Switching fabric for a digital traffic switch

In a switching fabric for a digital traffic switch, an apparatus for queueing and dequeueing data received on a plurality of input ports, comprising:

• n input ports, where n is an integer greater than one;
• means for assigning to each input port a time slot within a repetitive cycle;
• means associated with each input port for delaying an input data signal;
• means for releasing, consecutively, from each delaying means successive first bit blocks of the input data signal, beginning on the time slot assigned to the input port associated with the delaying means;
• means for converting, consecutively, the successive first bit blocks into successive second bit blocks, wherein the second bit blocks have a larger bit count than the first bit blocks;
• means for writing into an output queue, consecutively, the successive second bit blocks;
• and
• means for reading from the output queue, consecutively, the successive second bit blocks.

In a switching fabric for a digital traffic switch, an apparatus for queuing data received on a plurality of data input ports, comprising:

• n input ports, where n is an integer greater than one;
• means for assigning to each input port a time slot within a repetitive cycle;
• means associated with each input port for delaying an input data signal;
• means for releasing, consecutively, from each delaying means successive first bit blocks of the input data signal, beginning on the time slot assigned to the input port associated with the delaying means;
• means for converting, concurrently, a plurality of the successive first bit blocks into the plurality of successive second bit blocks wherein the second bit blocks have a larger bit count than the first bit blocks;
• and
• means for writing into an output queue, concurrently, a plurality of the successive second bit blocks.

In a switching fabric for transferring data units from a plurality of input ports to a plurality of destination output ports, an apparatus for queueing and dequeueing multicast data units, comprising:

• a plurality of logical data queues;
• a plurality of pointer queues, each associated with a different destination output port;
• means for determining which one of the logical data queues is the fullest;
• means for writing a multicast data unit into the fullest logical data queue only;
• means for writing a pointer to the multicast data unit into each pointer queue;
• and
• means for using each pointer to read the multicast data unit from the logical data queue toward each destination output port.

In a switching fabric for a digital traffic switch, a method for transferring data, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a plurality of input signals on their respective input ports;
• assigning to each input port a different time slot within a repetitive cycle;
• delaying an input data signal on each input port;
• releasing from each input port successive first bit blocks of the input data signal, beginning on the time slot assigned to the input port;
• converting the successive first bit blocks into successive second bit blocks, wherein the second bit blocks have a larger bit count than the first bit blocks;
• and
• writing into an output queue the successive second bit blocks.

In a switching fabric for a digital traffic switch, a method for queueing and dequeueing data received, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a plurality of input signals on their respective input ports;
• assigning to each input port a time slot within a repetitive cycle;
• delaying an input data signal for each input port;
• releasing, consecutively, from each input port successive first bit blocks of the input data signal, beginning on the time slot assigned to the input port;
• converting, consecutively, the successive first bit blocks into successive second bit blocks, wherein the second bit blocks have a larger bit count than the first bit blocks;
• writing into an output queue, consecutively, the successive second bit blocks;
• and
• reading from the output queue, consecutively, the successive second bit blocks.

In a switching fabric for a digital traffic switch, a method for queuing data received, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a plurality of input signals on their respective input ports;
• assigning to each input port a time slot within a repetitive cycle;
• delaying an input data signal for each input port;
• releasing, consecutively, from each input port successive first bit blocks of the input data signal, beginning on the time slot assigned to the input port;
• converting, concurrently, a plurality of the successive first bit blocks into the plurality of successive second bit blocks, wherein the second bit blocks have a larger bit count than the first bit blocks;
• and
• writing into an output queue, concurrently, a plurality of the successive second bit blocks.