Patent ID: 7433365

Claim:
A multi-channel bank system for interfacing a telecommunication network with a plurality of customer circuits comprising: a master channel bank containing a switch fabric coupled to said telecommunication network, and a plurality of line cards, each line card of said master channel bank having a plurality of ports coupled to customer circuits; at least one expansion channel bank having a plurality of line cards, each line card of a respective expansion channel bank having a plurality of ports coupled to customer circuits; a downstream multiplexed communication path coupled to said master channel bank and to said at least one expansion channel bank, and being operative to transport communication packets, supplied by said network to said switch fabric of said master channel bank, to destination ports of line cards of said master and expansion channel banks for delivery to customer circuits; and an upstream multiplexed communication path coupled to said master channel bank and to said at least one expansion channel bank, and being operative to transport communication packets, supplied by customer circuits to customer ports of line cards of said master and expansion channel banks, to said switch fabric of said master channel bank for delivery therefrom to said network.