A fiber-optic line-switching network with a 150 Mb/s user data rate

The authors describe ImNet/2, a fiber-optic local area network, which has been specially developed for rapid image transport in picture archiving and communications systems (PACS). A comprehensive analysis of image communication requirements in hospitals led to the conclusion that current LANs would not be satisfactory under routine workload. ImNet/2 is optimized for the transmission of large datafiles. It applies line switching by means of active switch modules in a multistar topology. Once established, a link between two image equipment units continuously transfers data at a speed of 140 mB/s. Each switch unit has a total data throughput of 1.12 Gb/s. Asynchronous parallel network ports and a simple lightweight high-speed protocol make it easy to interface the network to image workstations and PACS servers. The mechanisms and components of ImNet/2 are described in detail.<
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