Multi-media serial line switching adapter for parallel networks and heterogeneous and homologous computer systems

Claim 1

A multi-stage bufferless and clockless switch network comprising: a plurality of bufferless and clockless switch apparatuses cascaded into a plurality of stages, said switch apparatuses each including a plurality of switch inputs and a plurality of switch outputs, of the switch outputs included in each of said switch apparatuses each coupled to a different one of the switch apparatuses via a switch input of said different one of the switch apparatuses, switch outputs of last stage switch apparatuses each comprising a network output port and switch inputs of first stage switch apparatuses each comprising a network input port; and said network output ports each coupled to a network input port through one of a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes comprising: a processor operating under a native protocol, said native protocol different from an operating protocol of at least one other of the nodes; means for receiving a data message from a coupled network output port; and means for sending a data message to a coupled network input port, said data message to a coupled network input port including a path connection request; said switch apparatuses each further including: connection means for establishing a point-to-point communication path between any one of the network input ports and any one of the network output ports in response to said connection request received at said any one of the network input ports, said point-to-point communication path for transmitting a data message received at said any one of the network input ports to said any one of the network output ports; multicast means for establishing a multicast communication path between said any one of the network input ports and any portion of the network output ports in response to said connection request received at said any one of the network input ports, said multicast communication path for transmitting the data message received at said any one of the network input ports simultaneously to said any portion of the network output ports; broadcast means for establishing a broadcast communication path between said any one of the network input ports and all of the network output ports in response to said connection request received at said any one of the network input ports, said broadcast communication path for transmitting the data message received at said any one of the network input ports simultaneously to said all of the network output ports; and asynchronous connection means for establishing asynchronously, in response to a plurality of path connection requests received separately or simultaneously at a plurality of network input ports, a plurality of concurrently active: point-to-point communication paths, multicast communication paths, and point-to-point and multicast communications paths in combination, said plurality of concurrently active point-to-point communication paths, multicast communication paths, and point-to-point and multicast communications paths in combination for transmitting concurrently a plurality of data messages received separately or simultaneously at said plurality Of the network input ports to a plurality of the network output ports.