US 4,696,000 A · Nonblocking self-routing packet and circuit switching network

Abstract

A packet switching architecture in which switching network nodes automatically determine nonblocking paths through a switching network in response to address information. The switching network comprises stages of broadcast and routing nodes. The broadcast nodes are responsive to the transmission of address information from an input port to create a plurality of paths through the switching network and to communicate on this plurality of paths the address information to the routing stages. Each of the routing switch nodes is responsive to receipt of address information to select one of the paths to an address-designated output port. The final path is established by the output port transmitting an acknowledge signal back through the switching network. Each node upon receipt of the acknowledge signal establishes the path through the itself.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A non-blocking switching network for the communication of packets and circuit switched information from network input ports to network output ports, said network comprising:

a plurality of sequential broadcast stages followed by a plurality of routing stages;
a plurality of sequential links for sequentially interconnecting said stages;
each of said broadcast stages comprises a plurality of switch nodes each responsive to the receipt of address signals designating an output port received from one of said input ports for communicating the received address signals as a plurality of sets of said received address signals to all of the interconnected nodes of a subsequent one of said stages;
each of said routing stages comprises a plurality of switch nodes each comprises means responsive to receipt of a plurality of sets of said address signals for selecting one of said sets;
and
each of said switch nodes of said routing stages further comprises means responsive to the selected one of said sets of address signals for transmitting said one of said sets to the switch node in the subsequent stage designated by said address signals.

3 more elements

A nonblocking, self-routing, switching network for communicating packet and circuit switched information, comprising:

a plurality of n routing stages and n-1 broadcast stages;
each of said stages having a plurality of switch nodes;
each of said nodes of said broadcast stages having two input terminals and three output terminals;
each of said nodes of the first sequential routing stage having two input terminals and two output terminals;
each of said nodes of the remaining sequential routing stages having three input terminals and two output terminals;
each of the broadcast nodes comprises means responsive to receipt of address signals by one of said input terminals for retransmitting said address signals to the next downstream stage via all of each individual node's idle output terminals;
each of said broadcast nodes further comprises means responsive to the retransmission of said address signals for entering a state indicative of a path setup operation;
each of the routing nodes comprises means responsive to receipt of said address signals for interrogating said address signals to determine the output terminal designated by said address signals;
each of said routing nodes further comprises means responsive to said receipt for recommunicating said address signals to the next downstream node via the designated output terminal;
each of said routing nodes further comprises means responsive to the recommunication of said address signals for entering said state indicative of said path setup operation;
and
the state entering means of each of said nodes of said network further responsive to receipt of an acknowledge signal via one of each node's output terminals from the next downstream stage for entering a busy state indicative of the path having been set up through the node.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Nonblocking self-routing packet and circuit switching network

Life of this patent

Nonblocking self-routing packet and circuit switching network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10