Apparatus and method for simultaneously accessing multiple network switch buffers for storage of data units of data frames

摘要

Multiple network switch modules have memory interfaces configured for transferring packet data to respective buffer memories. The memory interfaces are also configured for transfer among each other data units of data frames received from different network switch modules. The memory interfaces transfer the data units according to a prescribed sequence, optimizing memory bandwidth by concurrently executing a prescribed number of successive memory writes or memory reads. An alternative embodiment includes a distributed memory interface in between the network switch modules and a shared memory system, where the width of the data bus of the shared width memory system equals the total number of bits on the data buses of the switch modules.