Multi-rate, multi-protocol, multi-port line interface for a multiservice switching platform
First Claim
1. A line card, the line card being arranged to be incorporated into one of a multi-slot broadband digital cross-connect system or a multiservice provisioning platform, the line card comprising:
- a first port, the first port being arranged to be provisioned to accept an input signal, wherein the input signal is one of a signal of a first protocol or a signal of a second protocol; and
a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices being arranged to process the input signal to create an output signal which has a SONET payload, wherein the plurality of devices are configured to process the signal of the first protocol and the signal of the second protocol and wherein the plurality of devices includes a first device which is arranged to accept the input signal in a serialized format and to process the input signal when the input signal is the signal of the first protocol, a second device which includes section and line termination functionality used in the creation of the output signal, a third device, the third device being arranged to map the input signal to create the output signal when the input signal is the signal of the second protocol, and a switch, the switch being arranged to receive the signal serially from the first device and to provide the signal to one of the second device and the third device, wherein when the switch provides the signal to the third device, the third device returns the mapped signal to the switch which then passes the mapped signal to the second device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for enabling a line card to support multiple ports, multiple rates, and multiple protocols within an optical network system are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a line card that is suitable for incorporation into one of a multi-slot broadband digital cross-connect system or a multiservice provisioning platform includes a first port and a plurality of devices. The first port is arranged to be provisioned to accept an input signal which may be one of a signal of a first protocol and a signal of a second protocol. The plurality of devices being arranged to process the input signal to create an output signal which has a SONET payload. In one embodiment, the signal of the first protocol is an OC-n signal and the signal of the second protocol is a Gigabit Ethernet signal.
77 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A line card, the line card being arranged to be incorporated into one of a multi-slot broadband digital cross-connect system or a multiservice provisioning platform, the line card comprising:
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a first port, the first port being arranged to be provisioned to accept an input signal, wherein the input signal is one of a signal of a first protocol or a signal of a second protocol; and
a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices being arranged to process the input signal to create an output signal which has a SONET payload, wherein the plurality of devices are configured to process the signal of the first protocol and the signal of the second protocol and wherein the plurality of devices includes a first device which is arranged to accept the input signal in a serialized format and to process the input signal when the input signal is the signal of the first protocol, a second device which includes section and line termination functionality used in the creation of the output signal, a third device, the third device being arranged to map the input signal to create the output signal when the input signal is the signal of the second protocol, and a switch, the switch being arranged to receive the signal serially from the first device and to provide the signal to one of the second device and the third device, wherein when the switch provides the signal to the third device, the third device returns the mapped signal to the switch which then passes the mapped signal to the second device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A line card, the line card being arranged to be incorporated into one of a multi-slot broadband digital cross-connect system or a multiservice provisioning platform, the line card comprising:
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a plurality of ports, the plurality of ports including a first port, the first port being arranged to receive a signal, the signal being one of an OC-3 signal, an OC-12 signal, an OC-48 signal, and a Gigabit Ethernet signal;
a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices being arranged to receive the signal and to process the signal to create an STS-48 SONET signal, wherein the plurality of devices includes a multi-rate serialize-deserialize device which is arranged to accept the signal in a serialized format, a first device which includes section and line termination functionality in the creation of the STS-48 SONET signal, a second device, the second device being arranged to map the Gigabit Ethernet signal to create a mapped signal with a SONET payload, and a switch, the switch being arranged to receive the signal serially from the multi-rate serialize-deserialize device and to provide the signal to one of the first device and the second device, wherein when the switch provides the signal to the second device, the second device returns the mapped signal to the switch which passes the mapped signal to the first device; and
a backplane, the backplane being arranged to receive the STS-48 SONET signal from the plurality of devices. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A line card, the line card being arranged to be included in a system on a network, the line card comprising:
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at least one port arranged to receive a signal of a first format;
a first module, the first module being arranged to receive the signal of the first format serially from the port, the first module further being arranged to determine when the first format is a desired format, wherein when it is determined that the first format is not the desired format, the first module is still further arranged to determine when to map the signal of the first format into a signal of the desired format using the first module when it is determined that the signal of the first format is to be mapped into the signal of the desired format using the first module; and
a second module, the second module being arranged to receive the signal of the first format serially from the first module when it is determined that the signal is not to be mapped into the signal of the second format using the first module, the second module further being arranged to receive the signal of the first format serially from the first module when it is determined that the first format is the desired format, the second module further being arranged to receive the signal of the desired format serially from the first module when the signal of the first format is mapped into the signal of the desired format using the first module, wherein the second module is still further arranged to determine when to map the signal of the first format into the signal of the desired format using the second module when it is determined that the signal of the first format is to be mapped into the signal of the desired format using the second module. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification