MULTI-RATE, MULTI-PROTOCOL, MULTI-PORT LINE INTERFACE FOR A MULTISERVICE SWITCHING PLATFORM

• US 20060002415A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gregory S. Nehib, Matthew L. Heston
• Original Assignee: Gregory S. Nehib, Matthew L. Heston
• Inventors: Heston, Matthew L., Nehib, Gregory S.
• Application Number:
  US11/162,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002415A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0025 Peripheral units
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0085 Support of Ethernet
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0094 Virtual Concatenation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0096 Serial Concatenation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1611 Synchronous digital hierarchy [SDH] or SONET H04J3/1664 takes precedence for interactions with OTN
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1664 carrying hybrid payloads, e.g. different types of packets or carrying frames and packets in the paylaod
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches

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.

Claims

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:

at least a first port, the first port being arranged to receive a signal, the signal being one of a plurality of signals, the plurality of signals including an OC-3 signal and an OC-12 signal;

a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices being arranged to obtain the signal from the first port and to process the signal to create an STS-48 SONET signal; and

a backplane, the backplane being arranged to receive the STS-48 SONET signal from the plurality of devices.

2. The line card of claim 1 wherein the plurality of signals further includes an OC-48 signal.

3. The line card of claim 2 wherein if the signal is the OC-48 signal, the STS-48 SONET signal includes approximately 48 STS-1 channels with data associated with the OC-48 signal.

4. The line card of claim 1 wherein if the signal is the OC-3 signal, the STS-48 SONET signal includes approximately three STS-1 channels with data associated with the OC-3 signal and approximately 45 STS-1 channels without data associated with the OC-3 signal.

5. The line card of claim 1 wherein if the signal is the OC-12 signal, the STS-48 SONET signal includes approximately 12 STS-1 channels with data associated with the OC-12 signal and approximately 36 STS-1 channels without data associated with the OC-12 signal.

6. The line card of claim 1 wherein the plurality of signals further includes a Gigabit Ethernet signal.

7. The line card of claim 6 wherein the plurality of signals further includes an OC-48 signal.

8. 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:

at least a first port, the first port being arranged to receive a signal, the signal being one of a plurality of signals, the plurality of signals including an OC-3 signal, an OC-12 signal, and an OC-48 signal;

a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices being arranged to obtain the signal from the first port and to process the signal to create a SONET signal; and

a backplane, the backplane being arranged to receive the SONET signal from the plurality of devices.

9. The line card of claim 8 wherein the SONET signal includes at least approximately 48 STS-1 channels.

10. The line card of claim 9 wherein if the signal is the OC-3 signal, the at least 48 STS-1 channels include approximately three STS-1 channels with data associated with the OC-3 signal and at least approximately 45 STS-1 channels without data associated with the OC-3 signal.

11. The line card of claim 9 wherein if the signal is the OC-12 signal, the at least 48 STS-1 channels include approximately 12 STS-1 channels with data associated with the OC-12 signal and at least approximately 36 STS-1 channels without data associated with the OC-12 signal.

12. The line card of claim 9 wherein if the signal is the OC-48 signal, the at least 48 STS-1 channels include approximately 48 STS-1 channels with data associated with the OC-48 signal.

13. The line card of claim 8 wherein the plurality of signals further includes a Gigabit Ethernet signal.

14. 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:

means for receiving a signal, the signal being one of an OC-3 signal, an OC-12 signal, or an OC-48 signal;

means for processing the signal to create an STS-48 SONET signal; and

means for receiving the STS-48 SONET signal from the means for processing the signal.

15. The line card of claim 14 wherein if the signal is the OC-3 signal, the STS-48 SONET signal includes approximately three STS-1 channels with data associated with the OC-3 signal and approximately 45 STS-1 channels without data associated with the OC-3 signal.

16. The line card of claim 14 wherein if the signal is the OC-12 signal, the STS-48 SONET signal includes approximately 12 STS-1 channels with data associated with the OC-12 signal and approximately 36 STS-1 channels without data associated with the OC-12 signal.

17. The line card of claim 14 wherein if the signal is the OC-48 signal, the STS-48 SONET signal includes approximately 48 STS-1 channels with data associated with the OC-48 signal.

18. The line card of claim 14 wherein the plurality of signals further includes a Gigabit Ethernet signal.