Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A communication node, for use in an inter-processor communication system in an asynchronous transfer mode switching system, provides two independent paths to upper layer switching modules for two duplicated processors, respectively, wherein the path from the processor to the upper layer switching modules includes the communication node, a node switching device, all devices are duplicated and operate by using an active and stand-by scheme, data transmitted is transmitted in the unit of a data packet and the data packet includes an information field, a node address field and a payload type field for representing whether data is switching inforamtion or not. The node comprises two subnodes controlled by the controller for the active and the stand-by processors, respectively. Each subnode has two buffers for storing received data and sending data. Two received data are stored in corresponding two buffers from the node switching device through a dividing unit depending on the payload type field and transferred to corresponding processor, respectively. The two sending data are stored in corresponding two buffers and transferred to the node switching device through the selector. The node switching device receives and transfers the data from and to the upper layer switching modules.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim