Patent · US Expired

System and method for communicating switch fabric control information

US7298739B1 · kind B1 · utility

2Cited by
2References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 3, 2003
Grant dateNov 20, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 24, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2012/5675
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method are provided for communicating control information in a switch fabric. The method comprises: on a switch card, establishing a plurality of crossbars controlled by an arbiter; initiating a control message; and, distributing the control message on a switch card token bus connecting the crossbars and arbiter elements. Distributing the control message on a switch card token bus connecting the crossbar and arbiter elements includes daisy-chain connecting the elements with a cyclical bus. In some aspects of the method, establishing a plurality of crossbars controlled by an arbiter includes identifying each element with a unique address. Then, initiating a control message includes initiating a control message with an attached address. Distributing the control message on a switch card token bus includes the substeps of: daisy-chain passing the control message between elements; and, terminating the message at an element having an address matching the address attached to the control message.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.