Patent ID: 6914892

Claim:
A method for testing a network switch chip having an expansion port configured for transferring data according to a prescribed protocol, the method comprising: first outputting the data from the expansion port according to the prescribed protocol; converting the data from the prescribed protocol to a prescribed network protocol; and second outputting the data according to the prescribed network protocol to a test device having an interface configured for receiving the data according to the prescribed network protocol, wherein: the prescribed protocol and the prescribed network protocol specify transfer of data at respective first and second data rates, the converting step including buffering the data between the first and second data rates; the first outputting step includes outputting the data according to the prescribed protocol using a burst-type transmission; the second outputting step includes outputting the data according to the prescribed network protocol using a stream-type transmission; and the buffering step includes buffering the data between the burst-type transmission and the stream-type transmission.