Alcatel

Alcatel USA Sourcing, L.p.

Alcatel Lucent

Alcatel Societe Anonyme

Ignacio A Linares

Robert S Gammenthaler, Jr

Gerald R Dubois

James C McKinley

Teck Q Chin

Serge Francois Fourcand

Melvin G Peel

Edwin Jay Burger

Dennis J Harkin

Hadi M Hayek

Ed Bradley

Dale L Reynolds

Donald H Topper, Iii

Matt Marcoux

The present invention provides an apparatus, system and method of increasing port availability for a communication switch. First, second and third M port crossbars are arranged to provide a crossbar with a increased number of ports available for the communication switch. K ports of a first M port crossbar are individually coupled to K ports of a second and a third M port crossbar via interconnect buses. Further, K ports of the second and third M port crossbars are individually coupled via interconnect buses resulting in L available ports on each the M port crossbars in which M&#x3e;L&#x3e;K.

Switch architecture using multiple crossbars

A system and method for introducing user-defined (e.g., proprietary) signals into a standard backplane. A front side backplane portion is provided with a set of connector holes that are electrically separated from corresponding connector holes provided on the backplane's rear side portion. Thus, whereas the separated front side connector portion is operable with standard bus signals, the rear side connector portion can support an independent signal pathway to carry one or more user-defined signals.

System and method for introducing proprietary signals into a standard backplane via physical separation

A memory card cooperating with a network interface for receiving data entry and update signals from a database manager via a switch fabric and with a bus interface for outputting data on a system bus disposed in a system shelf, which shelf forms at least a portion of a telecommunications node having a distributed scalable database system. The memory card is operable to contain at least a portion of the distributed database in a high speed, high density memory block disposed thereon, which memory block is coupled to a network interface controller via a first memory interface and to a bus interface controller via a second memory interface. An arbiter is coupled to the first and second memory interfaces for arbitrating data input operations and data output operations with respect to the memory block.

Memory card and system for updating distributed memory

A storage card module having a front panel card component and a rear panel transition module disposed on a backplane in accordance with the Compact Peripheral Component Interconnect (CPCI) bus standard, wherein the front panel card component is provided with at least one Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) storage medium drive. Power is supplied to the SCSI drive from a CPCI bus connector on the backplane, whereas a user-defined I/O connector on the backplane provides interconnection between the drive and the SCSI bus that is coupled to an I/O controller via an interface formed on the real panel transition module. Bus cabling coupled via the user-defined I/O connector may be used to daisy-chain other SCSI-based cards, mass storage devices, or may be terminated. A power cable deriving power from the CPCI bus connector provides auxiliary power output via a rear panel power connector to such daisy-chained mass storage devices.

Card design having tape and disk drives

A signal transfer point (STP) includes a plurality of control and sense points that enable the STP to collect sensory information of all types and to provide control of individual pieces of equipment. The STP is operable to generate reports that record the activity of external devices that are either being monitored or where operation is being controlled. Each sense and control point board provided within the STP is operable to provide up to 32 sense points and twenty-four control points in one described embodiment of the invention. The sense points are operable to detect either a low voltage condition or a high voltage condition. The sense points are operable to monitor up to 60-volt signals and thus may monitor telecom voltage levels for US (48 volts) as well as European systems (60 volts). The sense points are optically isolated to eliminate the possibility of unwanted current flows. The control points are relays capable of handling up to a 60-volt difference in potential in its switching operations.

Method and apparatus for providing control and input sensing in a signal transfer point

An apparatus and system is provided for coupling an ethernet switch to communication link(s) in a communication network without requiring the disconnection and reconnection of the communication link(s). A module is configured to accommodate components of an ethernet switch, and can be modularly introduced into a communication rack and quickly engaged with rack-mounted mating connectors which are coupled to the communication link(s).

Ethernet switch module and system

A storage card module for supporting more than one SCSI storage device on a printed circuit board to be coupled to a CPCI backplane. The storage devices are positioned on the board with a predetermined spacing disposed therebetween. One or more low profile connectors are disposed in the predetermined spacing for each storage device depending on the number of pins needed. For an 8-bit fast tape drive, a 50-pin low profile connector is utilized. A pair of 34-pin low profile connectors are utilized for connecting to a 16-bit fast-wide SCSI disk drive. Electrical traces are buried in the board substrate which couple the low profile connectors to a card connector on the printed circuit board. The card connector is mated to the CPCI backplane via a backplane connector. A SCSI I/O interface is in an electrical conductive relationship with at least a portion of the backplane connector. Power is provided to the drives via a pair of 4-pin low profile power connectors disposed in the predetermined spacing.

Low profile connector system for providing multiple drives on a card

A peripheral device isolator (,) is provided which consists of an insulating material (,) having a first conductive area (,) on a top surface and a second conductive area (,) on a bottom surface. A transient voltage suppressor (,) provides an electrical connection between the first conductive area (,) and second conductive area (,) through a first lead (,) and a second lead (,). When the peripheral device isolator (,) is placed between an internal peripheral device (,), having a common logic and chassis ground, and a host frame (,), having a host system frame ground (,), an electrical path for a voltage spike occurring on the internal peripheral device (,) is provided so that the voltage spike can be diverted away from host system logic ground (,) and into host system frame/safety ground (,). Under normal circumstances, the transient voltage suppressor (,) is in a non-conductive state so that the separation of the host system logic ground (,) and the host system frame/safety ground (,) is maintained. The transient voltage suppressor (,) is in a conductive state only upon sensing a voltage spike on the chassis of the internal peripheral device (,).

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Ignacio A Linares