Patent ID: 7415207

Claim:
A digital cross-connect, comprising: a) a plurality of optical traffic ports for receiving/outputting optical traffic signals, each optical traffic port being configured for receiving/outputting optical traffic signals of a selected type from a plurality of different types; b) switching means for selectively cross-connecting optical traffic signals received at one port to at least one other optical traffic port, the switching means comprising a three-stage Clos architecture electrical time division multiplexing switching matrix for selectively cross-connection, in a single fabric and at the same time, the traffic signals of different technologies and hierarchies, received at the one port to the at least one other optical traffic port; and c) each optical traffic port including: i) means for converting the optical traffic signals received at each port into a corresponding first electrical signal; ii) means for converting the first electrical signal into an internal frame structure for selective cross-connection by the switching matrix to said at least one other port; iii) means for converting electrical signals having the frame structure which has been cross-connected to said at least one other traffic port into a second electrical signal of the type corresponding to the traffic for which said at least one other traffic port is configured to output therefrom; iv) means for converting the second electrical signal into a corresponding optical traffic signal for output from said at least one other optical traffic port; and v) the various different types of the optical traffic signals being cross-connected by the same electrical switching matrix.