Multitrunk ATM termination device

• US 6,678,275 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pires, Alexandre, DeGrandpre, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Melvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): DO, NHAT Q
• Application Number:
  US09/506,909
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 370/238.1, 370/389, 370/396, 370/394, 370/428, 370/429, 370/395.4, 370/395.7, 370/395.72, 370/412, 370/536
• US Class Current: 370/395.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5614 User Network Interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5619 Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5624 Path aspects, e.g. path bundling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5679 Arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements

Abstract

A termination device for connection to a group of TDM (time division multiplexed) trunks is capable of sending cells over one or more links either individually or as part of an inverse multiplexed group. The device includes a Utopia interface for receiving an incoming cell stream, a buffer for storing incoming cells at specific memory locations identified by pointers obtained from a queue of available pointers, a round robin scheduler for sequentially assigning cells to links forming an IMA group or individually in the UNI mode, and a pointer queue for each channel address, the pointer queue indicating the location of the next cell to be transmitted for each virtual channel. An adaptive shaper determines when a stuff cell is inserted and a per link output circuit places cells on the links, which can operate in CTC or ITC mode. The device can operate in mixed mode where up to four IMA and/or up to eight UNI channels can be supported concurrently. The links assigned to the IMA or UNI channels is programmable.

Claims

1. A termination device for connection to a group of TDM (time division multiplexed) links comprising:

an interface circuit for receiving an incoming cell stream forming one or more virtual channels,

a buffer memory for storing incoming cells at memory locations identified by pointers;

a pointer queue for each virtual channel, said pointer queue indicating the memory locations of queued cells in each channel;

a control unit for interrogating the pointer queue and assigning the next incoming cell to the next free memory location for the associated channel,

a scheduler selectively operable to sequentially assign cells from each queue in said buffer memory either to individual links or to a group of links forming an inverse multiplexed group; and

a per link output circuit for placing cells from said memory locations on said links to form outgoing virtual channels.

2. A termination device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said scheduler is a round robin scheduler.

3. A termination device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said scheduler also assigns filler cells and control cells to said outgoing virtual channels.

4. A termination device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said buffer memory comprises a FIFO.

5. A termination device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising an TA data cell rate (IDCR) generator for controlling said scheduler to request new user cells from said input circuit to minimize cell delay variation.

6. A termination device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said IDCR generator counts the number of cells transmitted over a reference link during a predetermined time interval.

7. A termination device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said IDCR generator determines said time interval from a system clock.

8. A termination device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interface circuit provides Utopia compliant interface.

9. A termination device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said per link output circuit includes a parallel to serial converter for placing said cells on said links as a serial bit stream.

10. A termination device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a control cell modifying circuit upstream of said output circuit to modify said control cells in accordance with the inverse multiplexing protocol.

11. A termination device for connection to a group of TDM (time division multiplexed) links and capable of receiving streams of cells forming a virtual channel over one or more of said trunks, said cell streams arriving on said individual links or on a plurality of said links forming an inverse multiplexed ((MA) group, comprising:

a per link input circuit for receiving incoming cell streams on said links;

a per link cell delineation circuit for delineating incoming cells;

a per link means for segregating control cells from user cells,

a per group rate recovery block to generate the IDCR (MA Data Cell Rate);

a buffer memory for storing incoming cells of an IMA group at specific memory locations;

a per group inverse scheduler controlled by the IDCR and for arranging incoming cells of an IMA group in the correct order;

an output circuit for outputting cells to a receiving device through an interface; and

a memory controller selectively operable to direct incoming cells to said memory in an inverse multiplexing mode or to said output circuit in a UNI mode.

12. A termination device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said interface is a Utopia interface.

13. A termination device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said buffer memory is operable in a first mode wherein the buffer memory is divided into a plurality of blocks assigned to respective links, and a second mode wherein the buffer memory is divided into a larger number of blocks, varying numbers of blocks can be assigned to each link under program control.

14. A termination device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the user can program a guardband to minimize further recovery disruption when a link is added to an existing IMA group thereby optimizing the recombiner delay.

15. A termination device as claimed in claim 11 that can interface to existing T1 or E1 framers through a versatile PCM interface.

16. A termination device as claimed in claim 11, that can accept a programmable amount of differential delay for each operational IMA group.