Multi-interface point-to-point switching system (MIPPSS) having an internal universal signal format
First Claim
1. A multi-interface switching system, including:
- a plurality of I/O ports coupled to a plurality of respective devices; and
a switching fabric that selectively delivers each of a plurality of different signals from a selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a sending one of the devices to another selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a receiving one of the devices, to thereby establish respective connections between the sending and receiving devices;
wherein at least one of the different signals is a parallel interface format signal and at least one of the different signals is a serial interface format signal;
wherein the switching fabric does not interact with any data transfer protocol used by the devices for data communications with one another; and
wherein the switching fabric provides a fixed, low latency signal path for each connection between a sending and receiving device for the duration of that connection, whereby the latency of that connection is deterministic and predictable, and the signal being delivered via that connection is not analyzed or processed by the switching fabric.
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Abstract
A multi-interface point-to-point switching system includes a plurality of I/O ports coupled to a plurality of respective devices, and a switching fabric that selectively delivers each of a plurality of different signals from a selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a sending one of the devices to another selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a receiving one of the devices, to thereby establish respective connections between the sending and receiving devices. According to one aspect of the invention, at least one of the different signals is a parallel interface format signal and at least one of the different signals is a serial interface format signal. Moreover, the switching fabric does not interact with any data transfer protocol used by the devices for data communications with one another. According to another aspect of the invention, the switching fabric provides a fixed, low latency signal path for each connection between a sending and receiving device for the duration of that connection, whereby the latency of that connection is deterministic and predictable, and the signal being delivered via that connection is not analyzed or processed by the switching fabric.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A multi-interface switching system, including:
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a plurality of I/O ports coupled to a plurality of respective devices; and
a switching fabric that selectively delivers each of a plurality of different signals from a selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a sending one of the devices to another selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a receiving one of the devices, to thereby establish respective connections between the sending and receiving devices;
wherein at least one of the different signals is a parallel interface format signal and at least one of the different signals is a serial interface format signal;
wherein the switching fabric does not interact with any data transfer protocol used by the devices for data communications with one another; and
wherein the switching fabric provides a fixed, low latency signal path for each connection between a sending and receiving device for the duration of that connection, whereby the latency of that connection is deterministic and predictable, and the signal being delivered via that connection is not analyzed or processed by the switching fabric. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
a converter section that converts all of the different signals, as required, to a common signal format for transmission within the switching fabric;
a re-converter section that re-converts all of the different signals from the common signal format back to their original signal format to generate re-converted different signals; and
an output section that delivers the re-converted different signals to respective ones of the I/O ports.
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11. The multi-interface switching system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the switching fabric includes:
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a converter section that converts all of the different signals, as required, to a common signal format for transmission within the switching fabric;
a switch which selectively establishes point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections for delivering said different signals between sending ones and receiving ones of the respective devices;
a re-converter section that re-converts all of the different signals from the common signal format back to their original signal format to generate re-converted different signals; and
an output section that delivers the re-converted different signals to respective ones of the I/O ports.
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12. The multi-interface switching system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the duration of each connection is not dependent upon a data content of the signal delivered via that connection.
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13. The multi-interface switching system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the switching fabric includes:
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an electrical-to-optical signal converter section that converts at least selected ones of the different signals, as required, into optical signals for passage through at least a portion of the switching fabric; and
an optical-to-electrical signal converter section that converts the optical signals generated by the electrical-to-optical signal converter section back to electrical signals prior to being outputted from the switching fabric.
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14. A multi-interface switching system, including:
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a plurality of I/O means coupled to a plurality of respective devices; and
a switching device which selectively delivers each of a plurality of different signals from a selected one of the I/O means coupled to a sending one of the devices to another selected one of the I/O means coupled to a receiving one of the devices, to thereby establish respective connections between the sending and receiving devices, wherein;
at least one of the different signals is a parallel interface format signal and at least one of the different signals is a serial interface format signal;
said switching device does not interact with any data transfer protocol used by the devices for data communications with one another; and
the switching device provides a fixed, low latency signal path for each connection between a sending and receiving device for the duration of that connection, whereby the latency of that connection is deterministic and predictable, and the signal being delivered via that connection is not analyzed or processed by the switching fabric. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
conversion means for converting all of the different signals, as required, to a common signal format for transmission within the switching means;
re-conversion means for re-converting all of the different signals from the common signal format back to their original signal format to generate re-converted different signals; and
,output means for delivering the re-converted different signals to respective ones of the I/O ports.
