Two-Stage Crossbar Distributor and Method for Operation

• US 20150146569A1
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Rauh, Georg
• Granted Patent: US 9,614,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/101 using crossbar or matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1515 Non-blocking multistage, e.g. Clos

Abstract

An apparatus provides signal links of M with N signal connections. A first stage has first switching matrices, wherein the first switching matrices are designed to establish at least one switchable signal link between each associated first signal connection and an associated second signal connection. A second stage has a second switching matrix with a size of N×M. In a sub-area of the second switching matrix the intersection points X2_p,q that comprise switching elements are precise those that for N≧M satisfy the conditions: p−Σ_λ=1ⁱ⁻¹n_λ≡q (mod n_i); 1≦p−Σ_λ=1ⁱ⁻¹n_λ≦n_i and 1≦q≦M.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing signal links between a first set of M fourth signal connections and a second set of N first signal connections, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a first stage with k_n first switching matrices, wherein the first switching matrices each comprise n_i of the first signal connections with the ordinal number v and n_i of the second signal connections with the ordinal number w, wherein 1≦

v≦

N and 1≦

w≦

N and N is equal to a sum of all n_i for i=1 to k_n and wherein the first switching matrices are designed to establish at least one switchable signal link between each associated first signal connection and an associated second signal connection;

a second stage with a second switching matrix with a size of N×

M with N third signal connections and M fourth signal connections, wherein the second switching matrix clamps a second matrix comprising N*M intersection points X2_p,q of the third signal connections with the ordinal number p and fourth signal connections with the ordinal number q, wherein 1≦

p≦

N and 1≦

q≦

M, wherein, in each case n_i, second signal connections of each first switching matrix of the first stage have a signal link in each case with n_i signal connections with sequential ordinal number p of the N third signal connections of the second switching matrix, and in a sub-area of the second switching matrix the intersection points X2_p,q that comprise switching elements satisfy the conditions;

p−

Σ

<sub>λ

=1</sub><sup>i−

1</sup>n_λ

≡

q(mod n_i),

1≦

p−

Σ

<sub>λ

=1</sub><sup>i−

1</sup>n_λ

≦

n_i and 1≦

q≦

M,

and in the remaining second switching matrix different from the sub-area at least the intersection points X2_p,q that satisfy the conditions comprise switching elements, wherein the switching elements establish switchable signal links between the associated third and the associated fourth signal connections.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first switching matrices comprises a matrix with switching elements only at those intersection points X1_v,w that lie on a main diagonal and on a half separate from the main diagonal.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first switching matrices comprises a matrix with switching elements on all intersection points X1_v,w.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sub-area comprises the entire second switching matrix.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein k_n>

=2.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein N, M>

=3.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein all n_i are the same.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a third stage with k_m third switching matrices, wherein the third switching matrices m_u comprise fifth signal connections and m_u sixth signal connections, which clamp third matrices, wherein the third matrices comprise switching elements on all intersection points on a main diagonal and on a half of the third matrices separate from the main diagonal and wherein M is equal to a sum of all m_u for u=1 to k_m and wherein in each case m_u fifth signal connections of each third switching matrix of the first stage has a signal link with in each case m_u signal connections of the M fourth signal connections of the second switching matrix.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the third matrices comprise switching elements on all intersection points.

2. An apparatus for providing signal links between a first set of M fourth signal connections and a second set of N first signal connections, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a first stage with k_n first switching matrices, wherein the first switching matrices each comprise n_i of the first signal connections with the ordinal number v and n_i of the second signal connections with the ordinal number w, wherein 1≦

v≦

N and 1≦

w≦

N and N is equal to a sum of all n_i for i=1 to k_n and wherein the first switching matrices are designed to establish at least one switchable signal link between each associated first signal connection and an associated second signal connection;

a second stage with a second switching matrix with a size of N×

M with N third signal connections and M fourth signal connections, wherein the second switching matrix clamps a second matrix comprising N*M intersection points X2_p,q of the third signal connections with the ordinal number p and fourth signal connections with the ordinal number q, wherein 1≦

