MULTIPLE-PURPOSE PACKET SWITCHING NODE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a multipurpose network node in which the input/output trunks of an ATM(asynchronous transfer mode) and a VL(variable length) mode can be interconnected by all the combination of the input trunks and output trunks. SOLUTION: A network node includes a receive adapter ATM/VL and transmit adapter ATM/VL connected through a switch device 44 operating only for an ATM type packet(ATM cell). The reception adapter through an input trunk includes means 41 and 43 for extracting the ATM cell from VL traffic which is likely to include the ATM packet, and means 45 and 46 for extracting the ATM cell from the ATM packet applied to the ATM input trunk. The transmission adapter includes means 47 and 48 for re-assembling the VL traffic to be transmitted to the output trunk, and means 49 and 50 for transmitting the re-assembled ATM traffic to the ATM output trunk.