Switching arrangement and method with separated output buffers

Switching arrangement for transporting data packets that comprise data packet destination information and a payload, said data packets heading via one or more input ports of a switching device towards one or more output ports thereof, said switching device being able to route said arriving data packets according to said data packet destination information to at least one dedicated of said output ports, whereby the total of all input ports is divided into subsets of input ports, each subset comprising at least one said input port, said switching arrangement comprising

• at each input port an input buffer with at least as many input queues as said switching arrangement has output ports, said input queues serving for sorting said arriving data packets according to their dedicated at least one output port, and
• an input controller for each input port, serving for controlling the order of multiplexing said data packets from said input queues to said switching device,
• for each subset of said input ports in said switching device a separate output buffer for storing at addresses therein at least said payload of each said data packet arriving at said input port, and
• at least one set of as many output queues as said switching arrangement has output ports, for storing therein, sorted according to said data packet destination information, at least said address of each said payload stored in said output buffer,
• whereby said stored payload is deliverable to its dedicated at least one output port under use of said stored addresses.