| US 7,502,375 B2 | ||
| Modular and scalable switch and method for the distribution of fast ethernet data frames | ||
| Hans-Walter Hahn, Darmstadt (Germany); Wolfram Busching, Soelden (Germany); Peter Wahl, Ludwigshafen (Germany); and Robert Wolf, Moerlenbach (Germany) | ||
| Assigned to Teldix GmbH, Heidelberg (Germany) | ||
| Appl. No. 10/470,961 PCT Filed Jan. 31, 2001, PCT No. PCT/EP01/01007 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jul. 31, 2003, PCT Pub. No. WO02/062023, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 08, 2002. |
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| Prior Publication US 2004/0131073 A1, Jul. 08, 2004 | ||
| Int. Cl. H04L 12/56 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 370—401 [370/413; 370/428] | 14 Claims |
| 1. Modular and scalable architecture of fast ethernet switches characterized in that an ethernet switch unit is implemented
as a plurality of individually programmable one-port communication modules for accessing to a common distribution bus, and
wherein each one-port communication module comprises:
an ethernet medium access unit including a programmable micro-controller organized as a reduced instruction set controller,
and a data frame distribution logic allowing real-time-processing and forwarding complete ethernet data frames arriving on
said specific one-port communication module to addressed destination ports according to a store-and-forward mode; and
a dual-port frame buffer arranged to cooperate, on the one hand, with the programmable micro-controller, and, on the other
hand, with the data frame distribution logic, wherein the complete Ethernet data frames are stored in the dual-port frame
buffer before they are forwarded to the addressed destination ports.
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