System for switching high-capacity and variable length packets

A system for switching high-capacity and variable length packets comprising:

• m input ports;
• n output ports;
• k Banyan networks connected into a ring by means of at least n parallel lines, each Banyan network having at least n inputs and at least n outputs, each of m, n, and k being integers;
• m input modules each of which is connected to a respective one of said m input ports, said input modules being further connected to said inputs of said k Banyan networks;
• m sets of misroute tag check parts, each set including at least n misroute tag check parts, respective misroute tag check parts in each set being connected to respective outputs of each Banyan network;
• and
• n output modules each having an output connected to a respective one of said output ports and inputs each connected to one of misroute tag check parts of each sets;
• wherein each of plural unit switches constituting a Banyan network is constructed such that when an input packet cannot be sent to a desired output, the relevant packet is outputted to a non-occupied output of the relevant Banyan network;
• said misroute tag check part checks whether a misroute tag of an inputted packet is set or not, and when the misroute tag is set, the relevant packet is sent to a next stage Banyan network, but when the misroute check tag is not set, the relevant packet is outputted to an output module connected to a desired output;
• and
• said input module is constructed to store a packet from the input port and a packet from a misroute tag check part and to send one of these packets selectively to a Banyan network of a next stage.