BIT SLICED DIGITAL CROSS CONNECT SWITCHING SYSTEM CONTROLLED BY PORT UNITS

摘要

A switching network having a plurality of independent switching groups with each switching group capable of switching one bit of each group of data from external data links through a telecommunication switching system and port units interfacing the data links directly control which of the switching groups will be active. This allows extra switching groups to be utilized as replacement switching groups should a switching group actively switching a bit of the incoming data be disabled. This increases the overall reliability of the telecommunication switching system since a failure of a port unit will only effect the external data link that is connected to that unit. In addition, this eliminates complicated and centralized control for the switching units which would be needed to inform the switching units which units should be active and the bit a given switching unit should be communicating.