Patent ID: 6215786
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of configuring and constructing a multi-stage switching network comprising a plurality of switches arranged into a plurality of rows and a number of columns, wherein a design configuration network is established in which the number of columns is even and is 4 or more, and the number of rows is even and is 2 or more, and the interconnection paths between the switches of one column and the switches of the adjacent columns are determined by a predefined network topology definition, comprising the steps of:(a) conceptually rotating the columns of switches and interconnection paths between switches of said design configuration network to place the two adjacent columns with the longest interconnection paths between them so they are positioned to be the center-most pair of columns of switches of said design configuration network,(b) conceptually folding said design configuration network on a line between the two adjacent center-most columns of switches to form upper and lower overlapping levels of switches, wherein each column of said switches of said upper level forms one column of a pair of columns that overlies a column of said switches of said lower level that forms the other column of said pair of columns,(c) constructing a physical network in accordance with the design configuration network of steps (a) and (b) and further:(1) arranging said switches of each pair of said columns of said design configuration network into a panel such that pairs of switches whose row numbers differ by a single bit are assigned a rank number that corresponds to a physical row number,(2) wiring all interconnection paths between said switches on all of said panels, except for those between said center-most pair of files, with wiring that completes interconnections between overlapping ones of said panels by following paths that extend between said panels according to said predefined network topology definition, and(3) wiring said longest interconnection paths between said switches in said center-most files which reside in said panel that contains both of said center-most pair of files of said switches by wiring that completes interconnections between said switches of said center-most pair of files of said switches in a single plane according to said predefined network topology definition.