Abstract: A process and system for flexibly switching connections of data packet flows between nodes of data processing system networks by dividing data packets into cells and logically linking these cells on multiple queues of linked pointer lists.

Abstract: A bi-directional full duplex clocked bus including eight data lines, a clock line and a control line. The bus signals are low level differential with suitable drivers and receivers. The bus operation includes a protocol of sending groupings of eight bytes transmissions where a byte is sent on the rising and the falling edges of the clock signal. When reading the received data, delayed clocks are used that are formed at the center of both of the received clock signal phases. The delayed clocks may be used to output data on the outputs lines. The delayed clocks are arranged to be symmetrical with substantially no skew and centered to the phases of the received clock signal.

Abstract: A process and system for switching connections of data packet flows between nodes of data processing system networks operating on diverse protocols according to the application layer information on the data packets.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for receiving time skewed data from a parallel data bus. A data transfer on the parallel data bus is preceded by a start-of-cell delimiter consisting of a predetermined sequence of pulses on each of the data signals. The data is received from the bus by receive logic employing a local clock. Sampling logic is used to sample each of the data signals received from the bus at a rate which is higher than the local clock rate. Sample registers store a plurality of samples of corresponding data signals, the number of samples stored being large enough to store at least some of the pulses constituting the start-of-cell delimiter. Start-of-cell detect and center select logic is used for determining that a start-of-cell delimiter is stored in each of the sample registers, and for determining which of the samples stored in each of the sample registers represents the approximate center sample of one of the pulses of the start-of-cell delimiter.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include a method of conducting a reduced length search along a search path. A node which would otherwise occur between a previous and a following node in the search path is eliminated, and information is stored as to whether, had said eliminated node been present, the search would have proceeded to the following node. During the search, a search argument is compared with the stored information, and the search effectively progresses from the previous node directly to the following node if the comparison is positive. In preferred embodiments, some nodes provide result values for the search, and a node is eliminated only if its presence would not affect the result value for the search. In another aspect, the invention features a method of conducting a two mode search of reduced length. For a first mode of the search, nodes along a search path are provided, at least some of the nodes including one or more pointers pointing to other nodes.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include a method of conducting a reduced length search along a search path. A node which would otherwise occur between a previous and a following node in the search path is eliminated, and information is stored as to whether, had said eliminated node been present, the search would have proceeded to the following node. During the search, a search argument is compared with the stored information, and the search effectively progresses from the previous node directly to the following node if the comparison is positive. In preferred embodiments, some nodes provide result values for the search, and a node is eliminated only if its presence would not affect the result value for the search. In another aspect, the invention features a method of conducting a two mode search of reduced length. For a first mode of the search, nodes along a search path are provided, at least some of the nodes including one or more pointers pointing to other nodes.

Abstract: A backplane wiring scheme is provided for use in a hub of a packet data communications system. Line cards are connected to the backplane wiring arrangement in the hub, where each line card is a coupling to a network segment, a station or a to a bridge to other stations or segments. The connection is usually in either a ring or a bus topology, and increased flexibility, reduced power consumption, and easier implementation are provided by a unique wiring scheme. Each line card has a number of receive ports (e.g., N-1) and has two transmit ports, the transmit ports including a transmit-left port and a transmit-tight port. The receive ports and transmit ports are arranged in a regular linear pattern on an edge of each of said line cards.

Abstract: A backplane wiring scheme is provided for use in a hub of a packet data communications system. Line cards are connected to the backplane wiring arrangement in the hub, where each line card is a coupling to a network segment, a station or a to a bridge to other stations or segments. The connection is usually in either a ring or a bus topology, and increased flexibility, reduced power consumption, and easier implementation are provided by a unique wiring scheme. Each line card has a number of receive ports (e.g., N-1) and has two transmit ports, the transmit ports including a transmit-left port and a transmit-right port. The receive ports and transmit ports are arranged in a regular linear pattern on an edge of each of said line cards.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for addressing compressed nodes in a database structure is disclosed in which each compressed node is associated with a particular mapping function and each element in the node is assigned a particular identification code. The character to be searched is converted into a physical address having a first portion which is used to index to a particular element in a compressed node, and a second portion which is used to verify that the selected element corresponds to the search character.