OPTICAL PATH COUPLING DEVICE

PURPOSE:To prevent data delay by reducing a load of a processor section of the optical bus coupler connecting to plural optical bus loops and relaying data between the loops. CONSTITUTION:Data from a 1st optical bus loop 40 are received by a reception control section 13 via a medium access controller section 12 and inputted to a data identification section 15. The data identification section 15 identifies a transmission destination of the input data and send the data to a different optical bus loop 50 to a transmission control section 24 corresponding to the loop and sends the data not addressed thereto to a reception buffer section 16 corresponding to its own loop. The processor section 31 controls reception buffer sections 16, 26 and transmission buffer sections 17, 27 to process only the data in each loop. The data between the loops are directly sent to a 2nd optical bus loop 50 via a medium access controller section 22 by the relevant transmission control section 24. A data identification section 25 and a transmission control section 14 are acted similarly.