Hybrid switching
View Patent ↗A switch switches time division multiplexed (TDM) data and packet data from input ports to output ports. The swich comprises: a plurality of input ports receiving data, wherein each data comprises either TDM data or packet data; a plurality of output ports transmitting switched data; and a shared memory coupling the input ports to the output ports. The shared memory sequentially receives the data from the input ports, and switches a sequentially received data from a respective input port to a respective output port. Switching of packet data by the shared memory has no latency or jitter effect on switching of TDM data by the shared memory.
1. A switch to switch time division multiplexed (TDM) data and packet data from input ports to output ports, comprising:
a plurality of input ports to receive data, wherein each data comprises either TDM data or packet data;
a plurality of output ports to transmit switched data;
a single shared memory coupling said input ports to said output ports, said single shared memory to receive sequentially all TDM data and all packet data received from said input ports, said single shared memory to store both TDM data and packet data, said single shared memory to switch all sequentially received TDM data and packet data received from respective input ports to respective output ports, and wherein switching of any received TDM data is based on input time slots of said TDM data;
a time slot interchange controller coupled to said single shared memory to select addresses in said single shared memory to store TDM data, said time slot interchange controller to select an address of said single shared memory for a TDM data based on a time slot of a frame in which said switch received the TDM data, wherein said time slot interchange controller selects a same address for said single shared memory each time TDM data is received in a respective time slot of a respective frame; and
a packet switch controller coupled to said single shared memory to select addresses in said single shared memory to store packet data, said packet switch controller to select an address of said single shared memory for a packet data based on routing data embedded in the packet data and based on the input port which received the packet data.
2. A switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each data is received by an input port as a time slot in a frame.
3. A switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said single shared memory comprises a TDM data memory portion and a packet data memory portion.
4. A switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said single shared memory treats the input ports as logical input ports.
5. A switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said single shared memory to place sequentially received packet data in a queue for a respective output port.
6. A switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data are received by said input ports and transmitted by said output ports as data exchange units.
7. A switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the switching of a data from a respective input port to a respective output port is controlled by a stored switch configuration.
8. A switch as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an input data router to route sequentially data from said input ports to said single shared memory; and
an output data router to route sequentially data from said single shared memory to said output ports.
9. A switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data are received by said input ports and transmitted by said output ports as data exchange units, the data exchange units for packet data comprise routing information, the switching of a data exchange unit from a respective input port to a respective output port is controlled by a stored switch configuration, said stored switch configuration uses the routing information of data exchange units for packet data to determine respective output ports to switch the data exchange units.
10. A switch for switching time division multiplexed (TDM) data and packet data from input ports to output ports, comprising:
a plurality of input ports to receive data, wherein each data comprises either TDM data or packet data;
a plurality of output ports to transmit switched data;
a shared memory coupling said input ports to said output ports, said shared memory to receive sequentially the data received from said input ports, said shared memory to switch a sequentially received data from a respective input port to a respective output port;
a time slot interchange controller coupled to said shared memory to select addresses in said shared memory to store TDM data, said time slot interchange controller to select an address of said shared memory for a TDM data based on a time slot of a frame in which said switch received the TDM data, wherein said time slot interchange controller selects a same address for said shared memory each time TDM data is received in a respective time slot of a respective frame; and
a packet switch controller coupled to said shared memory to select addresses in said shared memory to store packet data, said packet switch controller to select an address of shared memory for a packet data based on routing data embedded in the packet data and based on the input port which received the packet data.
11. A switch as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each data is received by an input port as a time slot in a frame.
12. A switch as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said shared memory treats the input ports as logical input ports.
13. A switch as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said shared memory places sequentially received packet data in a queue for a respective output port.
14. A switch as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the data are received by said input ports and transmitted by said output ports as data exchange units.
15. A switch to switch time division multiplexed (TDM) data and packet data from input ports to output ports, comprising:
a plurality of input ports to receive TDM data and packet data, each TDM data having an associated time slot of a frame;
a plurality of output ports to transmit switched data;
a single shared memory to switch TDM data and packet data from said input ports to said output ports, said single shared memory to store TDM data received at said input ports based on said time slot of said frame of each TDM data, said single shared memory to store packet data received at said input ports based on routing data embedded in each packet data and based on which input port received each packet data;
a time slot interchange controller external to and coupled to said single shared memory to direct said single shared memory regarding storage of TDM data, wherein said time slot interchange controller selects a same address for said single shared memory corresponding to a respective time slot of a respective frame when TDM data is received in said respective time slot of said respective frame; and
a packet switch controller external to and coupled to said single shared memory to direct said single shared memory regarding storage of packet data.
