Patent ID: 6628648
Filing Date: 2003-09-30
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 signal types 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 permanent, 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; a controller that determines the permanent, low latency signal path for each connection and commands the switching fabric to establish the determined signal path for each connection, wherein the switching fabric includes a plurality of discrete switch modules, at least selected ones of which are hot-swappable with permission of the controller, and wherein the signal fidelity of the switching fabric is substantially perfect, thereby permitting the different signal types to exhibit substantially the same signal characteristics after passing through the switching fabric as they do before passing through the switching fabric.