Patent ID: 6023465
Filing Date: 2000-02-08
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
An arrangement for adapting a non-blocking broad band asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch having a plurality of ports to provide a switching function for narrow band synchronous traffic carried in time slots within frames on a backplane bus, the arrangement including adaptive virtual junctors coupled to the backplane bus and each attached to a respective said switch port to provide ingress to and egress from the ATM switch so as to provide an interworking function for the narrow band traffic between the backplane bus and the switch and to provide a separation of switching and circuit adaptation of that traffic, each said virtual junctor having a control means associated therewith and each having means for assembly and disassembly of ATM payloads, and transmission adaptation devices arranged to provide a semi-permanent pool of capacity for the establishment of narrow band calls via logical routes comprising a set of narrow band virtual channels between said switch and one or more remote switches, said transmission adaptation devices being coupled to the adaptive virtual junctors via said backplane and being arranged to connect any backplane channel to any narrow band time slot within any of the set of virtual channels forming a said logical route, wherein each said adaptive virtual junctor has a permanent virtual connection via the ATM switch with every other adaptive virtual junctor coupled to that switch, each said virtual connection comprising a number of virtual circuits, and means associated with each said adaptive virtual junctor for controlling on a call by call basis and at a backplane frame boundary the number of narrow band virtual circuits on each virtual connection associated with that adaptive virtual junctor.