Patent ID: 7400832

Claim:
A switch for a communications system for routing a signal from a first node to a second node, the switch comprising: a plurality y of m×n switch matrices in parallel, including at least first and second switch matrices, each switch matrix having a plurality of associated input ports and associated output ports connected by switch paths, the signal is routed from the first node to the second node via each switch matrix; m 1:y splitters, one of the splitters connecting the first node to one of the associated input ports of each switch matrix, the one of the splitters splitting the signal, which is received by the one of the splitters via the first node, so that the signal at a first output of the one of the splitters is routed to the associated input port of the first switch matrix via a first signal path which extends between the first output and the associated input port of the first switch matrix, and the signal at a second output of the one of the splitters is routed to the associated input port of the second switch matrix via a second signal path which extends between the second output and the associated input port of the second switch matrix, the first and second signal paths do not include attenuation or switched devices; and n y:1 combiners, one of the combiners connected to an associated output port of each switch matrix, at an input side of the one of the combiners, and to the second node, at an output side of the one of the combiners, each switch matrix output port contributing to a power of the second node such that a failure in one of the switch matrices does not result in a total loss of power at the second node, the one of the combiners includes first and second inputs and receives and combines: a) the signal at the first output of the one of the splitters from the associated output port of the first switch matrix via a third signal path which extends between the first input and the associated output port of the first switch matrix, and b) the signal at the second output of the one of the splitters from the associated output port of the second switch matrix via a fourth signal path which extends between the second input and the associated output port of the second switch matrix, the third and fourth signal paths do not include attenuation or switched devices, and the signals which are combined by the one of the combiners have the same voltage when there is no failure in the switch matrices.