APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING CELLS INPUT TO ATM NETWORK

An apparatus for controlling cells which are to be input to an ATM switch includes a buffer circuit for storing a cell directed to the ATM switch, and a memory for storing, for each of different calls, the number of cells which are in the ATM switch. The apparatus includes a periodic calculation circuit for periodically changing the number of cells for each of the different calls by an operation value, and a control part for determining whether the cell stored in the buffer circuit should be output to the ATM switch or discarded by referring to the number of cells which is stored in the memory and related to the cell stored in the buffer circuit.