A new distribution network based on controlled switching elements and its applications

The paper presents a new distribution network which is capable of concentrating and shifting the incoming active packets simultaneously, without requiring dummy destination address generation and extraction processes. It has the structure of a reverse banyan network (RBN) and consists of controlled switching elements (CSEs) which is obtained by extending the passive iterative-cells introduced by Narasimha [1994]. The CSE-based RBN has a set of external control inputs (ECIs) in addition to the data input and output lines and can generate different output patterns according to the ECI values. It is shown through four properties that the CSE-based RBN can perform the distribution function of the conventional distributor. In addition, it is rigorously described in the properties how to determine the set of ECI values to achieve the desired distribution function, which includes the distribution in the normal mode, in the reversed mode, and in alternation of these two modes. The proposed CSE-based distributor can be applied to a variety of occasions by modifying the use of the counter, the numbers to write on the registers, and the table to store the ECI values. Some of useful examples are demonstrated through applications to shift-sequence permutation, N×R concentration, nonblocking point-to-point switching, and virtual FIFO queueing