Low-latency switch using optical and electrical proximity communication
First Claim
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1. A switch, comprising:
- input ports configured to receive signals, wherein the signals include data;
output ports configured to output the signals;
switching elements, wherein a given switching element in the switching elements is coupled to a given input port in the input ports through a first optical signal path and is coupled to a given output port in the output ports through a second optical signal path;
a flow-control mechanism configured to provide flow-control information associated with the data to the switching elements, wherein the flow-control mechanism is coupled to the switching elements through an electrical control path;
wherein the electrical control path includes a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die, wherein proximity connectors proximate to a first surface of the first semiconductor die are coupled to proximity connectors proximate to a second surface of the second semiconductor die, and wherein the electrical control path is configured to use proximity communication to communicate the flow-control information; and
wherein the switching elements are configured to selectively couple the input ports to the output ports based on the flow-control information.
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Abstract
Embodiments of a switch are described. This switch includes input ports configured to receive signals (which include data) and output ports configured to output the signals. In addition, the switch includes switching elements and a flow-control mechanism, which is configured to provide flow-control information associated with the data to the switching elements via an electrical control path. Note that the electrical control path is configured to use proximity communication to communicate the flow-control information. Furthermore, the switching elements are configured to selectively couple the input ports to the output ports via optical signal paths based on the flow-control information.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A switch, comprising:
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input ports configured to receive signals, wherein the signals include data; output ports configured to output the signals; switching elements, wherein a given switching element in the switching elements is coupled to a given input port in the input ports through a first optical signal path and is coupled to a given output port in the output ports through a second optical signal path; a flow-control mechanism configured to provide flow-control information associated with the data to the switching elements, wherein the flow-control mechanism is coupled to the switching elements through an electrical control path; wherein the electrical control path includes a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die, wherein proximity connectors proximate to a first surface of the first semiconductor die are coupled to proximity connectors proximate to a second surface of the second semiconductor die, and wherein the electrical control path is configured to use proximity communication to communicate the flow-control information; and wherein the switching elements are configured to selectively couple the input ports to the output ports based on the flow-control information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer system, comprising:
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a processor; a memory; and a switch, wherein the switch includes; input ports configured to receive signals, wherein the signals include data; output ports configured to output the signals; switching elements, wherein a given switching element in the switching elements is coupled to a given input port in the input ports through a first optical signal path, and wherein the given switching element is coupled to a given output port in the output ports through a second optical signal path; a flow-control mechanism configured to provide flow-control information associated with the data to the switching elements, wherein the flow-control mechanism is coupled to the switching elements through an electrical control path; wherein the electrical control path includes a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die, wherein proximity connectors proximate to a first surface of the first semiconductor die are coupled to proximity connectors proximate to a second surface of the second semiconductor die, and wherein the electrical control path is configured to use proximity communication to communicate the flow-control information; and wherein the switching elements are configured to selectively couple the input ports to the output ports based on the flow-control information.
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19. A method for switching signals, comprising:
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providing flow-control information to switching elements in a switch via an electrical control path, wherein the electrical control path includes a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die, wherein proximity connectors proximate to a first surface of the first semiconductor die are coupled to proximity connectors proximate to a second surface of the second semiconductor die, and wherein the electrical control path is configured to use proximity communication to communicate the flow-control information; selectively coupling the signals from one or more input ports to one or more output ports of the switch using the switching elements, wherein the selective coupling is determined by the flow-control information; and communication the signals to and from the switching elements using optical signal paths.
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Specification