Cross-midplane switch topology

Claim 2

A chassis for holding modules comprising: a set of first modules oriented horizontally in the chassis, a set of second modules oriented vertically in the chassis, a midplane oriented orthogonally to the sets of first and second modules, including first and second sides and connector pins extending from the first side through to the second side, each of the first modules including a first connector for mating with the connector pins extending from the first side, each of the second modules including a second connector for mating with the connector pins extending from the second side, and wherein input and output functions comprising balanced differential drivers and receivers which permit balanced differential signaling are present in one of said first or second modules, and wherein switching functions comprising balanced differential drivers and receivers which permit balanced differential signaling are present in the other of said first or second modules and all controlled impedance signal traces are on said first and second modules.

Claim 3

The chassis of claim 1 further including each of the first modules having first and third stages of switching arrays and each of the second modules having a second stage of switching arrays, wherein the first, second and third stages of switching arrays are sequentially connected in series.

Claim 4

The chassis of claim 2 wherein a signal is routed from the first stage into the second stage by way of at least one pin of the connector pins on the midplane, and then sequentially routed from the second stage to the third stage by way of at least another pin of the connector pins on the midplane.

Claim 5

The chassis of claim 1 wherein the first and second connectors are female connectors for respectively mating with the connector pins extending from the first and second sides of the midplane.

Claim 6

The chassis of claim 1 wherein the midplane includes power and ground signals.

Claim 7

The chassis of claim 1 wherein the first and second connectors are each located at an end of the first and second modules, respectively, and a third connector is provided at an opposite end of each of the first and second modules for connection to another chassis.

Claim 8

An electronic system having three serially connected stages of switching arrays comprising: a set of first modules, wherein each of the first modules includes circuitry for first and third stages of the three serially connected stages of switching arrays, a set of second modules, wherein each of the second modules includes circuitry for a second stage of the three serially connected stages of switching arrays, a midplane having first and second sides, and connector pins extending from the first side through to the second side, and ends of the connector pins on the first side engaging the set of first modules and ends of the connector pins on the second side engaging the set of second modules, wherein when the ends of the connector pins on the first side engage the set of first modules and the ends of the connector pins on the second side engage the set of second modules, the three stages of switching arrays become serially connected, and wherein input and output functions comprising balanced differential drivers and receivers which permit balanced differential signaling are present in one of said first or second modules, and wherein switching functions comprising balanced differential drivers and receivers which permit balanced differential signaling are present in the other of said first or second modules and all controlled impedance signal traces are on said first and second modules.

Claim 9

An electronic system having three serially connected stages of switching arrays comprising: a set of first modules, wherein each of the first modules includes circuitry for first and third stages of the three serially connected stages of switching arrays, a set of second modules, wherein each of the second modules includes circuitry for a second stage of the three serially connected stages of switching arrays, a midplane having first and second sides, and connector pins extending from the first side through to the second side, and ends of the connector pins on the first side engaging the set of first modules and ends of the connector pins on the second side engaging the set of second modules, wherein when the ends of the connector pins on the first side engage the set of first modules and the ends of the connector pins on the second side engage the set of second modules, the three stages of switching arrays become serially connected, and wherein input and output functions comprising balanced differential drivers and receivers which permit balanced differential signaling are present in one of said first or second modules, and wherein switching functions comprising balanced differential drivers and receivers which permit balanced differential signaling are present in the other of said first or second modules and all controlled impedance signal traces are on said first and second modules.

Claim 10

The electronic system of claim 7 wherein the set of first modules are horizontally oriented to each other and the set of second modules are vertically oriented to each other.

Claim 11

The electronic system of claim 8 wherein the midplane is orthogonally oriented to the set of first modules and the set of second modules.

Claim 12

The electronic system of claim 7 wherein a signal is routed from the first stage into the second stage by way of at least one pin of the connector pins extending through the midplane, and then sequentially routed from the second stage to the third stage by way of at least another pin of the connector pins extending through the midplane.

Claim 13

The electronic system of claim 7 wherein each of the first and second modules include at least one female connector for mating with the connector pins extending through the midplane.

Claim 14

The electronic system of claim 7 wherein the midplane includes power and ground signals.

Claim 15

The electronic system of claim 7 wherein the set of first modules is 16 first modules and the set of second modules is 16 second modules and each of the sets are placed on opposite sides of the midplane.

Claim 16

The electronic system of claim 13 wherein both sets and the midplane are placed in one chassis.

Claim 17

The electronic system of claim 7 wherein the first module includes a 32×64 input submatrix switching array for the first stage and a 64×32 output submatrix switching array for the third stage, and the second module includes a 128×128 middle submatrix switching array for the second stage.

Claim 18

The electronic system of claim 15 wherein the 32×64 input submatrix switching array includes 32 input receivers and 64 single ended output drivers.

Claim 19

The electronic system of claim 7 wherein the first module includes a DSO input/output module and a t1 input/output module, and the second module includes a T1 multiplexer/demultiplexer module.

Claim 22

The method of claim 18 wherein (c) includes horizontally orienting the set of first circuit boards in the chassis and vertically orienting the set of second circuit boards in the chassis.

Claim 23

The method of claim 19 wherein the midplane is oriented orthogonally to the sets of first and second circuit boards.

Claim 24

A chassis of claim 1 , wherein said input and output functions are mounted in said first modules which are oriented horizontally in said chassis and said switching functions are mounted in said second modules which are oriented vertically in said chassis.

Claim 25

A chassis of claim 1 , wherein said chassis provides an array that is unconditionally non-blocking.