Communication in a switching network

A system comprising a plurality of nodes and a switching network, the switching network having a variable switching configuration for causing successive activation and deactivation of multiple channels of the switching network, a first channel of the channels connecting, when activated, a transmitter node and a first receiver node, and a second channel of the channels connecting, when activated, the transmitter node and a second receiver node, wherein the plurality of nodes is configured to implement the operations of:

• in a training phase:
• transmitting from the transmitter node via the first channel a first known training signal, to cause the first receiver node to receive a first distorted training signal,
• using the first distorted training signal and knowledge of the first known training signal to determine one or more first transmit-side equalizer (EQ) coefficients, and
• storing, in memory accessible to the transmitter node, the first transmit-side EQ coefficients, in association with the first channel,
• transmitting from the transmitter node to the second receiver node a second known training signal, to cause the second receiver node to receive a second distorted training signal,
• using the second distorted training signal and knowledge of the second known training signal to determine one or more second transmit-side EQ coefficients, and
• storing, in memory accessible to the transmitter node, the second transmit-side EQ coefficients, in association with the second channel;
• wherein, in a communication phase, the transmitter node uses an available schedule to determine, for each time interval of multiple time intervals, which of the first and second channels is activated, and uses the transmit-side EQ coefficients associated with that channel to pre-equalize signals prior to transmission in that time interval via that channel;
• wherein at least one of the receiver nodes applies adaptive equalization to signals received from the transmitter node in the communication phase to account for time-varying channel conditions of the channel between that receiver node and the transmitter node.

A receiver node for connecting to a switching network, the receiver node comprising:

• a communication interface for connecting to the switching network, the switching network having a variable switching configuration for causing successive activation and deactivation of multiple channels of the switching network;
• one or more processors configured to, in a training phase:
• receive from a transmitter node, via one of the channels, a distorted training signal,
• compare the distorted training signal with a known training sequence to determine one or more transmit-side equalizer (EQ) coefficients for applying at the transmitter node to reduce distortion of the channel, and
• transmit the transmit-side EQ coefficients to the transmitter node for use in a communications phase;
• wherein the one or more processors are configured, in the communications phase, to apply adaptive equalization to signals received from the transmitter node to account for time-varying channel conditions of the channel between that receiver node and the transmitter node.