p≦

N and 1≦

q≦

M, wherein in each case n_i second signal connections of each first switching matrix of the first stage each with n_i signal connections have a signal link with sequential ordinal number p of the N third signal connections of the second switching matrix, and in a sub-area of the second switching matrix the intersection points X2_p,q that comprise switching elements satisfy the conditions;

p−

Σ

<sub>λ

=1</sub><sup>i−

1</sup>n_λ

≡

q(mod n_i),

1≦

p−

Σ

<sub>λ

=1</sub><sup>i−

1</sup>n_λ

≦

n_i and 1≦

q≦

M,

and for N≧

M the relationship q≦

Σ

<sub>λ

=1</sub>ⁱn_λ

or for N<

M the relationship q−

q_T≦

Σ

<sub>λ

=1</sub>ⁱn_λ

with q_T=M−

N;

and in the remaining second switching matrix different from the sub-area at least the intersection points X2_p,q that satisfy the conditions comprise switching elements wherein the switching elements establish switchable signal links between the associated third and the associated fourth signal connections.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the first switching matrices comprises a matrix with switching elements only at those intersection points X1_v,w that lie on a main diagonal and on a half separate from the main diagonal.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the first switching matrices comprises a matrix with switching elements on all intersection points X1_v,w.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sub-area comprises the entire second switching matrix.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein k_n>

=2.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein N, M>

=3.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein all n_i are the same.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the apparatus further comprises a third stage with k_m third switching matrices, wherein the third switching matrices m_u comprise fifth signal connections and m_u sixth signal connections, which clamp third matrices, wherein the third matrices comprise switching elements on all intersection points on a main diagonal and on a half of the third matrices separate from the main diagonal and wherein M is equal to a sum of all m_u for u=1 to k_m and wherein in each case m_u fifth signal connections of each third switching matrix of the first stage has a signal link with in each case m_u signal connections of the M fourth signal connections of the second switching matrix.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the third matrices comprise switching elements on all intersection points.

19. A method for providing signal links of N_R predetermined signal connections of the N first signal connections with N_R of M fourth signal connections of the second switching matrix, wherein the N_R signal connections within the fourth signal connections form an uninterrupted sequence of adjacent signal connections and wherein the method comprises:

determining a number k_R of first switching matrices comprising a first signal connection to be linked;

determining a number of first signal connections N_i which are to be linked to each first switching matrix and hence the sum N_R of all first signal connections to be linked;

determining a position of a first area of N_R of the M fourth signal connections of the second switching matrix by specifying q_R, wherein and the N_R signal connections are an uninterrupted sequence of adjacent fourth signal connections of the M fourth signal connections of the second switching matrix lying in the area 1≦

q−

q_R≦

N_R;

dividing the fourth signal connections of the first area into k_R first sub-areas UM_j, with 1≦

j≦

k_R, and in each case assignment of a sub-area UN_j in accordance with a second assignment function i=R2(j), by which the number m_i of fourth signal connections within a sub-area UM_j is also specified via the relationship m_j=N_R2(j);

connecting all links in switching elements of the second switching matrix located within a submatrix T2R_j with the size n_R2(j)×

m_j, which is defined by the conditions 1≦

p−

Σ

<sub>λ

=1</sub>^R2(j)-1n_λ

≦

n_R2(j) and 1≦

q−

Σ

<sub>λ

=1</sub><sup>j−

1</sup>m_λ

−

q_R≦

m_j, when the submatrix T2R_j is located within the sub-area, or of m_i switching elements selected specifically for the application if T2R_j is located outside the sub-area;

assigning in accordance with a first assignment function v=R1(w) of N_R first signal connections to be linked to those second signal connections, which are connected via the second switching matrix in the connecting to one of the fourth signal connections; and

establishing a link in switching elements at the intersection points X1_R1(w),w of the first switching matrices.