Importance

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Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is an ATM switch comprising a switch fabric, a controller, a buffer, a plurality of input line cards and a plurality of output line cards. The input line cards comprise input connectors and output connectors, with the number of input line card input connectors exceeding the number of input line card output connectors, and the output line cards comprising output connectors and input connectors, with the number of output line card output connectors exceeding the number of output line card input connectors. In another embodiment, the invention is an ATM switch comprising a switch fabric, a controller, a buffer, a plurality of input line cards and a plurality of output line cards, with the input line cards comprising input connectors but no output connectors and the line output line cards comprising output connectors but no input connectors. The invention is also drawn to a line card having either an input switch interface or an output switch interface. The invention also includes communication networks employing these ATM switches together with an application source, information stream carriers and a plurality of user stations. The application source includes circuit for generating a forward ATM information stream intended for at least one of the user stations and circuit for receiving a reverse information stream from the one user station. Each user station comprises circuit for receiving an ATM information stream from the application source and for sending an information stream to the application source.

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First Claim