Abstract: A device, according to one embodiment, includes a fuse, and a resistor electrically coupled directly to the fuse in series therewith. A hybrid device, according to another embodiment, includes a fuse, and a resistor electrically coupled directly to the fuse in series therewith in a single package. A resistance of the resistor is 1 ohm or less, and is substantially temperature insensitive.

Abstract: A differential transmission line includes a positive conductor on which a positive complementary component of a differential signal is transmitted, and a negative conductor parallel to the positive conductor on which a negative complementary component of the differential signal is transmitted. A quarter wavelength differential coupler is inserted along a length of the positive and negative conductors. The quarter wavelength differential coupler has a length corresponding to a frequency of common mode noise on the positive and negative conductors. The quarter wavelength differential coupler reduces the common mode noise at the frequency as the differential signal passes through the quarter wavelength differential coupler.

Abstract: A differential transmission line with a common mode notch filter includes adjacently arranged, repeating differential transmission line pair sections. The sections have lengths that are each equal to half of an electric wavelength of a lowest frequency of a common mode electromagnetic wave to be suppressed during transmission of an electric signal over the differential transmission line. Each section includes a pair of conductors separated from one another by a spacing. The width of each conductor and the spacing between the conductors of each section vary over the length thereof according to a same pattern such that at every point over the length of each section a differential mode impedance of the differential transmission line is identical. A common mode impedance of the differential transmission line changes periodically in accordance with the lengths of the sections.

Abstract: A differential transmission line includes a positive conductor on which a positive complementary component of a differential signal is transmitted, and a negative conductor parallel to the positive conductor on which a negative complementary component of the differential signal is transmitted. A quarter wavelength differential coupler is inserted along a length of the positive and negative conductors. The quarter wavelength differential coupler has a length corresponding to a frequency of common mode noise on the positive and negative conductors. The quarter wavelength differential coupler reduces the common mode noise at the frequency as the differential signal passes through the quarter wavelength differential coupler.

Abstract: A device, according to one embodiment, includes a fuse, and a resistor electrically coupled directly to the fuse in series therewith. A hybrid device, according to another embodiment, includes a fuse, and a resistor electrically coupled directly to the fuse in series therewith in a single package. A resistance of the resistor is 1 ohm or less, and is substantially temperature insensitive.

Abstract: A differential transmission line with a common mode notch filter includes adjacently arranged, repeating differential transmission line pair sections. The sections have lengths that are each equal to half of an electric wavelength of a lowest frequency of a common mode electromagnetic wave to be suppressed during transmission of an electric signal over the differential transmission line. Each section includes a pair of conductors separated from one another by a spacing. The width of each conductor and the spacing between the conductors of each section vary over the length thereof according to a same pattern such that at every point over the length of each section a differential mode impedance of the differential transmission line is identical. A common mode impedance of the differential transmission line changes periodically in accordance with the lengths of the sections.

Abstract: A scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis includes a plurality of root fabric cards installed on the one side of the SFC chassis. Each root fabric card has a plurality of electrical connectors. A plurality of line cards is installed on the opposite side of the SFC chassis. Each line card is one of two types of line cards. One of the two types of line cards is a switch-based network line card having network ports for connecting to servers and switches. The other of the two types of line cards is a leaf fabric card having fabric ports for connecting to a fabric port of a network element. Each of the two types of the line cards has electrical connectors that mate with one electrical connector of each root fabric card installed in the chassis.

Abstract: A switch includes network ports and a network processor with a fabric interface that provides SerDes (Serializer/Deserializer) channels. The network processor divides each packet received over the network ports into cells and distributes the cells across the SerDes channels. Fabric ports of the switch communicate with the fabric interface to transmit cells to and receive cells from the fabric interface. The switch is selectively configurable as a standalone switch by connecting each fabric port of the switch to another of the fabric ports of the switch, as a member of a switch stack by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different other switch through one fabric port of that other switch, or as a member of a distributed fabric system by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis by an SFC fabric port of that SFC chassis.

Abstract: A distributed virtual chassis comprises scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) boxes. Each SFC box has fabric ports and a cell-based switch fabric for switching cells associated with a packet among the SFC fabric ports of that SFC box. Distributed line cards (DLCs) include switching DLCs and an appliance DLC (A-DLC). Each switching DLC has network ports. Each switching DLC and A-DLC has DLC fabric ports. Each switching DLC and A-DLC is connected to each of the SFC boxes. The A-DLC provides an upper layer service for packets arriving on the network ports of the switching DLCs. To forward a packet to the A-DLC, a switching DLC divides the packet into cells and distributes the cells among the SFC boxes. The SFC boxes forward the cells to the A-DLC, and the A-DLC reassembles the packet from the cells and provides the upper layer service to the packet.

Abstract: A system includes scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) boxes and distributed line card (DLC) boxes. Each SFC box has fabric ports and a cell-based switch fabric for switching cells. Each DLC box is in communication with every SFC box. Each DLC box has network ports receiving packets and network processors. Each processor has a fabric interface that provides SerDes channels. The processors divide each packet received over the network ports into cells and distribute the cells of each packet across the SerDes channels. Each DLC box further comprises DLC fabric ports through which the DLC is in communication with the SFCs. Each DLC fabric port includes a pluggable interface with a given number of lanes over which to transmit and receive cells. Each lane is mapped to one of the SerDes channels such that an equal number of SerDes channels of each fabric interface is mapped to each DLC fabric port.

