The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 25, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 30, 1996
Gary B Kotzur, Harris County, TX (US);
Dale J Mayer, Harris County, TX (US);
Michael L Witkowski, Harris County, TX (US);
William J Walker, Harris County, TX (US);
Patricia E Hareski, Harris County, TX (US);
Compaq Computer Corporation, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A network switch including a separate cut-through buffer for facilitating cut-through mode of data transfer. The switch further includes a data bus coupled to each of the ports, a memory and a switch manager coupled to the data bus and to the memory for controlling data flow. The switch manager includes a receive buffer for handling data received by the switch, a transmit buffer for handling data to be transmitted by the switch, and a separate cut-through buffer for receiving data at any of the ports and for buffering the data to another one of the ports during cut-through mode of operation. The switch manager includes status memory, which includes programmable receive and transmit mode values for each of the ports, the modes selecting between cut-through and store-and-forward mode of operation for an indicated direction for each port. Control logic operates source and destination ports in cut-through mode if the receive mode value of the source port and the transmit mode value of the destination port have both been programmed to select cut-through mode.