Mesh architecture for synchronous cross-connects

A method of routing one or more data samples through a cross-connect switch, the cross-connect switch including a plurality of nodes operatively coupled in a mesh arrangement, each of the nodes including one or more time-slots associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

• precomputing one or more routing sequences, the routing sequences reducing a routing in the mesh to a one-to-one routing within each of the time-slots;
• reordering the data samples within one or more source nodes in accordance with the precomputed routing sequences;
• routing the data samples from the one or more source nodes to one or more corresponding destination nodes through the mesh arrangement;
• and
• reordering the data samples within the destination nodes, whereby the data samples are transmitted during a correct time-slot.

An integrated circuit including at least one synchronous cross-connect switch, the at least one synchronous cross-connect switch comprising:

• a mesh architecture including a plurality of inputs for receiving one or more data samples presented to the cross-connect switch, the mesh architecture comprising a plurality of nodes operatively interconnected with one another using one or more half-duplex links, each of the nodes comprising:
• a receiver;
• a transmitter;
• an input time-slot-interchanger (TSI) operatively coupled to at least a first half-duplex link and to the receiver, the input TSI being configurable to selectively reorder one or more data samples received by the receiver;
• an output TSI operatively coupled to at least a second half-duplex link and to the transmitter, the output TSI being configurable to selectively reorder one or more data samples to be transmitted by the transmitter;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the receiver and transmitter, the controller being configured to selectively route a sample to at least one of:
• (i) an output of the cross-connect switch;
• (ii) and an adjacent node in the mesh architecture.

A synchronous cross-connect switch, comprising:

• a distributed mesh architecture including a plurality of inputs for receiving one or more data samples presented to the cross-connect switch, the distributed mesh architecture comprising a plurality of segments, each of the segments including a plurality of nodes associated therewith, the nodes in each of the segments being operatively interconnected with one another using one or more half-duplex links, each of the nodes comprising:
• a plurality of receivers, at least one of the plurality of receivers being configured to receive a data sample presented to the node;
• a plurality of transmitters, at least one of the plurality of transmitters being configured to transmit a data sample from the node;
• an input time-slot-interchanger (TSI) operatively coupled to at least a first half-duplex link and to the receiver, the input TSI being configurable to selectively reorder one or more data samples received by the at least one receiver;
• an output TSI operatively coupled to at least a second half-duplex link and to the transmitter, the output TSI being configurable to selectively reorder one or more data samples to be transmitted by the at least one transmitter;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the plurality of receivers and to the plurality of transmitters, the controller being configured to selectively route a data sample to at least one of:
• (i) an output of the cross-connect switch;
• (ii) an adjacent node in a same segment in the mesh architecture;
• and (iii) an adjacent node in an adjacent segment in the mesh architecture.