SELFROUTED, PACKET SYNCHRONIZED CONCENTRATOR FOR A FAST DATA SWITCHING NETWORK

A concentrator for fast data packet switching networks, in which all of what are respectively the first bits of input data packets act on all of the switching elements of the concentrator in terms of their switch settings. The switching elements are beta elements ( beta ), i.e. those which have two inputs and two outputs, where 1d n stages are provided for every n/2 beta elements ( beta ) and where n is the number of inputs or outputs of the concentrator. A connecting structure is provided between the stages, representing an ideal mix (perfect shuffle). The stages are divided into blocks so that the number of blocks, rising from stage to stage, increases to the power of two, where the number of blocks in the first stage is 2 , in the second stage 2 etc., producing n/2 blocks in the final stage and thus creating a so-called binary tree structure. Depending on the type of the pair of signals supplied to it, a beta element ( beta ) acts on the switch setting of an adjacent beta element in such a way that, in the final stage of the concentrator, a concentration of the bits with a pre-defined binary value is produced at the outputs of the concentrator and thereby a concentration of the data packets concerned. ……