Synchronous pipelined switch using serial transmission
First Claim
1. A method of operating an apparatus having at least one input port and at least one output port, comprising:
- generating a clock signal;
transmitting serial data from said at least one input port in synchrony with said clock signal to a serial to parallel converter;
transferring said serial data as parallel data by said serial to parallel converter to a switch;
switching said parallel data at said switch in synchrony with said clock signal;
receiving said parallel data from said switch by a parallel to serial converter;
transmitting said parallel data serially from said parallel to serial converter in synchrony with said clock signal to said at least one output port; and
receiving at said at least one output port said serially transmitted data from said parallel to serial converter.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a method and system for operating a switch, in which incoming data cells are converted from parallel to serial for synchronous input to a switch interconnect, converted from serial to parallel for parallel switching, converted from parallel to serial for synchronous output from the switch interconnect, and converted from serial to parallel for output. The switch interconnect and its input and output interfaces are controlled by a single frequency source, so that all serial data communication paths into and out of the switch interconnect are phase synchronized to within one clock cycle. A single frequency source for the switch system is coupled to the input interfaces, to output interfaces, and to the switch interconnect. The input interfaces each include a PLL which synchronizes to the single frequency source once for all serial communication to the switch interconnect. The switch interconnect includes one PLL for each input interface which synchronizes to the serial input from that input interface, and one PLL for each output interface which synchronizes to the single frequency source once for all serial communication to the output interface. Similarly, the output interfaces each include a PLL which synchronizes to the serial output from the switch interconnect. The switch interconnect is coupled to the single frequency source and operates in phase therewith.
203 Citations
53 Claims
-
1. A method of operating an apparatus having at least one input port and at least one output port, comprising:
-
generating a clock signal; transmitting serial data from said at least one input port in synchrony with said clock signal to a serial to parallel converter; transferring said serial data as parallel data by said serial to parallel converter to a switch; switching said parallel data at said switch in synchrony with said clock signal; receiving said parallel data from said switch by a parallel to serial converter; transmitting said parallel data serially from said parallel to serial converter in synchrony with said clock signal to said at least one output port; and receiving at said at least one output port said serially transmitted data from said parallel to serial converter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a system frequency source generating a system clock signal; at least one input interface receiving data and transmitting said data serially in synchrony with said system clock signal; a serial to parallel converter receiving said serial data from said at least one input interface and transmitting said serial data in parallel; a switch synchronized to said system clock signal, said switch receiving said parallel data from said serial to parallel converter and transmitting switched parallel data; a parallel to serial converter synchronized to said system clock signal, said parallel to serial converter receiving said switched parallel data from said switch and transmitting said parallel data serially; and at least one output interface receiving said serial data from said parallel to serial converter. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
-
49. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a clock signal source for generating a clock signal; means for transmitting serial data from said at least one input port in synchrony with said clock signal to a serial to parallel converter; means for transferring said serial data as parallel data by said serial to parallel converter to a switch; means for switching said parallel data at said switch in synchrony with said clock signal; means for receiving said parallel data from said switch by a parallel to serial converter; means for transmitting said parallel data serially from said parallel to serial converter in synchrony with said clock signal to said at least one output port; and means for receiving at said at least one output port said serially transmitted data from said parallel to serial converter. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
-
-
52. A apparatus comprising:
-
a clock signal source for generating a first clock signal; at least one input interface element, said at least one input interface element having a parallel input port for receiving data cells and a serial transmitter coupled to said input port by a first parallel to serial converter, and transmitting said data cells by serial transmission, said first parallel to serial converter synchronized to said first clock signal and data cells transmitted from said at least one input interface element synchronized to said first clock signal; a cross connect receiving serial data from said at least one input interface element at a first serial to parallel converter, said first serial to parallel converter synchronized to the received serial data transmitted from said at least one input interface element and thereby synchronized to said first clock signal, said cross connect having a switch receiving parallel data from the first serial to parallel converter, and said cross connect having a second parallel to serial converter receiving parallel data from the switch and transmitting the data from the cross connect by serial transmission, said second parallel to serial converter synchronized to said first clock signal and data cells transmitted from said cross connect synchronized to said first clock signal; and at least one output interface element receiving serial data transmitted from said cross connect at a second serial to parallel converter, said second serial to parallel converter synchronized to the received serial data transmitted from said cross connect and thereby synchronized to said first clock signal, and an output port receiving parallel data from said second serial to parallel converter and transmitting parallel data.
-
-
53. A method of operating a switch, comprising:
-
generating a first clock signal; receiving data cells as parallel data at an input port, coupling the parallel data to a first parallel to serial converter, transmitting said data cells by serial transmission to a cross connect, and synchronizing said first parallel to serial converter and said data cells transmitted from said input port to said first clock signal; receiving by said cross connect said data cells transmitted from the input port as serial data, coupling said serial data to a first serial to parallel converter, synchronizing said first serial to parallel converter to the received serial data thereby synchronizing it to said first clock signal, coupling parallel data from said first serial to parallel converter to a synchronous switch, coupling parallel data from said switch to a second parallel to serial converter, transmitting the data by serial transmission to at least one output interface, and synchronizing said second parallel to serial converter and said data cells transmitted from said cross connect to said first clock signal; and receiving serial data by said at least one output interface, said serial data coupled to a second serial to parallel converter located in said output interface, synchronizing said second serial to parallel converter to the serial data received by said at least one output interface thereby synchronizing it to said first clock signal, and delivering parallel data by said second serial to parallel converter to an output port of said output interface.
-
Specification