Pipeline architecture for an ATM switch backplane bus
US5737334A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 29, 1995 |
| Grant date | Apr 7, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 29, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5652
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods and apparatus providing for a switching hub in which an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch is utilized as a backplane bus to which a plurality of LAN and ATM modules are coupled. Each LAN or ATM module is an autonomous switching module. Thus, for example, an Ethernet LAN module may receive Ethernet packets on one of its ports and transmit the packets out another one of its ports according to well known standards and techniques for bridging such packets, without the need for such packets to be translated into ATM cells and transmitted across the ATM switch backplane bus. In the event a source LAN or ATM module in the switching hub has data to transmit to a destination LAN or ATM module, the destination module is notified prior to transmission of ATM cells across the backplane to the destination module, thus allowing the destination module to schedule reception of the ATM cells off the backplane between its autonomous switching activities, thereby enhancing the utilization of the switching capacity of the autonomous module. Likewise, a source LAN or ATM module is notified two cell slots prior to obtaining ownership of the backplane that, indeed, it will obtain ownership …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.