US 6,188,687 B1 · Broadband switch that manages traffic and method therefor

Abstract

A network (10) includes a broadband customer service module (B-CSM) (20). The B-CSM (20) includes a plurality of feeder interface cards (FICs) (36) and optical line cards (OLCs) (38) which are coupled together through a midplane assembly (34) so that each FIC (36) couples to all OLCs (38) and each OLC (38) couples to all FICs (36) through junctor groups (68). A reference clock which oscillates at a frequency slower than the data rate is routed with payload data so that it receives delays similar to those imposed on the payload data due to processing. At second stage switching fabrics (50) where data need to be extracted from signals flowing within the B-CSM (20), a clock regeneration circuit (32) generates a master clock signal oscillating at twice the data rate and phase synchronized to a delayed reference clock. A geometric compensation scheme corrects for timing skew which occurs when clocks and data are distributed to points or small areas from widely dispersed locations, and when clocks and data are distributed from points or small areas to widely dispersed locations. The B-CSM (20) ranks the junctor groups (68) according to signal occupancy and manages signal traffic to efficiently utilize the FICs (36) and to reduce the probability of signal blocking. The junctor groups (68) can include a number of bidirectional junctors. The bidirectional junctors are configured to carry upstream or downstream signals according to current upstream and downstream signal traffic volume.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of operating a switching circuit to manage communication signal traffic, said method comprising the steps of:

performing first stage switching in a first plurality of switching modules;
performing second stage switching in a second plurality of switching modules, wherein each of said first switching modules is coupled to all of said second switching modules and said first and second switching modules are in data communication through a plurality of junctors, a portion of said junctors being configured as bidirectional junctors;
monitoring upstream and downstream signal traffic volume;
controlling, in response to said monitoring step, a number of said bidirectional junctors allocated to upstream signal traffic and a number of said bidirectional junctors allocated to downstream signal traffic;
and
directing communication signals through said bidirectional junctors in response to said upstream and downstream signal traffic volume.

3 more elements

A broadband switching circuit that manages communication signal traffic, said switching circuit comprising:

a plurality of first switching modules;
a plurality of second switching modules, each of said first switching modules being coupled to all of said second switching modules;
a plurality of junctors configured to provide data communication between said first and second switching modules, a portion of said junctors being configured as bidirectional junctors, each of said bidirectional junctors being coupled to a first upstream fabric located at said first switching module, a first downstream fabric located at said first switching module, a second upstream fabric located at said second switching module, and a second downstream fabric located at said second switching module;
and
means for directing communication signals through said junctors in response to upstream and downstream signal traffic volume.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Broadband switch that manages traffic and method therefor

Life of this patent

Broadband switch that manages traffic and method therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20