Routers for switching ATM cells in a packet-like manner using a packet switch

A method for allowing both packets and ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cells to be routed via a packet switch, said packet switch routing packets that conform to format requirements, comprising:

• receiving said packets at a first circuit;
• receiving said ATM cells at a second circuit;
• formatting said ATM cells to fit said format requirements of said packet switch, thereby creating ATM cell-containing packets;
• and
• forwarding both said packets and said ATM cell-containing packets to said packet switch for routing,
• wherein said formatting includes associating said ATM cell-containing packets with tags, said tags allowing a receiver circuit receiving said ATM cell-containing packets from said packet switch to identify said ATM cell-containing packets as packet-like series of bits having therein ATM cells.

A router for routing both ATM cells and packets received from a plurality of router input ports to a plurality of router output ports, comprising:

• a first circuit for receiving said ATM cells;
• a second circuit for receiving said packets;
• a third circuit coupled to said first circuit and said second circuit for aggregating selected ones of said ATM cells and selected ones of said packets into a combined data stream that contains data from both said selected ones of said ATM cells and said selected ones of said packets and outputting said combined data stream;
• and
• a switch coupled to said third circuit for receiving said combined data stream, said switch directing information pertaining to individual ones of said selected ones of said ATM cells and said selected ones of said packets to respective ones of said plurality of router output ports, said respective ones of said router output ports being ascertained from packet headers associated with said information pertaining to individual ones of said selected ones of said ATM cells and said selected ones of said packets, said router including circuitry for attaching a packet header to each said ATM cells, thereby forming ATM cell-containing packet for switching by the switch.