ATM switching system supporting N-ISDN traffic and method for controlling the same

A multimedia switching system, comprising:

• a subscriber input module comprising:
• a 2B+D frame handler for splitting 2B+D channel data output from an N-ISDN subscriber into B-channel data and D-channel data, and multiplexing the split B- and D-channel data to corresponding highways;
• a first time switch module for sorting the channel data on the respective highways by time slots corresponding to destination time switch module numbers, and switching channel stream data grouped by destinations to the respective highways;
• a first input CLAD for collecting voice data output from the time switch module by destinations to assemble an ATM cell;
• a trunk input module comprising:
• a frame handler for splitting frame data output from an N-ISDN trunk into B-channel data and D-channel data, and multiplexing the split B- and D-channel data to respective highways;
• a second time switch module for sorting the channel data on the respective highways by time slots corresponding to destination time switch module numbers, and switching channel stream data grouped by destinations to the respective highways;
• a second input CLAD for collecting voice data output from the second time switch module by destinations to assemble an ATM cell;
• an input ATM subscriber interface module for interfacing the ATM cell output from an ATM subscriber;
• an input ATM trunk interface module for interfacing the ATM cell output from an ATM trunk;
• an ATM switch having input ports connected to the subscriber input module and the trunk input module, and having output ports connected to a subscriber output module and a trunk output module, for self-routing the ATM cell input from the subscriber input module and the trunk input module to switch the ATM cell to a corresponding destination;
• said subscriber output module handling, in reverse order, the ATM cell output from the ATM switch and outputting the ATM cell handled to another N-ISDN subscriber, said subscriber output module having a same construction as that of the subscriber input module;
• said trunk output module handling, in reverse order, the ATM cell output from the ATM switch and outputting the ATM cell handled to another N-ISDN trunk, said trunk output module having a same construction as that of the trunk input module;
• an output ATM subscriber interface module for outputting the ATM cell input from the ATM switch to the ATM subscriber;
• and
• an output ATM trunk interface module for outputting the ATM cell input from the ATM switch to the ATM trunk.

A method of handling N-ISDN traffic in an ATM switching system, comprising the steps of:

• splitting channel data input from an N-ISDN subscriber and an N-ISDN trunk into B-channel data and D-channel data, and multiplexing the split B- and D-channel data to respective highways;
• sorting the channel data on the respective highways by time slots corresponding to destination time switch module number, and switching channel stream data grouped by destinations to the respective highways;
• collecting the stream data by destinations and assembling the stream data collected into an ATM cell;
• self-routing the ATM cell and switching the self-routed ATM cell to a corresponding destination;
• disassembling the switched ATM cell by destination, to convert the ATM cell to the channel stream data;
• and
• switching the time slots according to destinations for the disassembled channel stream data, to output the channel stream data to interfaces at corresponding destinations.