Importance

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Abstract

Switching apparatus, for use in an ATM network for example, which includes a plurality of data units; cross-connect switching units, having a plurality of input ports and output ports, for providing data transfer paths, each path serving to pass data received at one of the input ports to one of the output port; and connection units connected to the input ports and to the data units, for delivering data from designated source data units to respective input ports and for delivering the data, after passage through one of the data transfer paths, from the output ports to respective designated destination data units. Two data units, which together constitute a data delivery group associated with an input port, are connected to each connection unit and the connection unit serves to deliver data from the two different data units of the data delivery group, at different respective times, to that associated input port. In such apparatus the number of input ports of the switching units is reduced. Other embodiments relate to a cross-connect switching device having bidirectional ports.

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First Claim