Abstract: Address lookup techniques are presented that process input data and that utilize a number of node information structures. One or more of the node information structures is part of a radix tree. A bit or bits of the input data are selected by using a next node selector from a first node information structure. The first node information structure also comprises a pointer. One or more memory accesses are performed by using at least one memory address defined at least in part by the selected one or more bits and the pointer from the first node information structure. The one or more memory accesses access another node information structure comprising another pointer. In an illustrative embodiment, this process is repeated until a resultant address is determined. Node information structures may comprise leaf/branch indicators, which indicate whether a node is a leaf or a branch. When a leaf branch indicator indicates a leaf, the resultant address is found.

Abstract: A method of transmitting a cell between the ATM layer and the physical layer is provided for the ATM matching system, which includes the physical layer divided into a specified number of uniform physical device groups multiplexly polled by the ATM layer. The method comprises the steps of multiplexly polling the physical device groups by the ATM layer, transmitting an enable signal to the polled device upon receipt of a state signal from the physical layer, transmitting the cell to the physical layer, checking the multiplexed polling of the ATM layer by the physical layer, writing a physical port number into the cell with transmitting a state signal to the ATM layer upon receipt of the multiplexed polling, and transmitting the cell to the ATM layer upon receipt of an enable signal from the ATM layer.

Abstract: An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) interface device includes a router/header conversion unit for adding a routing tag to the header of an input cell and converting the cell header into arbitrary virtual path identifier/virtual channel identifier (VPI/VCI), and a cell switching unit for routing the cell received from the router/header conversion unit according to the routing tag. The ATM interface device also includes a second header conversion unit for converting the cell header received from the cell switching unit into the output VPI/VCI corresponding to the arbitrary VPI/VCI, and a demultiplexing unit for transferring the cell from the second header converter to the output physical link corresponding to the output VPI/VCI.