Satellite onboard fast packet switch

An onboard baseband fast packet switch test bed, implemented as an 8×8 switch, with input and output ports operating at 164.24 Mbit/s, was developed. The switch fabric is implemented as a data-directed space switch capable of supporting data rates of 1.6 Gbit/s. The test bed was developed to demonstrate and characterize the flexibility of an onboard fast packet switch and to gain better understanding of some of the problems associated with such a switch (e.g., congestion control and methods of increased throughput). This paper describes the development and testing of an onboard baseband fast-packet switch test bed, the various modules in the test bed, and the mechanisms used for switch control, throughput enhancement, system testing, and congestion control. It is becoming increasingly important that, to support B-ISDN, future satellite communications systems will need to adequately satisfy the high bandwidth and rapid connectivity needs of end users, regardless of the medium used to transfer the data to their final destination