Fiber optic data highway

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A communications system having a data highway made up of two optical communications channels forming a ring to interconnect stations whose signals are interfaced with the ring by an optical-electrical repeater. The repeaters include an optical detector and an optical transmitter for each channel. These are coupled so that they normally function as repeaters except when the repeater is associated with a station which is transmitting. Means are provided for preventing that repeater from repeating and further means are provided for receiving the transmitted signal at the transmitting station after it has gone around the ring for checking the condition of the ring.