Patent ID: 6101187
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
An Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol adapter for a cell switching system including:a receive part for converting an incoming ATM cell into a structured cell having a payload and a header including an output index characterizing a specific operation which is to be executed on the structured cell;a switch fabric for switching the incoming structured cell to a transmit part as a function of the contents of the cell header; anda transmit part for accepting each structured cell after it is routed through the switch fabric, said transmit part includingcell classification logic adding a mother-bit to each accepted structured cell, the binary value of said mother-bit identifying the cell as either a mother cell or as a daughter cell,table look-up logic for accessing a table location designated by the output index in a cell to retrieve a multicast bit indicating whether the cell is to be multicasted or unicast, a queue index identifying an output queue for the cell, new routing information to be used in a new header for the cell and a next-output index, andmulticast logic for storing a mother cell which is to be multicasted and for generating one or more daughter cells from the stored mother cell, each of said daughter cells having the same payload as the mother cell but a different header, said multicast logic operating to generate daughter cells only when no cell is being received from the switch fabric.