Integrated data packet network using a common time reference

A system for switching data packets, the data packets comprising a header having a PID field, from at least one source to at least one destination, wherein the transfer of the data packets is provided during respective ones of a plurality of predefined time intervals, wherein each of the predefined time intervals is comprised of a plurality of predefined time frames, said system comprising:

• a plurality of switches with a plurality of uniquely addressable input ports and output ports;
• a common time reference signal coupled to each of the switches;
• wherein the common time reference signal is partitioned into time frames;
• wherein a predefined number of contiguous time frames are grouped into a time cycle;
• wherein a predefined number of contiguous time cycles are grouped into a super cycle;
• a routing controller, coupled to the input ports for determining which of the plurality of output ports said data packet will be forwarded to, and for attaching a time of arrival (TOA) to the respective data packet;
• a packet scheduling and rescheduling controller for assigning selected predefined time frames for transfer into and out from each of the respective switches responsive to the time of arrival, the unique address of the respective input port, and the PID field in the data packet header;
• and
• wherein for each switch there is a first predefined time frame within which a respective data packet is transferred into the respective switch, and a second predefined time frame within which the respective data packet is forwarded out of the respective switch.

A system for scheduling data packets on a switch comprised of a plurality of uniquely addressable input ports and a plurality of uniquely addressable output ports, wherein the transfer of the data packets is provided during respective ones of a plurality of predefined time intervals, wherein each of the predefined time intervals is comprised of a plurality of predefined time frames, said system comprising:

• a common time reference signal coupled to each of the switches;
• wherein the common time reference partitioned into time frames;
• wherein a predefined number of contiguous k time frames are grouped into a time cycle;
• wherein k is at least 1;
• wherein a predefined number of contiguous l time cycles are grouped into a super cycle;
• wherein l is at least 1;
• a routing controller with a routing table for selecting at least one of the output ports said data packets will be forwarded to;
• wherein the routing controller is coupled to the input port and provides for attaching a time of arrival (TOA) to incoming ones of the data packets;
• wherein the time of arrival is derived from the common time reference and is represented as a time frame number within a time cycle and as a time cycle number within a super cycle;
• a switching fabric for coupling of data packets between the input and the output ports;
• a packet scheduling and rescheduling controller for scheduling respective ones of the data packets for transfer during predefined associated ones of the time frames.

A system for switching data packets comprised of a data header having a PID field and a time stamp field, from at least one source to at least one destination, wherein the transfer of the data packets is provided during respective ones of a plurality of predefined time intervals, wherein each of the predefined time intervals is comprised of a plurality of predefined time frames, said system comprising:

• a plurality of switches with a plurality of uniquely addressable input and output ports;
• a common time reference signal coupled to each of the switches;
• wherein the common time reference is partitioned into time frames;
• wherein a predefined number of contiguous time frames are grouped into a time cycle;
• wherein a predefined number of contiguous time cycles are grouped into a super cycle;
• a routing controller at the input port for determining uniquely the output port for forwarding of a respective data packet responsive to the PID field in the respective data packet header;
• a scheduling and rescheduling controller with a forwarding table for assigning predefined time frame for transfer out from each of the respective output ports responsive to the time stamp field, the unique address of the input port, and the PID field in the data packet header.