Distributed telecommunications switching system and method

A method for transmitting data in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

• generating at a controller a control signal having a plurality of credit allowance values;
• receiving at a first switching unit the control signal;
• receiving at the first switching unit a first plurality of customer-generated data packets;
• receiving at a second switching unit a second plurality of customer-generated data packets;
• transmitting the second plurality of customer-generated data packets by the second switching unit to the first switching unit;
• transmitting by the first switching unit the first plurality of customer-generated data packets to a third switching unit in response to a first one of the credit allowance values of the control signal;
• and
• transmitting the second plurality of customer-generated data packets by the first switching unit to the third switching unit.

A distributed telecommunications switching subsystem, comprising:

• a controller operable to generate and transmit a control signal, the control signal having a first credit allowance word and a second credit allowance word;
• a first customer premises equipment (CPE) unit operable to generate and transmit a first plurality of data packets;
• a first switching subsystem in communication with the first CPE unit, the first switching subsystem having a first receiving system, a second receiving system, a first processor, and a first transmitting system, the first receiving system operable to receive the control signal, the second receiving system operable to receive the first plurality of data packets, the first processor operable to read the first credit allowance word of the control signal, and the first transmitting system operable to transmit selected ones of the first plurality of data packets at selected times in response to the first credit allowance word;
• a second CPE unit operable to generate and transmit a second plurality of data packets;
• and
• a second switching subsystem in communication with the first switching subsystem, the controller and the second CPE unit, the second switching subsystem having a third receiving system, a fourth receiving system, a fifth receiving system, a second processor, a second transmitting system, and a third transmitting system, the third receiving system operable to receive the control signal from the controller, the fourth receiving system operable to receive the second plurality of data packets, the fifth receiving system operable to receive the selected ones of the first plurality of data packets, the second processor operable to read the second credit allowance word of the control signal, the second transmitting system operable to retransmit the control signal, and the third transmitting system operable to retransmit the selected ones of the first plurality of data packets and operable to transmit selected ones of the second plurality of data packets at selected times in response to the second credit allowance word.

A channel bank for a service access multiplexer, comprising:

• a first buffer operable to receive a control asynchronous transfer mode cell generated from a local processor;
• a a second buffer operable to receive a bypass asynchronous transfer mode cell from a downstream channel bank;
• a third buffer operable to receive an ingress asynchronous transfer mode cell from one of a plurality of subscribers;
• a cell scheduler operable to select one of the first, second, and third buffers for upstream transport of its respective asynchronous transfer mode cell, the cell scheduler controlling upstream transport of asynchronous transfer mode cells over a pre-defined control period in response to a credit allowance received by the cell scheduler, the credit allowance determining a number of asynchronous transfer mode cells to be transported upstream by the cell scheduler during the pre-defined control period.