Patent ID: 8644327

Claim:
A switching arrangement for data packets that comprise a payload, said data packets heading via one or more input ports of a switching device towards one or more dedicated output ports thereof, said switching device being able to route said arriving data packets according to data packet destination information to at least one dedicated of said output ports, said switching arrangement comprising: at least one switching section for each input port, said switching section comprising a set of output buffers comprising an output buffer for each output port for storing a payload of each data packet arriving at said input ports at an address in one of said set of output buffers and a set of output queues comprising an output queue for each output port, for storing said address of each payload stored in an output buffer, wherein stored addresses are sorted according to data packet destination information; for each output port, an arbiter for controlling a readout order of said stored addresses from output queues associated with the output port and for providing the readout order to a multiplexer for that output port; and for each output port, a multiplexer for receiving a readout order from the arbiter for said output port and for multiplexing the stored payloads from said output buffers to said output port according to the readout order.