Patent ID: 6931012

Claim:
An apparatus for switching communication data cells for a plurality of communication ports in a communication network, said apparatus comprising: a register block coupled to a first interconnect bus and having a memory for storing a connection setup notification; a scheduler module coupled to said first interconnect bus and operably configured to determine scheduling of communication data cell transmissions to said communication ports; a connection state unit coupled to a second interconnect bus and having a memory for storing connection information; a look-up table coupled to said first interconnect bus and having a memory for storing a cross reference of a path identifier and an index into said connection state unit; a processing unit coupled to said first interconnect bus for communication to said scheduler, said register block and said look-up table, and is operably configured to couple to said second interconnect bus for communication to said connection state unit and said communication ports, said processing unit is further operably configured to transmit communication data cells between communication ports based on information collected from said register block, said look-up table, said connection state unit, and said scheduler module; and a program memory unit coupled to said processing unit and having a memory for storing instructions executable by said processing unit.