Patent ID: 7277450

Claim:
An optical switch for use in a broadband network comprising: a packet processing switch module for switching signals present at a plurality of fast Ethernet ports and a plurality of high speed Ethernet ports; a plurality of transceiver modules for interfacing signals between the ports and the switch module; a passive backplane adapted to mechanically receive said switch module and said plurality of transceiver modules, the backplane configured to pass signals between said switch module and said plurality of transceiver modules; wherein one of the plurality of transceiver modules includes a first high-speed Ethernet uplink transceiver module having first and second high-speed Ethernet uplink ports for interfacing corresponding first and second signals between said first and second ports and said packet processing switch module; and wherein a second high speed Ethernet uplink transceiver module includes a daisy-chain transceiver module for interconnecting the optical switch to a daisy-chain transceiver of another optical switch.