Multi-stage link switch

U.S. Patent Number: 5285444

Abstract: A multi-stage link switch includes first, second and third switch elements, each of the first, second and third switch elements having a predetermined plurality of incoming terminals and a predetermined plurality of outgoing terminals. Communication information is switched between a plurality of incoming highways and a plurality of outgoing highways based on information in each of a plurality of cells. Each cell has fixed length and is transmitted by each of the incoming highways to the plurality of outgoing highways. The multi-stage link switch includes a primary stage including a plurality of the first switch elements, each input terminal of each first switch element is connected to a corresponding one of the input highways, an intermediate stage including a plurality of the second switch elements, each input terminal of each of the second switch elements is being connected to a corresponding one of the output terminals of a corresponding one of the first switch elements of the primary stage, and a last stage including a plurality of the third switch elements, each input terminal of each of the third switch elements being connected to a corresponding one of the output terminals of a corresponding one of the second switch elements in the intermediate stage. Each outgoing terminal of each of the third switch elements is connected to a corresponding one of the outgoing highways.

Inventors: Sakurai; Yoshito (Yokohama, JP), Gohara; Shinobu (Yokohama, JP)

Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd. (Tokyo, JP)

Application Number: 07/960,273

Issued: 1994-02-08

Expired: 2006-02-08

Classes: 370/396 ; 340/2.6

Field of search: 370/60.1,94.2

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