Patent ID: 6047002
Filing Date: 2000-04-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A communications system providing data packets between a plurality of communications ports comprising:a circular data bus, wherein the circular data bus is operable to transmit data packets;a plurality of communication ports coupled to the circular data bus, wherein the plurality of communication ports are operable to transmit and receive data packets;a plurality of processors coupled to the circular data bus and said plurality of communication ports;wherein each of said plurality of processors are operable for converting data packets between two or more packet formats;wherein each of the plurality of processors are operable to receive data packets from a communication port and provide the data onto the circular data bus, wherein each of the plurality of processors are operable to obtain data packets from the circular data bus and provide said data packets to one of said communication ports; andwherein at least one of said two or more packet formats includes an instruction field for storing instructions, wherein one or more of the plurality of processors are operable to encode said instructions into the instruction field, wherein one or more of the plurality of processors are operable to execute said instructions from the instruction field, wherein the instruction stored in the instruction field are used by said one or more of the plurality of processors to operate on data in the data packets.