Switch with a composite ethernet frame generator for use in a time division multiplex communications network

A switch (SW) for a time division multiplex (TDM) communications network, said switch (SW) comprising at least one line board (LBi) having a switching interface (SI) adapted to be connected to at least one TDM link (TL) for switching TDM frames of a selected type including time division multiplexed time slots and each associated with a TDM transmission channel, characterized in that each switching interface (SI) includes processing means (PM) adapted:

• to group time slots contained in TDM frames received over at least one of its TDM links (TL) and including the designation of the same destination port;
• and
• then to integrate them into a composite Ethernet frame at selected positions of a portion dedicated to “payload” data and addressed to their destination port,
• and in that the switch comprises Ethernet frame switching means (ES) connected to each line board for switching the composite Ethernet frames to at least one of the line boards (LBi) as a function of their respective destination ports.