Switching system and method having low, deterministic latency

A method of switching information in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications network in which the TDM time slots correspond to channels of circuit information, comprising the steps of:

• receiving information from the TDM communication network;
• extracting circuit data therefrom,
• packing information from multiple circuits into a payload of a packet;
• providing channel numbers in the payload of the packet, wherein the channel numbers identify the channel on which the circuit data should eventually be transmitted,
• wherein the steps of packing information from multiple circuits into a payload and providing channel numbers interleaves circuit data and channel numbers in the payload by repeatedly providing two channel numbers followed by four bytes of information for each channel in a total of eight channels;
• scheduling the delivery of a packet, having a payload packed with information from multiple circuits, to a switching fabric that receives packets having a header and a payload wherein the header includes information identifying a destination for the packet and wherein the fabric transmits a received packet in accordance with the destination identification in the packet header;
• receiving packets from the switching fabric;
• and
• merging circuit data from multiple received packets onto an identified channel of the TDM communications network.

A communication switch comprising:

• adaptation logic, responsive to a circuit interface, including;
• logic operable to pack information from multiple circuits into a payload of a packet;
• logic operable to provide channel numbers in the payload of the packet, wherein the channel numbers identify the channel on which circuit data should eventually be transmitted,
• wherein the logic to pack information from multiple circuits into a payload and the logic to provide channel numbers are operable to cooperate to interleave circuit data and channel numbers in the payload by repeatedly providing two channel numbers followed by four bytes of information for each channel in a total of eight channels;
• scheduling logic to schedule the delivery of a packet having a payload packed with information from multiple circuits;
• logic to receive packets from a switching fabric;
• and
• logic to extract circuit data from multiple packets onto an identified channel.

A method for switching information in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications network in which the TDM time slots correspond to channels of circuit information, the method comprising the steps of:

• packing information from multiple circuits into a payload of a packet;
• providing channel numbers in the payload of the packet, wherein the channel numbers identify the channel on which the circuit data should eventually be transmitted, wherein the steps of packing information from multiple circuits into a payload and providing channel numbers interleaves circuit data and channel numbers in the payload by repeatedly providing two channel numbers followed by four bytes of information for each channel in a total of eight channels;
• scheduling the delivery of a packet having a payload packed with information from multiple circuits;
• receiving packets from a switching fabric;
• and
• extracting circuit data from multiple packets onto an identified channel.