Patent ID: 6965603

Claim:
A combined ATM/packet transmission architecture configured for coupling with a mixed data optical fiber carrying both ATM cells and data packets, comprising: a transmission convergence device (TCD) circuit having a first TCD input port configured to receive first ATM cells and first data packets from said optical fiber, said TCD circuit having a first TCD output bus configured to output second ATM cells and second data packets from said TCD circuit, said second ATM cells and said second data packets include information from said first ATM cells and said first data packets; a combined ATM/packet segmentation-and-reassembly (SAR) circuit having a first SAR input bus configured to be coupled to said first TCD output bus of said TCD circuit to receive said second ATM cells and said second data packets, wherein said combined ATM/packet SAR circuit includes a first SAR output port configured to output first mixed data packets from said combined ATM/packet SAR circuit, said first mixed data packets include information from both said second ATM cells and said second data packets; wherein said SAR circuit includes a first SAR input port configured for receiving second mixed data packets, said second mixed data packets including both packets destined for ATM-mode transmission and packets destined packet-mode transmission, said SAR circuit includes a first SAR output bus configured for outputting third ATM cells and third data packets, said third ATM cells and said third data packets includes information from said second mixed data packets.