Broadband switch matrix with non-linear cascading

Claim 2

A broadband switching matrix for connecting any one of a plurality of N input ports to any one of a plurality of output ports, each of said input ports being connected to an input signal line, comprising: a parallel combination of multiplexing means each having an input end connected to the input signal lines and an output end connected to one of said output ports for receiving N input signals at said input end and providing one of said input signals as an output signal at said output end; said multiplexing means including a plurality of selection means arranged in a vertical tree configuration having log₂N cascaded stages wherein each stage comprises half the number of selection means as a preceding stage so that said last stage has a single selection means, the first of said stages being said input end and the last of said stages being said output end; each of said selection means having a first input line, a second input line, an input control means, and an output line for selecting a digital signal present on either of said input lines in response to said input control means and placing said selected signal on the output line wherein the output lines from each stage serve as the input lines to a next stage such that each output line drives only one input line in the following stage; the input lines to the selection means in said first stage being connected to the input signal lines, and the output line from the single selection means in said last stage being connected to said output port; in each stage, the input control means for all of the selection means in said respective stage being connected in common; said selection means being operable in response to a first control condition at the control input means to provide a closed circuit condition between the first input line and the output line thereof and an open circuit condition between the second input line and the output line thereof; said selection means being operable in response to a second control condition at the control input means to provide an open circuit condition between the first input line and the output line thereof and a closed circuit condition between the second input line and the output line thereof; and means for establishing a desired connectivity path between a specified input port and a specified output port by applying the appropriate control conditions to the input control means of the particular multiplexing means which is connected to the specified output port so that only the input signal entering said specified input port ripples through the cascaded stages of said particular multiplexing means and emerges from said output port.

Claim 3

A crosspoint switching array for connecting any one of a plurality of M row input ports to any one of a plurality of N column output ports, comprising: MxN crosspoint switching means arranged in M rows by N columns and further organized into a selected number of groups of vertically cascaded stages wherein the last stage in a group serves as an expansion stage for providing an interconnection to the expansion stage in a next group; each crosspoint switching means comprising a row input connection and a row output connection, the row input connection being connected to the row output connection of the preceding crosspoint switching means in the row, and the row output connection being connected to the row input connection of the following crosspoint switching means in the row; a column input connection and a column output connection, the column input connection being connected to the column output connection of the preceding crosspoint switching means in the column, and the column output connection being connected to the column input connection of the following crosspoint switching means in the column; selector means having a first input connected to the column input connection, a second input connected to the row output connection, an output connected to the column output connection, and control input means; said selector means being operable in response to a first control condition at the control input means to provide a closed circuit condition between the first input and the output thereof and an open circuit condition between the second input and the output thereof; and said selector means being operable in response to a second control condition at the control input means to provide an open circuit condition between the first input and the output thereof and a closed circuit condition between the second input and the output thereof; each of the crosspoint switching means in said respective expansion stage having the column input connection connected to the column output connection of that crosspoint switching means in the column belonging to the expansion stage of the preceding group, the row input connection connected to the column output connection of the immediately preceding crosspoint switching means in the column, and the column output connection connected to the column input connection of the crosspoint switching means in the column which belongs to the expansion stage of the following group; means for providing a common connection between the control input means of those crosspoint switching means in a column having a similar location within their respective groups, except for the crosspoint switching means in said expansion stages wherein the control input means are separate; and means for establishing a connection between an input port and an output port, said connection passing through a selected crosspoint switching means in the array, by applying the appropriate control conditions to the control input means of each crosspoint switching means in the same column as said selected switching means so that when an input signal is switched from row to column at said selected crosspoint, said signal propagates through the remaining stages of said respective group and then propagates successively through the expansion stage in each following group before reaching said output port.

Claim 4

A crosspoint switching array for connecting any one of a plurality of M row input ports to any one of a plurality of N column output ports, comprising: MxN crosspoint switching means arranged in M rows by N columns and further organized into a selected number of groups of vertically cascaded stages wherein the last stage in a group serves as an expansion stage for providing an interconnection to the expansion stage in a next group; each crosspoint switching means comprising a row input connection and a row output connection, the row input connection being connected to the row output connection of the preceding crosspoint switching means in the row, and the row output connection being connected to the row input connection of the following crosspoint switching means in the row; a column input connection and a column output connection, the column input connection being connected to the column output connection of the preceding crosspoint switching means in the column, and the column output connection being connected to the column input connection of the following crosspoint switching means in the column; selector means having a first input connected to the column input connection, a second input connected to the row output connection, an output connected to the column output connection, and control input means; said selector means being operable in response to a first control condition at the control input means to provide a closed circuit condition between the first input and the output thereof and an open circuit condition between the second input and the output thereof; and said selector means being operable in response to a second control condition at the control input means to provide an open circuit condition between the first input and the output thereof and a closed circuit condition between the second input and the output thereof; each of the crosspoint switching means in said respective expansion stage having the column input connection connected to the column output connection of that crosspoint switching means in the column belonging to the expansion stage of the preceding group, the row input connection connected to the column output connection of the immediately preceding crosspoint switching means in the column, and the column output connection connected to the column input connection of the crosspoint switching means in the column which belongs to the expansion stage of the following group; means for providing a common connection between the control input means of those crosspoint switching means in a column having a similar location within their respective groups, except for the crosspoint switching means in said expansion stages wherein the control input means are separate; and means for establishing a connection between an input port and an output port, said connection passing through a selected crosspoint switching means in the array, by applying the appropriate control conditions to the control input means of each crosspoint switching means in the same column as said selected switching means so that when an input signal is switched from row to column at said selected crosspoint, said signal propagates through the remaining stages of said respective group and then propagates successively through the expansion stage in each following group before reaching said output port.