Patent ID: 6477173
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A system for switching high-capacity and variable length packets comprising:m input ports; n output ports; k Banyan networks connected into a ring by means of at least n parallel lines, each Banyan network having at least n inputs and at least n outputs, each of m, n, and k being integers; m input modules each of which is connected to a respective one of said m input ports, said input modules being further connected to said inputs of said k Banyan networks; m sets of misroute tag check parts, each set including at least n misroute tag check parts, respective misroute tag check parts in each set being connected to respective outputs of each Banyan network; and n output modules each having an output connected to a respective one of said output ports and inputs each connected to one of misroute tag check parts of each sets; wherein each of plural unit switches constituting a Banyan network is constructed such that when an input packet cannot be sent to a desired output, the relevant packet is outputted to a non-occupied output of the relevant Banyan network; said misroute tag check part checks whether a misroute tag of an inputted packet is set or not, and when the misroute tag is set, the relevant packet is sent to a next stage Banyan network, but when the misroute check tag is not set, the relevant packet is outputted to an output module connected to a desired output; and said input module is constructed to store a packet from the input port and a packet from a misroute tag check part and to send one of these packets selectively to a Banyan network of a next stage.