All-node switch-an unclocked, unbuffered, asynchronous switching apparatus
US6215412A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 2, 1995 |
| Grant date | Apr 10, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 2, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q11/0066
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A new asynchronous approach used to quickly and dynamically switch input port connections to output port connections and to resolve contention. The switch is self-routing in two cycle times at the same high speed serial rate that data is transferred through the switch. The normal mode of the switch requires absolutely no synchronization amongst any of the input and output ports which interface to the switch. The switch is void of centrally controlled clocking and any data buffering. Data traverses the switch only encountering three gate delays--on-chip receiver, mux, and off-chip driver. Contention is detected and resolved on chip, and yet the logic implementation is extremely simple and low in gate count, so the switch design is never gate limited. The protocol requires several parallel data lines plus two or three control lines.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.