ATM support in a transparent network

It is shown how the variable size packet, source routing design on which the plaNET system was originally based is easily extended to provide support for ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) cells. The simultaneous support of various routing modes and packet formats is examined, mostly from the point of view of the necessary additional hardware and functionality. In particular, the components and processing needed to transparently support and take advantage of ATM in a plaNET network are examined. A major conclusion is that it is possible to combine the best attributes of variable size packets, source routing, cell routing, etc., without adding significantly to the cost of the network