Neal Elliott Moore

US Patent:

6526048, Feb 25, 2003

Filed:

Sep 18, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/157299

Inventors:

Harry F. Francis - Alexandria VA
Roland H. Mattoon - Montross VA
Timothy Y. Gorder - King George VA
Neal E. Moore - Fruitland MD

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy - Washington DC

International Classification:

H04L 1250

US Classification:

370380, 370386

Abstract:

A multi-interface point-to-point switching system includes a plurality of I/O devices coupled to a plurality of respective devices, a switching device for selectively delivering each of a plurality of different signals from a selected one of the I/O devices coupled to a sending one of the devices to another selected one of the I/O devices coupled to a receiving one of the devices, to thereby establish respective connections between the sending and receiving devices, wherein the switching device provides a fixed, low latency signal path for each connection between a sending and receiving device for the duration of that connection, whereby the latency of that connection is deterministic and predictable, and a data content of the signal delivered via that connection is not analyzed by the switching device, whereby the switching device operates in a content independent manner, and controller device that determines the fixed, low latency signal path for each connection and commands the switching device to establish the determined signal path for each connection. According to the present invention, at least one of the different signals is a parallel interface format signal and at least one of the different signals is a serial interface format signal.