HANGMAN Gb/s network

The design and implementation of the Hewlett-Packard active node gigabit-per-second metropolitan area network (HANGMAN) prototype network are discussed. The three main areas addressed are the physical-layer transmission system, the MAC sublayer protocols, and the architecture of the network interface unit. It is shown that low-cost gigabit-per-second transmission systems are practical, particularly in the local area environment where network links are typically limited to a few hundred meters. A MAC protocol that provides a synchronous service as well as the conventional asynchronous data service is described. The node architecture is presented and the way in which a single node can support multiple concurrent physical connections and how this architecture might be used in the future to develop high-performance protocol implementations are also discussed.<>