Framer/mapper/multiplexor device with 1+1 and equipment protection

A first framer/mapper/multiplexor (FMM) device (e.g., 1100 of FIG. 11) comprising:

• a low-speed input port (e.g., 1156) adapted to receive a first set of one or more incoming low-speed signals from a low-speed network;
• a protection input port (e.g., 1142) adapted to receive, from a second FMM device, an incoming protection signal corresponding to a second set of one or more incoming low-speed signals (e.g., 1144) received at the second FMM device;
• a high-speed output port (e.g., 1172) adapted to transmit an outgoing high-speed signal to a high-speed network;
• and
• signal-processing circuitry adapted to:
• (1) generate (e.g., 1110, 1160, 1164, 1174) a first set of one or more switching-level signals (e.g., signals demultiplexed from 1170 within 1174) from the first set of one or more incoming low-speed signals;
• (2) generate (e.g., 1112, 1174) a second set of one or more switching-level signals (e.g., signals demultiplexed from 1144 within 1174) from the incoming protection signal;
• (3) select (e.g., 1174), at the switching-level signal level, a third set of one or more switching-level signals (e.g., signals selected within 1174) from the first and second sets of one or more switching-level signals;
• and
• (4) generate (e.g., 1174) the outgoing high-speed signal from the third set of one or more switching-level signals, wherein the outgoing high-speed signal has a greater speed than the switching-level signals and the incoming low-speed signals.

A framer/mapper/multiplexor (FMM) device for a system comprising at least four FMM devices configured as a first master FMM device (e.g., 1502 of FIG. 15), one or more first slave FMM devices (e.g., 1504), a second master FMM device, and one or more second slave FMM devices, wherein, when configured in the system:

• the one or more first slave FMM devices are connected to the first master FMM device;
• the first master FMM device is connected to the second master FMM device by a protection link (e.g., 1520);
• the second master FMM device is connected to the one or more second slave FMM devices;
• each FMM device is adapted to (A) receive (i) one or more incoming high-speed signals (e.g., 1522) from a high-speed network and (ii) one or more incoming low-speed signals (e.g., 1558) from a low-speed network and (B) transmit (i) one or more outgoing high-speed signals (e.g., 1578) to the high-speed network and (ii) one or more outgoing low-speed signals (e.g., 1544) to the low-speed network;
• each of the one or more first slave FMM devices is adapted to transmit copies (e.g., 1570, 1532) of its incoming high-speed and low-speed signals to the first master FMM device;
• each of the one or more second slave FMM devices is adapted to transmit copies of its incoming high-speed and low-speed signals to the second master FMM device;
• the first master FMM device is adapted to transmit copies (e.g., 1580, 1534) of (i) its incoming high-speed and low-speed signals and (ii) the incoming high-speed and low-speed signals from the one or more first slave FMM devices over the protection link to the second master FMM device;
• the second master FMM device is adapted to transmit copies of (i) its incoming high-speed and low-speed signals and (ii) the incoming high-speed and low-speed signals from the one or more second slave FMM devices over the protection link to the first master FMM device;
• the first master FMM device is adapted to transmit, to each first slave FMM device, copies (e.g., 1546, 1548) of the incoming high-speed and low-speed signals of a corresponding second slave FMM device;
• and
• the second master FMM device is adapted to transmit, to each second slave FMM device, copies of the incoming high-speed and low-speed signals of a corresponding first slave FMM device.