Abstract: Method and system for routing frames in a network is provided. The method comprises, receiving a frame at a receive port of a networking switch element; determining a transmit port and a virtual lane for routing the frame; asserting a request signal to the transmit port; waiting for an accept signal from the transmit port; determining if an output link on the transmit port is unavailable and if a flow control credit is available for transmitting the frame; sending the frame to the transmit port if the accept signal is asserted; and transmitting the frame on the output link and de-asserting the request signal.

Abstract: A method and system for processing received and transmit data by an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) from a network link. The method for received data includes swapping received data polarity if swap-polarity ability is set and swapping byte lanes for the received data if swap-lane ability is set. The method for transmit data includes swapping byte lanes for transmit data, if swap-byte lane ability is set and swapping data polarity if swap-polarity ability is set. The ASIC includes a network connector that receives and transmits data from the network link.

Abstract: A fibre channel switch element with an integrated fabric controller on a single chip is provided. The fabric controller including a processor module that can control various switch element functions; a serlizer/de-serializer for converting parallel data to serial data for transmission; an on-chip peripheral bus that allows communication between plural components and the processor module; a processor local bus and an interrupt controller that provides interrupts to the processor module. The integrated fabric controller also includes a flash controller and an external memory controller; an Ethernet controller; a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (“UART”) module that performs serial to parallel conversion and vice-versa; an I2C module that performs serial to parallel and parallel to serial conversion; a general-purpose input/output interface; a real time clock module; an interrupt controller that can receive interrupts inputs from both internal and external sources; and a bridge to an internal PCI bus.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting and bundling network packets is provided. The incoming network packet size is determined and if the remote buffer space is sufficient to hold the network packet it is transmitted to the destination port. If the remote buffer space is not enough to hold the network packet it is discarded. The system includes an arbitration module that receives remote buffer space information and transmits the network packet if the remote buffer space has enough space to hold the packet. The arbitration module also determines if a second network packet is from a same source port having a same source virtual lane, and has the same destination virtual lane (bundling conditions). If the second network packet meets the bundling conditions, then it is transmitted after the first network packet, even if other packets were received before the second network packet.

Abstract: A system and method for discarding expired network data packets is provided. A time stamp value is assigned to data packets that are received in a data packet queue, wherein the time stamp value is based on a counter value. The time stamp value is extracted after the counter value changes or a new data packet is received at the head of the data packet queue. The extracted time stamp value is then compared with the counter value. Data packets with expired timer value are discarded.