REARRANGEABLE MULTICONNECTION SWITCHING NETWORKS

A two-stage, rearrangeable multiconnection switching network for connecting N1 input channels to n2 output channels. The network comprises a number of first stage switches and a second stage switch, e.g., rectangular arrays. The second stage switch has n2 outlets each connected to one of the n2 output channels. A connection arrangement connects each of the first stage switch inlets to an associated predetermined input channel such that for any group of n2 of the input channels, there is a group of n2 of the first stage switches each having one inlet connected to a different one of that group of n2 of the input channels. The approach is easily extendible to switching networks serving any larger number, N2, of output channels by adding second stage switches and connecting each additional second stage switch to each first stage switch. In larger networks, the first and second stage switches are themselves replaceable by two-stage networks in accordance with the invention.