Telecommunication system with transport protocol device for mixing asynchronous signaling traffic with TDM traffic on a TDM backbone

摘要

A telecommunications system comprises a plurality of servers interconnected by a TDM backbone and able to share a common channel or bandwidth. An arrangement for sending messages or files between said servers comprises a master node for sending a continuous stream of cells round the backbone, each cell having a header portion and a payload portion, and a plurality of downstream nodes which upon arrival of incoming cells insert information therein, read information therefrom, or allow the cells to pass thereby unaltered.