IEEE 802.
5: Token Ring Network
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Token Ring
• Token Ring is formed by the nodes connected in ring format as shown in
the diagram below. The principle used in the token ring network is that a
token is circulating in the ring and whichever node grabs that token will
have right to transmit the data.
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Token Ring
• Whenever a station wants to transmit a frame it inverts a single bit of the 3-
byte token which instantaneously changes it into a normal data packet.
Because there is only one token, there can atmost be one transmission at a
time.
• Since the token rotates in the ring it is guaranteed that every node gets the
token with in some specified time. So there is an upper bound on the time
of waiting to grab the token so that starvation is avoided.
• There is also an upper limit of 250 on the number of nodes in the network.
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Token Ring
• To distinguish the normal data packets from token (control packet) a special
sequence is assigned to the token packet. When any node gets the token it
first sends the data it wants to send, then recirculates the token.
• If a node transmits the token and nobody wants to send the data the token
comes back to the sender. If the first bit of the token reaches the sender
before the transmission of the last bit, then error situation arises. So to
avoid this we should have:
propagation delay + transmission of n-bits (1-bit delay in each node ) >
transmission of the token time
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Token Ring
• A station may hold the token for the token-holding time. which is 10 ms
unless the installation sets a different value.
• If there is enough time left after the first frame has been transmitted to send
more frames, then these frames may be sent as well.
• After all pending frames have been transmitted or the transmission frame
would exceed the token-holding time, the station regenerates the 3-byte
token frame and puts it back on the ring.
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Modes of Operation
• Listen Mode: In this mode the node listens to the data and transmits the
data to the next node. In this mode there is a one-bit delay associated with
the transmission.
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Modes of Operation
• Transmit Mode: In this mode the node just discards the any data and puts
the data onto the network.
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Modes of Operation
• By-pass Mode: In this mode reached when the node is down. Any data is
just bypassed. There is no one-bit delay in this mode.
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Token Ring Using Ring Concentrator
One problem with a ring network is that if the cable breaks somewhere, the
ring dies. This problem is elegantly addressed by using a ring concentrator.
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Token Ring Concentrator
• A Token Ring concentrator simply changes the topology from a physical
ring to a star wired ring. But the network still remains a ring logically.
• Physically, each station is connected to the ring concentrator (wire center)
by a cable containing at least two twisted pairs, one for data to the station
and one for data from the station.
• The Token still circulates around the network and is still controlled in the
same manner, however, using a hub or a switch greatly improves reliability
because the hub can automatically bypass any ports that are disconnected
or have a cabling fault.
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Token Ring Concentrator
• This is done by having bypass relays inside the concentrator that are
energized by current from the stations.
• If the ring breaks or station goes down, loss of the drive current will release
the relay and bypass the station.
• The ring can then continue operation with the bad segment bypassed.
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Who should remove the packet from the ring ?
There are 3 possibilities-
1. The source itself removes the packet after one full round in the ring.
2. The destination removes it after accepting it: This has two potential
problems. Firstly, the solution won't work for broadcast or multicast, and
secondly, there would be no way to acknowledge the sender about the
receipt of the packet.
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Who should remove the packet from the ring ?
3. Have a specialized node only to discard packets: This is a bad solution as
the specialized node would know that the packet has been received by the
destination only when it receives the packet the second time and by that
time the packet may have actually made about one and half (or almost two
in the worst case) rounds in the ring.
Thus the first solution is adopted with the source itself removing the packet
from the ring after a full one round. With this scheme, broadcasting and
multicasting can be handled as well as the destination can acknowledge the
source about the receipt of the packet (or can tell the source about some
error).
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Token Format
• The token is the shortest frame transmitted (24 bit)
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Token Format
When a station with a Frame to transmit detects a token which has a priority
equal to or less than the Frame to be transmitted, it may change the token to
a start-of-frame sequence and transmit the Frame
• P = Priority: Priority Bits indicate tokens priority, and therefore, which
stations are allowed to use it. Station can transmit if its priority as at least
as high as that of the token.
• M = Monitor: The monitor bit is used to prevent a token whose priority is
greater than 0 or any frame from continuously circulating on the ring.
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Token Format
• If an active monitor detects a frame or a high priority token with the monitor
bit equal to 1, the frame or token is aborted.
• This bit shall be transmitted as 0 in all frame and tokens. The active monitor
inspects and modifies this bit. All other stations shall repeat this bit as
received.
• R = Reserved bits: The reserved bits allow station with high priority Frames
to request that the next token be issued at the requested priority.
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Frame Format:
• MSB (Most Significant Bit) is always transmitted first - as opposed to
Ethernet
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Frame Control Format:
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Source and Destination Address Format:
• The addresses can be of 2 bytes (local address) or 6 bytes (global
address).
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Source and Destination Address Format:
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Data Format
• Data Format: No upper limit on amount of data as such, but it is limited by
the token holding time.
• Checksum: The source computes and sets this value. Destination too
calculates this value. If the two are different, it indicates an error, otherwise
the data may be correct.
• Frame Status: It contains the A and C bits.
• A bit set to 1: destination recognized the packet.
• C bit set to 1: destination accepted the packet.
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