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:
Apr. 13, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 01, 2000
William F. Van Duyne, San Diego, CA (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An integrated switch fabric architecture comprises: a plurality of high speed SERializer/DESerializer (SERDES) transceiver devices adapted for operation in an Inter-Cabinet, Cabled environment (SERDES ICC-type) and, a plurality of high speed SERDES transceiver devices adapted for operation in a High Speed Backplane (HSB) environment (SERDES HSB-type) that are maximally integrated on a single IC chip die to form a modular switch element for enabling communication among nodes of a network. The switch fabric architecture includes a crossbar switch device for communicating with a communications link associated with each ICC SERDES transceiver device and HSB SERDES transceiver device for enabling communication between the links inside the modular switch element. Depending upon the protocol implemented by the crossbar switch device, the modular switch element includes an ICC protocol translator device associated with each ICC SERDES communication link for enabling bi-directional communication with the crossbar switch device if operating in accordance with a crossbar switch protocol different than an ICC link protocol; and, additionally, an HSB protocol translator device associated with each HSB SERDES communication link for enabling bi-directional communication with the crossbar switch device if operating in accordance with a crossbar switch protocol different than an HSB link protocol.