Switching system comprising distributed elements allowing attachment to line adapters
US6108334A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 17, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 22, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 17, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5642
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A switching system comprising a switching structure for routing cells from a set of M input ports towards a set of M output ports. The system includes a set of distributed individual Switch Core Access layer elements which communicate with one input and output port of the switching structure by means of a set of serial communication links. Each SCAL element provides attachment to at least one Protocol Adapter and comprises a set of circuits. The receive part of each circuit, which includes at least one first FIFO storage for storing the cells being received, receives the data cells from the attached Protocol Adapter and introduces at least one extra byte to every cell. Each transmit part of the destination circuit, which includes at least one second FIFO storage having a greater capacity than the first FIFO storage, receives all the cells that are generated at the corresponding output port and uses the at least one extra byte for cell buffering. Additionally, each distrubuted SCAL element comprises control means for performing Time Division Multiplexing access of the FIFOs.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.