Patent ID: 6891828

Claim:
A bus-based network switch comprising: a plurality of switch nodes, each switch node for receiving a data payload from an input port or for transmitting a data payload to an external network device through an output port; a first bus for sending switch packets with the data payload in a first direction among the plurality of switch nodes, the first bus being divided into links, each link for transferring a switch packet between two of the switch nodes; a second bus for sending switch packets with the data payload in a second direction among the plurality of switch nodes, the second bus being divided into links, each link for transferring the switch packet between two of the switch nodes; wherein the plurality of switch nodes are arranged in a continuous loop wherein a destination switch node in the plurality of switch nodes can be reached from any other switch node in the plurality of switch nodes both by following the continuous loop in the first direction and by following the continuous loop in the second direction; and a packet limiter that limits a number of switch nodes that the switch packet travels through from a source switch node that receives the data payload to the destination switch node that transmits the data payload from the switch packet to the output port; wherein the packet limiter limits the number of switch nodes to half or less of the total number of switch nodes in the plurality of switch nodes, whereby the switch packet travels through a limited number of the switch nodes and whereby the switch packet travels no more than half-way around the continuous loop of switch nodes.