Asynchronous cell switch

Abstract

A unit cell switch includes a plurality of input communication routes and output communication routes for transferring data cells therebetween, a plurality of first conversion devices for converting each cell given from these input communication routes into a desired form, a plurality of second conversion devices for converting each data given from the first conversion devices into a suitable form and transferring the resultant data to one of these output communication routes. Cell storing devices respectively receive and temporarily store cells transferred from corresponding first conversion devices based on address information given to the cells. A control device holds and controls route and address information on cells to be stored in the cell storing devices as unitary data, and decides a write address of each cell storing device to which a cell is given from the corresponding first cell conversion device and a read address of each cell storing device from which a cell is outputted to a cell switch device based on the route and address information. A cell switch device introduces cells to desired second cell conversion devices from corresponding cell storing devices under control of the transfer control device.