System and method for cell switching with a peripheral component interconnect bus and decentralized, computer-controlled cell switch
US6311230A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 26, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 30, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 26, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5615
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A port card employable in a cell switch including a host computer having a processor and a bus for interconnecting a plurality of port cards and a method of switching cells in the cell switch. The port card includes: (1) bus master circuitry for gaining control of the bus to allow the port card to place cells to be switched in the cell switch on the bus and (2) interface circuitry, coupled to the local memory and the bus master circuitry, that places the cells on the bus when the bus master circuitry has gained control of the bus, the cells communicated directly from the interface circuitry to another port card in the cell switch via the bus. The processor (or, more generally, the host computer) is relieved of having to participate directly in switching the cells.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.