System for transmitting data between circuit boards in a housing

• US 6,373,837 B1
• Filed: 06/12/1998
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ascend Communications, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Horne, Martin J., Kleyman, Alexander M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCELO, MELVIN C
• Application Number:
  US09/096,381
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352-356, 370/422, 370/423
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6402 Hybrid switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5653 using the ATM adaptation layer [AAL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5663 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6413 Switch peripheries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/105 ATM switching elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A system for transmitting data between circuit boards within a housing. The system includes a switch card placed within a housing having a plurality of slots for holding circuit boards. The switch card includes a five gigabit switching matrix having at least a first data port and a second data port for receiving data packets. A first data bus connects a first circuit board to the first data port of the switching matrix, and a second data bus connects a second circuit board to the second data port of the switching matrix. The first circuit board transmits data to the second circuit board by transmitting to the switching matrix a data packet that is addressed to the second circuit board and that contains the data. The switching matrix receives the data packet from the first circuit board, determines which circuit board the data packet is addressed to, and then transmits the data packet to the second circuit board, thereby creating a virtual connection between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, which are both within the housing.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting time domain multiplexed (TDM) data between a first and a second circuit board with a housing, comprising:

a switch card placed within the housing, said switch card including a switching matrix having a first data port and a second data port for receiving data packets;

a first data bus to connect the fist circuit board to said first data port; and

a second data bus to connect the second circuit board to said second data port;

wherein the first circuit board transmits TDM data to the second circuit board by transmitting a data packet to said switching matrix over said fist data bus, said data packet including said TDM data and a data port identifier identifying said second data port;

wherein the first circuit board includes a first port coupled to said first data port of said switching matrix via said first data bus and a second port adapted to connect to a communications circuit for transmitting a communications signal;

wherein said communications circuit is a digital T3 circuit; and

wherein said switching matrix receives said data packet from said first circuit board at said first data port and transmits said TDM data out the data port identified by said data port identifier, thereby transmitting said TDM data between the first and second circuit board.

2. A system for transmitting time domain multiplexed (TDM) data between a first and a second circuit board within a housing, comprising:

a switch card placed within the housing, said switch card including a switching matrix having a first data port and a second data port for receiving data packets;

a first data bus to connect the first circuit board to said first data port; and

a second data bus to connect the second cit board to said second data port;

wherein the first circuit board transmits TDM data to the second circuit board by transmitting a data packet to said switching matrix over said first data bus, said data packet including said TDM data and a data port identifier identifying said second data port;

wherein the first circuit board includes a first port coupled to said first data port of said switching matrix via said first data bus and a second port adapted to connect to a communications circuit for transmitting a communications signal;

wherein said communications signal is a formatted synchronous digital signal of the DS3 format; and

wherein said switching matrix receives said data packet from said first circuit board at said first data port and transmits said TDM data out the data port identified by said data port identifier, thereby transmitting said TDM data between the first and second circuit board.

3. A networking card, comprising:

means for receiving a data packet from a switching matrix, said data packet including a data portion and a header portion, said data portion including data transmitted from a data communication device;

means for creating a signal for transmitting said data transmitted from said data communication device; and

a processor to receive said signal and to process said data transmitted from said data communication device.

4. The networking card of claim 3, further comprising a point-to-point-protocol processor coupled to said processor.

5. The networking card of claim 3, further comprising a router coupled to said processor.

6. The networking card of claim 3, wherein said processor is a modem.

7. The networking card of claim 3, wherein said processor is a high level data link control (HDLC) controller.

8. The networking card of claim 3, wherein said processor is a digital signal processor.

9. The networking card of claim 3, wherein said data communication device is a modem.

10. The networking card of claim 3, wherein said data communication device is an integrated services digital network communication device.

11. The networking card of claim 3, wherein said signal is a formatted synchronous digital signals.

12. The networking card of claim 11, wherein said formatted synchronous digital signal is of the DS1 type.

13. A scalable remote access communications server for providing remote users with access to a network, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of slots defined therein, including a fist, second, and third slot;

a switch card placed within said first slot, said switch card including a switching matrix having a first port and a second port;

a first networking card placed in said second slot and coupled to said first port of said switching matrix; and

a second networking card placed in said third slot and coupled to said second port of said switching matrix;

wherein TDM data is transmitted from said first networking card to said second networking card through said switching matrix;

and wherein said first networking card comprises;

a first port adapted to connect to a communications circuit used to transmit a first signal; and

a second port adapted to connect to said switching matrix, wherein data packets are transmitted from said second port to said switching matrix;

a demultiplexer to extract a plurality of second signals from said first signal; and

a packetizer receiving one of said plurality of second signals, wherein said packetizer includes a buffer for buffering data from said one of said plurality of second signals to create a data packet.

14. A scalable remote access communications server for providing remote users with access to a network, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of slots defined therein, including a first, second, and third slot;

a switch card placed within said first slot, said switch card including a switching matrix having a first port and a second port;

a first networking card placed in said second slot and coupled to said first port of said switching matrix; and

a second networking card placed in said third slot and coupled to said second port of said switching matrix;

wherein TDM data is transmitted from said first networking card to said second networking card through said switching matrix;

and wherein said second networking card comprises;

means for receiving a data packet from said switching matrix, said data packet including a data portion and a header portion, said data portion including data transmitted from a data communication device;

means for creating a signal for transmitting said data transmitted from said data communication device; and

a processor to receive said signal and to process said data transmitted from said data communication device.