Rotating-access ATM-STM packet switch
US5168492A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 11, 1991 |
| Grant date | Dec 1, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 11, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5681
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A new architecture of an ATM or ATM/STM switching node which is functionally equivalent to the classical buffer-space-buffer (BSB) architecture is disclosed. In the basic embodiment, it uses middle packet buffers with a rotator (commutator) at its input and output. It has two main advantages over the BSB architecture. First of all, in the ATM mode, the need for arbitration when more than one inlet competes for the same outlet during the same time slot is eliminated. Each packet knows when to proceed without being aware of the competing packets. This greatly simplifies the switching-control mechanism. Secondary, the switch hardware complexity is reduced through the use of clock-driven rather than state-controlled cross points. The cross-point ratio is 4/.sqroot.n, where n is the number of inlets (outlets).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.