ELECTRONIC PACKET SWITCHING BASED ON TRAFFIC PROPERTIES

An apparatus includes a deterministic path that conveys packets from input ports to output ports via a deterministic switch. The apparatus also includes a statistical path that conveys packets from the input ports to the output ports via a statistical switch. A deterministic scheduler selectively enables the first path or the second path based on traffic properties that indicate whether the packets are in a stochastic flow or a deterministic flow. In some cases, the deterministic scheduler includes timing circuitry that determines an arrival time of a packet at an input port of a node and enabling circuitry that generates signaling that selectively enables a first path for conveying the packet via a deterministic switch or a second path for conveying the packet via a statistical switch. The selection is based on whether the arrival time indicates that the packet is in a stochastic flow or a deterministic flow.