16. A switch as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said single shared memory to treat the input ports as logical input ports.
17. A switch as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said single shared memory to place sequentially received packet data in a queue for a respective output port.
18. A switch as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said input ports to receive and said output ports to transmit TDM data and packet data as data exchange units.
19. A switch as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the data exchange units for packet data comprise routing information used to determine output ports to switch the data exchange units.
20. A switch as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
an input data router to route TDM data and packet data sequentially from said input ports to said single shared memory; and
an output data router to route TDM data and packet data sequentially from said single shared memory to said output ports.
21. A system to switch time division multiplexed (TDM) data and packet data from input ports to output ports, comprising:
said switch of claim 15 ; and
a stored switch configuration coupled to said switch to control switching of said TDM data and packet data from said input ports to said output ports.
22. A method to switch time division multiplexed (TDM) data and packet data, comprising:
receiving TDM data and packet data at N input ports;
storing received TDM data in a single shared memory based on a time slot of a frame of each TDM data, wherein each frame has M time slots;
storing received packet data in said single shared memory based on routing data embedded in each packet data and based on which input port received each packet data; and
forwarding stored TDM data and packet data from said single shared memory to said output ports,
wherein said single shared memory comprises a TDM data memory portion and a packet data memory portion, and wherein said TDM memory portion accommodates N×M TDM data.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein TDM data are stored in a preselected area of said single shared memory based on said time slots of said frames.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein packet data are stored in an area other than said preselected area of said single shared memory.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein said preselected area of said single shared memory to store TDM data is sectioned according to time slots and frames.
26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the output ports for TDM data are determined based on said time slots of said frames, and wherein the output ports for packet data are determined based on said embedded routing data and based the input ports which received the packet data.
27. A switch for switching time division multiplexed (TDM) data and packet data from input ports to output ports, comprising:
a plurality of input ports to receive data, wherein each data comprises either TDM data or packet data;
a plurality of output ports to transmit switched data;
a shared memory coupling said input ports to said output ports, said shared memory to receive sequentially the data received from said input ports, said shared memory to switch a sequentially received data from a respective input port to a respective output port, wherein said shared memory comprises a TDM data memory portion and a packet data memory portion and wherein each section of the TDM data memory portion is assigned to a respective time slot of a respective frame;
a time slot interchange controller coupled to said shared memory to select addresses in said shared memory to store TDM data, said time slot interchange controller to select an address of said shared memory for a TDM data based on a time slot of a frame in which said switch received the TDM data; and
a packet switch controller coupled to said shared memory to select addresses in said shared memory to store packet data, said packet switch controller to select an address of shared memory for a packet data based on routing data embedded in the packet data and based on the input port which received the packet data.
28. A switch to switch time division multiplexed (TDM) data and packet data from input ports to output ports, comprising:
a plurality of input ports to receive TDM data and packet data, each TDM data having an associated time slot of a frame;
a plurality of output ports to transmit switched data;
a single shared memory to switch TDM data and packet data from said input ports to said output ports, said single shared memory to store TDM data received at said input ports based on said time slot of said frame of each TDM data, said single shared memory to store packet data received at said input ports based on routing data embedded in each packet data and based on which input port received each packet data, wherein said single shared memory comprises a TDM data memory portion and a packet data memory portion and wherein each address of the TDM memory portion is assigned to a respective time slot of a respective frame.
29. A switch to switch time division multiplexed (TDM) data and packet data from input ports to output ports, comprising:
a plurality of input ports to receive TDM data and packet data, each TDM data having an associated time slot of a frame;
a plurality of output ports to transmit switched data;
a single shared memory to switch TDM data and packet data from said input ports to said output ports, said single shared memory to store TDM data received at said input ports based on said time slot of said frame of each TDM data, said single shared memory to store packet data received at said input ports based on routing data embedded in each packet data and based on which input port received each packet data, wherein said single shared memory comprises a TDM data memory portion and a packet data memory portion and wherein said TDM memory portion accommodates N×M TDM data, wherein said switch has N input ports, wherein each frame has M time slots.