Patent ID: 7675909

Claim:
A multi-stage switching fabric configured to operate as at least a first size fabric and a second size fabric, the multi-stage switching fabric having transmission inputs and transmission outputs to and from the switching fabric, comprising: switch elements arranged in at least first and second stages of a switching fabric as stage- 1 and stage- 2 switch elements, the switch elements each having element inputs and outputs, the switch elements being configured to join any element input with any element output; a first logic device containing stage- 1 switch elements embedded therein, and configured to operate as part of, the first stage, the first logic device containing stage- 2 switch elements embedded therein, and configured to operate as part of, the second stage; a second logic device containing stage- 1 switch elements embedded therein, and configured to operate as part of, the first stage, the second logic device containing stage- 2 switch elements embedded therein, and configured to operate as part of, the second stage, the first and second logic devices being physically discrete from one another; and a selector device that enables signals to be transmitted from the second logic device to a respective output of the first logic device, wherein the stage- 2 switch elements are further partitioned into smaller sub-switch elements when the multi-stage switching fabric is operated as a first size fabric, and the stage- 2 switch elements are not partitioned into smaller sub-switch elements when the multi-stage switching fabric is operated as a second size fabric, wherein the number of paths through the switch fabric from each input to each output remains constant for each switch fabric size.