Patent ID: 6526048
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A multi-interface switching system, including:a plurality of I/O ports coupled to a plurality of respective devices; a switching fabric that selectively delivers each of a plurality of different signals from a selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a sending one of the devices to another selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a receiving one of the devices, to thereby establish respective connections between the sending and receiving devices, wherein the switching fabric provides a fixed, low latency signal path for each connection between a sending and receiving device for the duration of that connection, whereby the latency of that connection is deterministic and predictable, and a data content of the signal delivered via that connection is not analyzed by the switching fabric, whereby the switching fabric operates in a content independent manner; and a controller that determines the fixed, low latency signal path for each connection and commands the switching fabric to establish the determined signal path for each connection; and wherein at least one of the different signals is a parallel interface format signal and at least one of the different signals is a serial interface format signal.