Growable packet switch architecture

Claim 1

communications path for each data packet..]. .Iadd.4. A packet switching arrangement comprising: (i) an interconnect fabric comprising, a plurality of input ports for receiving data packets, a plurality of groups of output ports, each group comprising a separate number of one or more output ports, each of said output ports for supplying data packets as an output and each output port of a particular group being assigned to a common destination which is different from a destination assigned to output ports of at least another group, where the separate number of output ports comprised in a group of output ports may be the same as or different from the number of output ports comprised in other groups of output ports, at least one of the groups comprising more than one output port, and means for mapping each received data packet to a group of output ports and for mapping concurrently received data packets destined for a particular one of said destinations to respective output ports in a particular group assigned to the particular destination, said means for mapping including means for establishing a separate communications path from each separate input port at which each data packet is received to a separate output port of the group of output ports to which the data packet is mapped and for transmitting each data packet over the separate established communications path, (a) a plurality of input modules, each input module comprising (1) at least one input, each input being coupled to a separate interconnect fabric input port, (2) a plurality of outputs and (3) means for selectively connecting any input to any output for forming a first portion of the established communications path for each data packet, (b) a plurality of intermediate modules, each intermediate module comprising (1) a plurality of inputs, each input is coupled to a separate input module output, (2) a plurality of outputs, each output being coupled to a separate interconnect fabric output port of a predetermined number of groups of interconnect fabric output ports, and (3) means for selectively connecting any intermediate module input to any intermediate module output for forming a second portion of the established communications path for each data packet; and (ii) a plurality of output packets switches, each output packet switch being arranged to receive data packets from a separate group of interconnect fabric output ports and route the data packets to one or more destinations..Iaddend. .Iadd.5. A packet switching arrangement as defined in claim 4 wherein said plurality of interconnect fabric input ports includes a first number of of input ports and said plurality of interconnect fabric output ports includes a second number of output ports