Digital data packet switching module for allocating empty packets to a crosspoint switch

Claim 1

Digital data packet switching module, comprising a plurality of input buses and at least one output bus, crosspoint switches connecting each an individual input bus to the output bus, each crosspoint switch comprising a writing circuit that is connected to the output bus to write packets into empty packets on the output bus, and allocation means for solving access conflicts between packets intended to be transferred to the same output bus within the same packet interval, characterised in that a unique address is allocated to each crosspoint switch and in that this crosspoint switch comprises: - a request output for sending a request signal to the allocation means in response to the presence of a packet to be transmitted, and - a detection circuit connected to the output bus, for detecting empty packets on the output bus which carry the address of the relevant crosspoint switch, and - which writing circuit is suitable for writing packets, under the control of the detection circuit, into the empty packets carrying the detected address; and in that allocation means connected to the output bus generate empty packets carrying the address of a crosspoint switch and comprise: - recording means for recording and subsequently resetting the request signal of each crosspoint switch within a packet interval, - a First-In-First-Out queue store having a data input for applying thereto representations of crosspoint switch addresses, and - a packet generator for deriving addresses from the representations of the queue store and providing the empty packets with these addresses.