Data transmission system and method for transmitting data having real- time and non-real-time characteristics

摘要

A system for transmitting data between a plurality of linked stations within a cycle period defined by successive transmissions of a header signal indicating the start of a data transmission, only one station having a right to transmit data at a given time, the data including a first portion for which real-time characteristics are required, and a second portion for which real-time characteristics are not required. Each station includes a transmission circuit for transmitting the header signal and the data to another station, a receiver circuit for receiving the header signal and the data from another station, and a control circuit for assigning the right to transmit data serially to each station in a prescribed order two times within each cycle period and for transmitting the first portion of the data separately from the second portion of the data. The first portion of the data is transmitted the first time that the right to transmit data is assigned to the station.