Cisco Technology, Inc.

Nortel Networks Corporation

Nang Tran

Norman Tang

Eugene T Wang

Vu Nguyen

A backplane having a switch card interface and an adapter card interface where the switch card interface has input/outputs in an arrangement that functionally mate to a networking layer system switch card and a physical layer system switch card. The adapter card interface is coupled to the switch card interface. The adapter card interface has input/outputs in an arrangement that functionally mates to a networking layer system adapter card and a physical layer system adapter card. A method that involves forming a first and second backplane according to a manufacturing process, integrating the first backplane into a networking layer system switch, and integrating the second backplane into a physical layer system switch.

Common backplane for physical layer system and networking layer system

The present invention guarantees that voice data (and other information types) will switch within a predetermined time period. Systems and methods consistent with the present invention accomplish this guarantee by, among other things, establishing permanent virtual paths between each network element, guaranteeing each voice line a slot in a packet in each frame, employing both octet switching and packet switching, synchronizing the operation of the network elements to a reference clock, and providing several levels of network redundancy.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Nang Tran