SWITCHING DEVICE, METHOD AND APPARATUS

摘要

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A SWITCHING DEVICE WHICH TRANSPORTS DATA PACKETS FROM INPUT PORTS (101-108)TO SELECTED OUTPUT PORTS(501-508). THE PAYLOAD OF THE PACKETS IS STORED IN A STORAGE MEANS. A SWITCHING MEANS (3401-3432)IS ARRANGED WHICH HAS MORE SWITCH OUTPUTS (291-294)THAN SWITCH INPUTS (85)AND WHICH SWITCHES SEQUENTIALLY BETWEEN ONE SWITCH INPUT AND SEVERAL SWITCH OUTPUTS WHILE STORING THE PAYLOADS. FURTHERMORE, THE INVENTION RELATES TO A STORING METHOD WHICH USES SWITCHING MEANS TO STORE PAYLOADS IN A SEQUENTIAL ORDER AND TO A SWITCHING APPARATUS COMPRISING SEVERAL SWITCHING DEVICES. FURTHERMORE, THE INVENTION RELATES TO SYSTEMS USING THE SWITCHING DEVICE AS A SCALEABLE MODULE.