Patent ID: 8238359

Claim:
A communication module mounted on a communication apparatus, said communication apparatus comprising: a communication apparatus main body comprising: a plurality of slots, the communication module being insertable into or removable from the slots; a plurality of apparatus side signal processing circuits for processing a communication signal which is transmitted to or received from said communication module at a predetermined communication speed; and a switch LSI for changing a destination of the communication signal, wherein said communication module comprises: a switching portion for performing at least one of dividing the communication signal transmitted or received at a communication speed of said communication module, and combining the communication signals transmitted or received at a communication speed of an external apparatus; a connector comprising a plurality of input-output ports, each of said plurality of said input-output ports being connected to said external apparatus respectively; and a plurality of connecting terminals being connected to said communication apparatus main body when said communication module is inserted into said slots, wherein said switching portion is connected to said connector and said connecting terminals; and a circuit substrate on which said switching portion is mounted, wherein the plurality of connecting terminals are formed on said circuit substrate for connecting to said communication apparatus, and wherein said communication module is pluggable with said communication apparatus.