Patent ID: 6735199
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A switching system having an input and an output, the switching system further comprising:a first communications switch and a second communications switch connected by at least one communications link, comprising at least one channel, for transmitting a plurality of data units from said communications link to the output of the switching system; a Common Time Reference (CTR), divided into a plurality of contiguous periodic super cycles (SCs) each comprised of at least one contiguous time cycle (TC) each comprised of at least one contiguous time frame (TF); wherein each of the communications switches is further comprised of a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, each of the input ports connected to and receiving data units from the communications link from at least one said channel, and each of the output ports connected and transmitting data units to the communications link over at least one said channel; wherein each of the communications links is connected between one of the output ports on the first communications switch and one of the input ports on the second communications switch; wherein each of the communications switches has a switch controller, coupled to the CTR, the respective input ports, and the respective output ports; wherein each of the communications switches has a switch fabric coupled to the respective switch controller, the respective input ports, and the respective output ports; wherein each of the switch controllers is responsive to the CTR for scheduling connection to the switch fabric from a respective one of the input ports, on a respective one of the input channels during a respective one of the time frames; wherein each of the switch controllers defines the coupling from each one of the respective input ports for data units received during any one of the time frames, on a respective one of the channels, for output during a predefined time frame to at least one selected one of the respective output ports on at least one selected respective one of the channels; and wherein the data units that are output during a first predefined time frame on a selected respective one of the channels from the respective output port on the first communications switch are forwarded from the respective output port of the second communications switch during a second predefined time frame on a selected respective one of the channels responsive to the CTR.