CA2386758C

CA2386758C - Expandable telecommunications system

Info

Publication number: CA2386758C
Application number: CA002386758A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Robert P. Madonna
Original assignee: Excel Switching Corp
Current assignee: Excel Switching Corp
Priority date: 1994-03-08
Filing date: 1995-03-06
Publication date: 2007-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-06
Also published as: CA2386758A1

Abstract

Methods and packet structures for communicating information over an open, high speed, high bandwidth digital communication network for connecting multiple programmable telecommunications switches to form a large capacity, non--blocking switching system. Each network switching node includes circuitry for transmitting and receiving variable--length, packetized information over the network, thus enabling each node to receive information from or transmit information to all other nodes. The network may carry any type of information present in the system including voice, data, video, multimedia, control, configuration and maintenance, and the bandwidth of the network may be divided or shared across various information types. Devices such as voice processing resources may also interface with the network, thereby gaining direct access to all information passing through the network. Multiple networks may be interconnected to provide even greater switching capacity or voice processing capacity.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of transferring information between a plurality of nodes which are connected in communicating relationship by an inter-nodal network to form a telecommunications system, said method characterized by the steps of:

(a) transmitting a packet over said inter-nodal network from one of said nodes, said packet containing information identifying said transmitting node and information which said transmitting node intends to transfer to one or more other nodes;

(b) receiving said packet at one of said one or more other nodes, said receiving node selectively retrieving from the packet any information which is destined for such receiving node, then allowing said packet to continue along said inter-nodal network;

(c) repeating step (b) at each of said one or more other nodes, in turn, until said packet returns to the transmitting node; and (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) until each of said nodes has received a packet from every other node.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said packet includes a source address which identifies said transmitting node and a payload for containing said information.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein during step (a), said transmitting node sequentially reads circuit switched data from a local transmitter memory and inserts said data into said payload, said sequentially read data originating from one or more ports which are physically associated with said transmitting node.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein said circuit switched data is arranged in a predetermined order within said payload, whereby said receiving node may use said order to determine the ports from which said circuit switched data originated.

5. The method as in claim 3 wherein during step (b), said receiving node selectively writes circuit switched data from said payload into a local receiver memory, said selectively written data destined for one or more ports which are physically associated with said receiving node.

6. The method as in claim 2 wherein during step (a), said transmitting node sequentially reads packet switched data from a local transmitter memory and inserts said data into said payload, and inserts into said packet a destination address which identifies one of said other nodes as the intended destination of said packet switched data.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein during step (b), said receiving node checks the destination address of the received packet and, if said packet is destined for the receiving node, the receiving node writes the packet switched data contained in the payload into a local packet receiver memory.

8. A method of transferring information between a plurality of nodes which are connected in communicating relationship by an inter-nodal network to form a telecommunications system, said method characterized by the steps of:

(a) transmitting a packet over said inter-nodal network from one of said nodes, said packet containing information identifying said transmitting node and having a capacity to carry information;

(b) receiving said packet at a node other than said transmitting node, said receiving node selectively inserting into the packet information which is destined for said transmitting node, then allowing said packet to continue along said inter-nodal network;

(c) repeating step (b) at each of said one or more other nodes, in turn, until said packet returns to the transmitting node;

(d) said transmitting node retrieves from said returned packet the information inserted therein by other nodes; and (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) until each of said nodes has both transmitted a packet and received the returned packet containing information from other nodes.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein said packet includes a source address which identifies said transmitting node and a payload for carrying said information.

10. The method as in claim 9 wherein before step (a), said transmitting node selectively reads circuit switched data from a local transmitter memory and inserts said data into said payload, said data both originating from and being destined for a plurality of ports that are physically associated with said transmitting node.

11. The method as in claim 10 wherein during step (b) said receiving node selectively inserts into said payload circuit switched data which is destined for one or more ports physically associated with said transmitting node.

12. The method as in claim 11 wherein said circuit switched data is arranged in a predetermined order within said payload, whereby said receiving node may use said order to determine the ports from which said circuit switched data originated.

13. The method as in claim 10 wherein during step (d), the circuit switched data retrieved from the payload is written sequentially into a local receiver memory.

14. The method as in claim 9 wherein during step (b), said receiving node determines whether packet switched data destined for the transmitting node is ready for transmission and, if so, inserts said data into said payload.

15. The method as in claim 14 wherein during step (d), the transmitting node copies the packet switched data contained in said payload into a local packet receiver memory.