Video router

A data transmission system, comprising:

• a plurality of video routers;
• a switch configuration database;
• and
• a controller communication network coupling the plurality of video routers and the switch configuration database;
• wherein each video router comprises:
• a backplane including a plurality of backplane connections;
• at least one line card, each line card comprising:
• a plurality of input and output ports, each input port and output port being coupled to a respective data signal through the backplane;
• and
• a line card cross-point switch having a plurality of input switch terminals and a plurality of output switch terminals, wherein a first plurality of input and output switch terminals are coupled to a respective plurality of input and output ports and a second plurality of input and output switch terminals are coupled to a respective plurality of backplane connections;
• at least one fabric card, each fabric card comprising:
• a fabric card cross-point switch having a plurality of input switch terminals and a plurality of output switch terminals, wherein the plurality of input and output switch terminals are coupled to a respective plurality of backplane connections;
• wherein each line card and fabric card comprises a card controller, the card controller being coupled to one or more cross-point switches and configured to selectively couple one or more input switch terminals of a cross-point switch to one or more output switch terminals of that cross-point switch based on data stored in the switch configuration database;
• and
• wherein the switch configuration database is configured to store coupling of the input switch terminals of the line card cross-point switch and the fabric card cross-point switch to corresponding output switch terminals.

A method of routing video signals from a plurality of input ports to a plurality of output ports using at least one video router of the data transmission system of claim 1, the method comprising:

• receiving a data stream at an input port of a line card;
• receiving one or more router configuration signals by one or more card controllers, at least one card controller being a line card controller of the line card, the one or more router configuration signals generated based on the data stored in the switch configuration database;
• and
• configuring one or more cross-point switches by card controllers based on the one or more router configuration signals to route the data stream between the input port and an output destination, wherein at least one of the one or more cross-point switches correspond to a cross-point switch of the line card.