Patent ID: 6982979

Claim:
A switching system having a plurality of communications switches each having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs for switching data units in time frames, the system further comprising of: a first communications switch and a second communications switch connected by at least one communications channel for transmitting a plurality of data units in time frames through said communications channel to the output of the switching system; wherein each of the inputs of each of the communications switches is coupled to a plurality of uniquely addressable incoming communications channels and each of the outputs of each of the communications switches is coupled to a plurality of uniquely addressable outgoing communications channels; a common time reference (CTR); wherein the CTR is divided into a plurality of contiguous periodic super cycles (SCs) each comprised of at least one contiguous time cycle (TC) each comprised of at least one contiguous time frame (TF); wherein the CTR is coupled to each of the communications switches; wherein the TF has associated therewith at least one of header control information and trailer control information; wherein the data units associated with the time frames (TFs) are received over the incoming communications channels and transmitted over the outgoing communications channels; and wherein the data units associated with selected ones of the TFs are forwarded over selected ones of the outgoing communications channels of the first communications switch and then forwarded over selected ones of the outgoing communications channels of the second communications switch responsive to at least one of the CTR, the header control information, and the trailer control information.