Abstract: An ATM switching system architecture of a switch fabric-type is built of, a plurality of ATM switch element circuits and routing table circuits for each physical connection to/from the switch fabric. A shared pool of memory is employed to eliminate the need to provide memory at every crosspoint. Each routing table maintains a marked interrupt linked list for storing information about which ones of its virtual channels are experiencing congestion. This linked list is available to a processor in the external workstation to alert the processor when a congestion condition exists in one of the virtual channels. The switch element circuit typically has up to eight 4-bit-wide nibble inputs and eight 4-bit-wide nibble outputs and is capable of connecting cells received at any of its inputs to any of its outputs, based on the information in a routing tag uniquely associated with each cell.

Abstract: A method for generating a parametric design on a computer without the use of a programming language. A drawing processor is used to create a master drawing from which other drawings of different dimensions can then be synthesized by modification of the master drawing. Instead of each dimension in the master drawing being given a fixed value, it is given a label. These labels are replaced at run time by dimensions the user provides or dimensions which are calculated as described in a design plan. When the program is run, the system uses simple language to prompt the user for each design value. It incorporates the response with data previously entered into the design plan. If a response is unclear, a request is made for clarification. As a draftman would do, the invention merges the design values with data from both the design plan and the master drawing to create a finished drawing. In executing a parametric design, the user selects the controlling design plan to be used as a basis of the design.

Abstract: Systems and processes in which a master drawing is rectified to produce a design in the form of a drawing or instructions for a computer aided manufacturing process. A modular approach is employed. This allows elements to be combined into, or incorporated in, a more complex design. Each product and element is manifested by a design module which has one or more master drawings in which dimensions and text are replaced by variables, and a specsheet which effects the rectification of the master drawing(s). The specsheet can be employed in an editing mode to establish a design or in a run-time mode. In the latter, an end user simply responds to prompts with appropriate information to produce a final design.