Multistage digital cross connect with integral frame timing

A method of providing a digital cross connect comprising:

• providing plural switching stages, each stage having plural switches which receive plural frames of time multiplexed input data and which switch the data in time and space;
• propagating a frame clock from a master switch within the plural switching stages to downstream switches and from output stages to input stages;
• and
• synchronizing a frame counter at each switch to the propagated frame clock.

A digital cross connect comprising:

• plural switching stages, each stage having plural switching means for receiving plural frames of the time multiplexed data and switching the data in time and space;
• frame counter means at each switch for providing a frame count synchronized to a frame clock;
• and
• master switch means within the plural switching stages for propagating the frame clock to downstream switches and from output stages to input stages.