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23. The multi-interface switching system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the duration of each connection is not dependent upon a data content of the signal delivered via that connection.
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24. The multi-interface switching system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said switching device includes:
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electrical-to-optical signal conversion means for converting at least selected ones of the different signals, as required, into optical signals for passage through at least a portion of said switching device; and
optical-to-electrical signal conversion means for converting the optical signals generated by the electrical-to-optical signal conversion means back to electrical signals prior to being outputted from said switching device.
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25. A multi-interface switching system which delivers a plurality of different signal types including selected ones of parallel electrical signals, serial electrical signal, irrespective of voltage level and logic type, and optical signals, wherein said switching system is transparent to the sending and receiving devices being connected, and wherein said switching system delivers signals between any selected one of a plurality of inputs to at least a selected one of a plurality of outputs, said switching system including:
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first means for converting said first signals in said respective formats to a single signal format;
second means for delivering said first signals in said single signal format to respective third means; and
said third means for regenerating and outputting said first signals in said respective formats to thereby provides content independent point-to-point connections, wherein at least one of said first, second, and third means is responsive to a content independent software command. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A switching system delivering a plurality of different signal types including selected ones of parallel electrical signals, serial electrical signals, irrespective of voltage level and logic type, and optical signals to thereby provide content independent point-to-point connections, comprising:
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a plurality of port interface racks, each of which one of receives or outputs at least one of the selected signal types;
a hub rack which selectively delivers said at least one of the selected signal types between any two of said port interface racks and which delivers all of the selected signal types responsive to a content independent software command; and
a communications path operatively connecting said port interface racks and said hub rack, said path delivering said at least one of the selected signal types in a predetermined signal format. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
first circuitry which converts said at least one of the selected signal types to said predetermined signal format; and
second circuitry which regenerates and outputs said at least one of the selected signal from said predetermined signal format to its respective original protocol.
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32. A data transfer protocol insensitive switching system delivering a plurality of different signal types including selected ones of parallel electrical signals, serial electrical signals, irrespective of voltage level and logic type, and optical signals to thereby provide selected point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections, said data transfer protocol insensitive switching system comprising:
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a plurality of data transfer protocol insensitive port interface racks, each of which one of receives or outputs at least one of the selected signal types;
a hub rack which selectively delivers said at least one of the selected signal types between any two of said port interface racks and which delivers all of the selected signal types responsive to a content independent software command; and
a communications path operatively connecting said port interface racks and said hub rack, said path delivering said at least one of the selected signal types in a predetermined signal format. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
first circuitry which converts said at least one of the selected signal types to said predetermined signal format; and
second circuitry which regenerates and outputs said at least one of the selected signal from said predetermined signal format to its respective original protocol.
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36. A switching system delivering a plurality of different signal types including selected ones of parallel electrical signals, serial electrical signals, irrespective of voltage level and logic type, and optical signals to thereby provide content independent point-to-point connections, comprising:
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a plurality of port interface racks, each of which one of receives or outputs at least one of the selected signal types;
a hub rack which selectively delivers said at least one of the selected signal types between any two of said port interface racks and which delivers all of said at least one of the selected signal types responsive to a content independent software command; and
a communications path operatively connecting said port interface racks and said hub rack, said path delivering said at least one of the selected signal types in a predetermined signal format, wherein at least one of said port interface racks;
permits delivery of valid and invalid versions of the selected signal types, has relatively low latency, delays the selected signal types an amount substantially equal to a natural delay associated with that of a direct-wired point-to-point connection, provides a signal latency which is deterministic, predictable, and consistent, and wherein said switching system switches responsive to a content independent software command received by said hub rack. - View Dependent Claims (33, 37)
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38. A multi-interface point-to-point switching system delivering a plurality of different Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS) signal types, comprising:
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a plurality of port interface racks, each of which one of receives or outputs at least one of the NTDS signal types;
a hub rack which selectively delivers said at least one of the NTDS signal types between any two of said port interface racks and which delivers all of said at least one of the NTDS signal types; and
an optical path operatively connecting said port interface racks and said hub rack, said optical path delivering said at least one of the NTDS signal types in a predetermined optical format, wherein said two of said port interface racks and said hub rack cooperatively deliver the NTDS signal types substantially unaltered, have relatively low latency, delay the NTDS signal types an amount substantially equal to a natural delay associated with that of a direct-wired point-to-point connection, provide a signal latency which is deterministic, predictable, and consistent, and wherein said multi-interface point-to-point switching system switches responsive to a content independent software command generated by said hub rack.
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Specification