Interconnection architecture for managing multiple low bandwidth connections over a high bandwidth link

Abstract

A data communication architecture including a plurality of devices having input/output (I/O) ports supporting communication at a first rate and a data processor having a number of I/O ports where each I/O port supports data communication at a second data rate. The second data rate is at least double the first data rate. A communication link coupled to one of the data processor I/O ports supports the second data rate. A bridge device is coupled to the communication link and to the I/O ports of the plurality of devices. The bridge device translates the communication link at the second data rate to a plurality of communication links at the first data rate, where the plurality of communication links at the first data rate are substantially independent of each other.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.