Data transfer switch for transferring data of an arbitrary length on the basis of transfer destination

• US 5,881,065 A
• Filed: 12/28/1995
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ultra-High Speed Network and Computer Technology Laboratories
• Original Assignee: Ultra-High Speed Network and Computer Technology Laboratories
• Inventors: Abiru, Ken-ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Eddie P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Portka, Gary J.
• Application Number:
  US08/580,144
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.15, 395/311, 395/858, 395/200.68, 370/396, 370/412, 370/422, 370/413
• US Class Current: 370/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/101 using crossbar or matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/254 Centralised controller, i.e. arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags

Abstract

A data transfer switch includes a switch controller and a selector switch unit. The switch controller selects one of transfer requests having the same output accommodation unit serving as a transfer destination from all transfer requests output from the input accommodation units, outputs a selector control signal, as data to be transferred to a transfer destination output accommodation unit, the selector control signal designating to select data from a transfer source input accommodation unit, and outputs a transfer permission to the transfer source input accommodation unit. The selector switch unit selects, on the basis of the selector control signal output from the switch controller, one of data output from the input accommodation units as data to be transferred to each output accommodation unit, connects the transfer source input accommodation unit to the transfer destination output accommodation unit in a one-to-one correspondence, and transfers the data from the transfer source input accommodation unit to the transfer destination output accommodation unit in accordance with the transfer permission in one direction.

Claims

1. A data transfer switch having a plurality of input accommodation units and a plurality of output accommodation units to transfer data of an arbitrary length input from an arbitrary input accommodation unit to a predetermined output accommodation unit on the basis of transfer destination information, comprising:

switch control means for selecting one of transfer requests having the same output accommodation unit serving as a transfer destination from all transfer requests output from the input accommodation units, outputting a selector control signal instructing to select data from a transfer source input accommodation unit, as the data for transferring to a transfer destination output accommodation unit, the selector control signal designating to select data from the transfer source input accommodation unit, and outputting a transfer permission to the transfer source input accommodation unit; and

selector switch means for selecting, on the basis of the selector control signal output from said switch control means, one of data output from the input accommodation units as data to be transferred to each output accommodation unit, connecting the transfer source input accommodation unit to the transfer destination output accommodation unit in a one-to-one correspondence, and transferring the data from the transfer source input accommodation unit to the transfer destination output accommodation unit in accordance with the transfer permission in one direction, said selector switch means having no memory device and having a distributor unit and a plurality of selector sections.

2. A switch according to claim 1, wherein said switch control means comprises:

a plurality of selecting sections respectively arranged for the output accommodation units to each select one of a plurality of transfer requests having corresponding output accommodation units serving as transfer destinations and to output a transfer permission to an input accommodation unit corresponding to the selected transfer request, and

a plurality of signal generators for outputting the selector control signal instructing to select data from the transfer source input accommodation unit, as the data for transferring to the transfer destination output accommodation unit, designating to select data from the transfer source input accommodation unit to the transfer destination output accommodation unit on the basis of a transfer permission output from each of the plurality of selecting sections; and

said selector switch means includes

a distributor for distributing data output from each input accommodation unit to each output accommodation unit, and

a selector section arranged for each output accommodation unit to select data to be transferred to a corresponding output accommodation unit from all data from the input accommodation unit which are distributed by the distributor.

3. A switch according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of selecting sections respectively arranged for the output accommodation units to each select one of a plurality of transfer requests having corresponding output accommodation units serving as transfer destinations and to output a transfer permission to an input accommodation unit corresponding to the selected transfer request;

a timing generator for outputting frame and clock signals to a control bus;

a transfer request bus for transferring a transfer request output from each input accommodation unit; and

a transfer permission bus for transferring a transfer permission output from each selecting section, so that the transfer request and the transfer permission are exchanged using slots time-divisionally assigned on the transfer request bus and the transfer permission bus;

wherein the control bus outputs frame and clock signals as control signals for the transfer request bus and the transfer permission bus.

4. A switch according to claim 3, wherein

each transfer source input accommodation unit is assigned a slot,

each input accommodation unit inserts a transfer destination number representing the transfer destination output accommodation unit in a home slot and outputs a transfer request, and

each selecting section inserts the transfer destination number representing the transfer destination output accommodation unit in a slot of the transfer source input accommodation unit and outputs a transfer permission.

5. A switch according to claim 3, wherein each selecting section is arranged in the corresponding output accommodation units.

6. A switch according to claim 4, wherein each signal generator generates the selector control signal on the basis of the transfer destination number inserted by a corresponding one of the selecting sections in the slot on the transfer permission bus, the transfer destination number being assigned to the transfer source input accommodation unit.

7. A data transfer switch having a plurality of input accommodation units and a plurality of output accommodation units to transfer data of an arbitrary length input from an arbitrary input accommodation unit to a predetermined output accommodation unit on the basis of transfer destination information,

the plurality of input accommodation units being adapted to individually output transfer requests for a plurality of data having different transfer destinations and output corresponding data in response to transfer permissions corresponding to the transfer requests, comprising:

switch control means for selecting one of transfer requests having the same output accommodation unit as a transfer destination, the transfer requests being output from input accommodation units to which transfer permissions are not notified and being selected from all transfer requests from the input accommodation units, for outputting a selector control signal instructing to select data from a transfer source input accommodation unit, as the data for transferring to a transfer destination output accommodation unit, the selector control signal designating to select data from the transfer source input accommodation unit to the transfer destination output accommodation unit, and for outputting a transfer permission to the transfer source input accommodation unit in a manner where a plurality of transfer permissions will not be given simultaneously to the transfer source input accommodation unit; and

selector switch means for selecting any one of the data output from the input accommodation units as data to be transferred to each output accommodation unit, on the basis of the selector control signal from said switch control means, connecting the transfer source input accommodation unit to the transfer destination output accommodation unit in a one-to-one correspondence in response to the transfer permission, and transferring the data output from the transfer source input accommodation unit to the transfer destination output accommodation unit in one direction.

8. A switch according to claim 7, wherein said switch control means comprises:

a plurality of selecting sections respectively arranged for the output accommodation units to each select one of a plurality of transfer requests having corresponding output accommodation units serving as transfer destinations and to output a transfer permission to an input accommodation unit corresponding to the selected transfer request;

a signal generator for outputting the selector control signal instructing to select data from a transfer source input accommodation unit, as the data for transferring to the transfer destination output accommodation unit, designating to select data from the transfer source input accommodation unit to the transfer destination output accommodation unit on the basis of a transfer permission output from each of the plurality of selecting sections; and

a mask register for masking the transfer request from the transfer source input accommodation unit having received the transfer permission, the transfer request being selected from the transfer requests input to the selecting units, until an end of data transfer corresponding to the transfer permission.

9. A switch according to claim 7, wherein said switch control means comprises a controller for monitoring all transfer requests, and when any one of the transfer requests is detected, selecting and designating transfer requests in a predetermined order from selecting sections selected in a predetermined order.