Reconfigurable apparatus providing 1:n and 1:1 equipment redundancy for high speed broadband interfaces with 1+1 and 1:n automatic protection switching

Abstract

A reconfigurable apparatus providing 1:N redundancy and 1:1 redundancy for high speed broadband interfaces with 1+1 and 1:N Automatic protection Switching (APS), is presented. The apparatus includes a mini-midplane having a redundant slot, a plurality of active slots and capable of communication with a gateway. The mini-midplane includes at least one set of cross-coupled APS lines for implementing 1:1 equipment redundancy for high speed broadband interfaces with 1+1/1:N APS and a plurality of point-to-point traces between redundant slot and each of the active slots for implementing 1:N equipment redundancy for high speed broadband interfaces with 1+1/1:N APS. The mini-midplane may further include a plurality of shared traces between the redundant slot and said at least one active slot for implementing 1:N equipment protection for low speed narrowband interfaces. The apparatus further comprises a redundant back card inserted in the redundant slot and in communication with the mini-midplane, and a plurality of back cards, wherein a respective one of the plurality of back cards are inserted in a respective active slot, each of the back cards in communication with mini-midplane.