Signal-processing module for a telecommunications switching platform

Described is a system and method for transcoding and rate-adapting between information channels having a first rate and signal-encoding scheme and information channels having a second rate and second signal-encoding scheme. Further described is a system and method for determining when a signal-processing module has failed or been removed or inserted into an operating telecommunications switching platform. Also described is a system and method for efficient power-up, to allow for more efficient system power-up, the signal-processing modules of the present invention preferably have their operating systems stored in a nonvolatile memory that can be reprogrammed without removing it from the system. A switching module is further capable of responding to heartbeat messages and identifying itself as operational over one bus or both buses of a redundant-pair control bus. The module also has a reprogrammable, nonvolatile memory associated with it from which the module can run its operating system. The module can also transfer the operating system into another memory, allowing it to make updates to the operating system stored in the nonvolatile memory without interrupting its execution of its run-time operating code.