Patent ID: 8223768

Claim:
An apparatus for enabling a first set of network elements (NEs) communicating at a bit rate R 1 and a second set of NEs communicating at a bit rate R 2 that is faster than the bit rate R 1 to communicate, the apparatus comprising: (a) a first number M×K of first transceivers communicating at the bit rate R 1 with the first set of NEs; and (b) a second number N×K of second transceivers communicating at the bit rate R 2 with the second set of NEs; (c) wherein M, N, and K are each positive integers, M>N, M/N is not an integer, and the ratio R 2 :R 1 equals the ratio M:N; (d) wherein the M×K first transceivers and the N×K second transceivers are connected by a set of lanes, each lane communicating at a bit rate R 0 that is a common factor of the bit rate R 1 and the bit rate R 2 ; (e) wherein, for each of the N×K second transceivers, at least one of the lanes communicates with one of the M×K first transceivers and at least another one of the lanes communicates with another one of the M×K first transceivers; and (f) wherein, for at least one but not all of the M×K first transceivers, at least one of the lanes communicates with one of the N×K second transceivers and at least another one of the lanes communicates with another one of the N×K second transceivers.