Abstract: A switch includes network ports and a network processor with a fabric interface that provides SerDes (Serializer/Deserializer) channels. The network processor divides each packet received over the network ports into cells and distributes the cells across the SerDes channels. Fabric ports of the switch communicate with the fabric interface to transmit cells to and receive cells from the fabric interface. The switch is selectively configurable as a standalone switch by connecting each fabric port of the switch to another of the fabric ports of the switch, as a member of a switch stack by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different other switch through one fabric port of that other switch, or as a member of a distributed fabric system by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis by an SFC fabric port of that SFC chassis.

Abstract: A switch includes network ports and a network processor with a fabric interface that provides SerDes (Serializer/Deserializer) channels. The network processor divides each packet received over the network ports into cells and distributes the cells across the SerDes channels. Fabric ports of the switch communicate with the fabric interface to transmit cells to and receive cells from the fabric interface. The switch is selectively configurable as a standalone switch by connecting each fabric port of the switch to another of the fabric ports of the switch, as a member of a switch stack by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different other switch through one fabric port of that other switch, or as a member of a distributed fabric system by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis by an SFC fabric port of that SFC chassis.

Abstract: A distributed virtual chassis comprises scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) boxes. Each SFC box has fabric ports and a cell-based switch fabric for switching cells associated with a packet among the SFC fabric ports of that SFC box. Distributed line cards (DLCs) include switching DLCs and an appliance DLC (A-DLC). Each switching DLC has network ports. Each switching DLC and A-DLC has DLC fabric ports. Each switching DLC and A-DLC is connected to each of the SFC boxes. The A-DLC provides an upper layer service for packets arriving on the network ports of the switching DLCs. To forward a packet to the A-DLC, a switching DLC divides the packet into cells and distributes the cells among the SFC boxes. The SFC boxes forward the cells to the A-DLC, and the A-DLC reassembles the packet from the cells and provides the upper layer service to the packet.

Abstract: A distributed virtual chassis comprises scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) boxes. Each SFC box has fabric ports and a cell-based switch fabric for switching cells associated with a packet among the SFC fabric ports of that SFC box. Distributed line cards (DLCs) include switching DLCs and an appliance DLC (A-DLC). Each switching DLC has network ports. Each switching DLC and A-DLC has DLC fabric ports. Each switching DLC and A-DLC is connected to each of the SFC boxes. The A-DLC provides an upper layer service for packets arriving on the network ports of the switching DLCs. To forward a packet to the A-DLC, a switching DLC divides the packet into cells and distributes the cells among the SFC boxes. The SFC boxes forward the cells to the A-DLC, and the A-DLC reassembles the packet from the cells and provides the upper layer service to the packet.

Abstract: A distributed virtual chassis comprises scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) boxes. Each SFC box has fabric ports and a cell-based switch fabric for switching cells associated with a packet among the SFC fabric ports of that SFC box. Distributed line cards (DLCs) include switching DLCs and an appliance DLC (A-DLC). Each switching DLC has network ports. Each switching DLC and A-DLC has DLC fabric ports. Each switching DLC and A-DLC is connected to each of the SFC boxes. The A-DLC provides an upper layer service for packets arriving on the network ports of the switching DLCs. To forward a packet to the A-DLC, a switching DLC divides the packet into cells and distributes the cells among the SFC boxes. The SFC boxes forward the cells to the A-DLC, and the A-DLC reassembles the packet from the cells and provides the upper layer service to the packet.

Abstract: A scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis includes a plurality of root fabric cards installed on the one side of the SFC chassis. Each root fabric card has a plurality of electrical connectors. A plurality of line cards is installed on the opposite side of the SFC chassis. Each line card is one of two types of line cards. One of the two types of line cards is a switch-based network line card having network ports for connecting to servers and switches. The other of the two types of line cards is a leaf fabric card having fabric ports for connecting to a fabric port of a network element. Each of the two types of the line cards has electrical connectors that mate with one electrical connector of each root fabric card installed in the chassis.

Abstract: A system includes scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) boxes and distributed line card (DLC) boxes. Each SFC box has fabric ports and a cell-based switch fabric for switching cells. Each DLC box is in communication with every SFC box. Each DLC box has network ports receiving packets and network processors. Each processor has a fabric interface that provides SerDes channels. The processors divide each packet received over the network ports into cells and distribute the cells of each packet across the SerDes channels. Each DLC box further comprises DLC fabric ports through which the DLC is in communication with the SFCs. Each DLC fabric port includes a pluggable interface with a given number of lanes over which to transmit and receive cells. Each lane is mapped to one of the SerDes channels such that an equal number of SerDes channels of each fabric interface is mapped to each DLC fabric port.

Abstract: A switch includes network ports and a network processor with a fabric interface that provides SerDes (Serializer/Deserializer) channels. The network processor divides each packet received over the network ports into cells and distributes the cells across the SerDes channels. Fabric ports of the switch communicate with the fabric interface to transmit cells to and receive cells from the fabric interface. The switch is selectively configurable as a standalone switch by connecting each fabric port of the switch to another of the fabric ports of the switch, as a member of a switch stack by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different other switch through one fabric port of that other switch, or as a member of a distributed fabric system by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis by an SFC fabric port of that SFC chassis.