Cascaded Switching Devices Using Shared High-Speed PCB
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of cascading switching devices using optical or high-speed cables limits the scalability and efficiency of communications systems, as it requires multiple expensive cables and separate management units, increasing operational costs and resource usage.
Innovation Solution
The use of a shared high-speed printed circuit board for wire routing between switching devices allows for cascading without adding uplink ports, reducing costs and enabling unified management and control, while maintaining high-speed data transmission capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If device cascading is implemented by using optical cables or high-speed cables between switching devices, then capacity expansion is achieved, but costs of device cascading increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple switching devices into a single integrated switching device, combining their functions and resources. This eliminates the need for expensive external cables by using internal wiring within the integrated device, thereby achieving capacity expansion without significant additional costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated switching device provides multi-functional capabilities by incorporating multiple switching functions, line card slots, and fabric card resources into a single device. This universal design allows the device to perform multiple roles that previously required separate devices and expensive interconnections.
2Productivity
If device cascading is implemented by using line card slot, then capacity expansion is achieved, but user capacity provided by switching device reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fabric card extension mechanism that adds capacity in a new dimensional space rather than consuming existing line card slots. The fabric card provides additional switching resources and bandwidth through a separate architectural dimension, allowing capacity expansion without reducing user capacity in the traditional line card dimension.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple switching devices are used to provide network services, then user capacity increases, but management and control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple switching device functions into a single integrated device with unified management and control. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate management of multiple devices, reducing operational complexity while maintaining or enhancing user capacity through the integrated architecture.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a communications system, and the system includes a first switching device and at least one second switching device, where the first switching device and the at least one second switching device are cascaded by using a shared board; a switch fabric card of the first switching device is connected to a switch fabric card of the at least one second switching device by using wire routing of a high-speed printed circuit board on the shared board; and the first switching device is connected to an uplink port, and the at least one second logical device is connected to the uplink port by using the high- speed printed circuit board cabling. The communications system provided in the embodiments of the present invention is configured to reduce costs while increasing a capacity of the switching device.