Crosspoint Switch Physical Layer Data Conduits
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data communication networks introduce significant latency due to physical limitations and signal processing procedures, which can be critical in applications like high-speed trading and network gaming where timely data transmission is essential.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable networking system that uses a crosspoint switch to form discrete data conduits for direct physical layer signal routing between communications ports, bypassing higher layer processing and metadata decoding, allowing for low latency data transmission at the OSI model's layer 1.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional data communication networks use higher layer processing and metadata decoding, then routing and processing capabilities are improved, but latency increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes higher layer processing and metadata decoding operations from the data transmission path. By operating exclusively at the physical layer (Layer 1) of the OSI model, the system eliminates the time-consuming processes of packet header parsing, routing table lookups, and protocol processing that occur in conventional networks, thereby dramatically reducing latency while maintaining transmission speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the network function into dedicated physical layer components, separating data transmission from higher layer processing. The crosspoint switch is divided into multiple independent switching matrices, each handling specific data streams at the physical layer without intervention from network layer protocols, enabling parallel processing and reducing overall transmission latency.
2Loss of time
If a crosspoint switch forms discrete data conduits for direct physical layer routing, then latency is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex software-based routing and processing mechanisms with dedicated hardware switching matrices. The crosspoint switch uses fixed connectivity patterns and hardware-based signal routing instead of dynamic software routing protocols, eliminating the need for complex routing table management and protocol processing while achieving low-latency direct data conduits.
3Productivity
If physical layer signal routing bypasses higher layer processing, then data exchange speed is improved, but adaptability to different protocols is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces external protocol conversion devices as intermediaries that translate different network protocols into standardized physical layer signals. These external converters handle protocol-specific processing before signals enter the crosspoint switch, allowing the core switching fabric to operate at pure physical layer speed while maintaining compatibility with multiple protocols through the intermediary conversion layer.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
Figure 3
AI summary
This specification discloses a protocol agnostic networking apparatus and method of networking. The networking apparatus receives physical layer signal through a plurality of communications ports that interface with external computing systems. A crosspoint switch interconnects the communications ports with discrete reconfigurable data conduits. Each of the data conduits defines a transmission pathway between predetermined communications ports. A management module maintains the data conduits based on configuration commands received from an external computing system. The management module interfaces with the crosspoint switch to make and/or break data conduits responsive to received configuration commands.