated circuit 124, and the signal passing through the upstream repeater 127a is transmitted through the switching units 128a and 128b of the 'A' part. The signal is transmitted to the first receiving end of the next data terminal connected to the transmitting end 126.

When a signal is transmitted from the first transmitting end of the data terminal not connected to the hub, the signal is input to the second receiving end 125 of the data terminal for the network, and the switching unit 128a or 128b of the 'a' portion is used to transmit the signal. Transmitted to the downlink repeater 127b. The signal transmitted to the downlink repeater 127b is simultaneously output from the Ethernet controller integrated circuit 124 of the data terminal 120 for the network through the first transmitter 122 of the data terminal 120 for the network. It is transmitted to a hub, and the hub collectively or selectively transmits signals to other data terminals.

FIG. 3B illustrates a switching part of the 'A' portion when the power of the data terminal for the network is on / off. (A) The upstream repeater and the second transmitter 128a when the power of the data terminal for the network is on. ) And the downstream repeater and the second receiver 128b are connected to each other, and (b) is when the network data terminal is powered off, and a signal input through the first receiver is directly connected to the second transmitter ( 128a), the signal transmitted through the second receiving end is directly connected to the first transmitting end 128b so that the signal can be transmitted between the data terminals without going through the repeater.

Unlike the first embodiment described above, the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5 connects a network without a hub, and a network configuration can be performed without a hub by using a data terminal for network between data terminals.

That is, the transmitting end 142 and the receiving end 141 of the first data terminal 140 are connected to the first receiving end 151 and the first transmitting end 152 of the data terminal 150 for the second network, and the second network Connecting the second transmitting end 156 and the second receiving end 155 of the data terminal 150 to the first receiving end 161 and the first transmitting end 162 of the third network data terminal 160, respectively. You can scale your network without a hub.

In the network interface device of the present invention configured as described above, by using a network data terminal having a repeater and a switch, additional data terminals can be added without changing the network topology even if the hub is connected, Since the data terminals can be connected, the network can be configured in a small space, and the cable between the data terminals can be shortened.

Claims (4)

First to Nth data terminals (N = 2 or more natural numbers) having first and second transmitters and first and second receivers are provided for data transmission and reception. A second receiving end of the N-th data terminal is connected to a first transmitting end of the N-th data terminal, and a second transmitting end of the N-1 data terminal is connected to a first receiving end of the N-th data terminal, respectively. Network interface device. Performs a data processing function of transmitting and receiving a hub having a predetermined number of input and output terminals formed therein, and a transmitting end and a receiving end connected to the input and output terminals of the hub to distribute and transmit the received data according to the transmission position of the data received through the network. A first transmitter and a receiver connected to the input / output terminal for network connection of a plurality of data terminals and data terminals added to the number of input / output terminals of the hub, and are connected to the transmitter and the receiver of the data terminal added at the same time. A network interface device comprising a data terminal for a network having two transmitting and receiving terminals. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the second transmitting end and the receiving end are provided with operation control means such that signal lines are directly connected to the first transmitting end and the receiving end, respectively, when the data terminal is powered off. The method of claim 3, wherein The operation control means may include an uplink repeater for transmitting a signal from a first receiver to a second transmitter, a downlink repeater for transmitting a signal from the second receiver to a first transmitter, and a signal line according to power on / off of the data terminal. Network interface device comprising a switching unit for selectively connecting.