Patent ID: 7342922

Claim:
A network element switch, comprising: a pair of input nodes, each input node having 2n inputs and 2n outputs, where n is greater than or equal to 1; a pair of center nodes, each center node receiving n inputs from each of the input nodes and having 2n outputs; a pair of output nodes, each output node receiving n inputs from each of the center nodes and having 2n outputs; and a device configured to calculate the number of signals between each of the input nodes and the center nodes and the number of signals between each of the center nodes and the output nodes, and map signals between nodes, wherein mapping between nodes is selected based on the calculations to minimize any differences between the number of signals between each of the input nodes and the center nodes and any differences between the number of signals between each of the center nodes and the output nodes; wherein the mapping of signals is used to make connections through the network element switch.