MULTI-PROCESSING AND DIRECT ROUTING OF SIGNALLING PROTOCOLS IN VOICE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

摘要

A switch provides time multiplexed connections between ports or slots, and information in the form of digital words are transmitted in packets. A Switching Unit makes the connections and disconnections between the ports under the control of a central processing unit and a telephone processing unit. These connections and disconnections are organized according to protocols located in software programs on an Integrated multi-protocol processing unit (IMP) located on a peripheral card within the Switching Unit. An IMP includes processing systems for processing the protocols in response to data received through a respective slot and transmitted to the IMP. A switch may include a plurality of IMP's. Each IMP may include a plurality of separate processors, each for a separate and distinct protocol. The protocol processed data is transmitted to the CPU directly without use of the switch increasing the speeed of communications.