Integrated services fast packet switching

The architecture of a FP (fast packet) switch for integrated voice-data-video services is described. The switch employs autonomous processing units with local memory to store switching information and is built around a bit-parallel banyan MIN (multistage interconnection networks). The bit-parallel banyan MIN is used to minimize delay in executing all switching functions which are required for integrated services. A group switching protocol for video traffic is proposed in order to satisfy video delay constraints, and analytic models are developed to determine the switch´s performance characteristics. It is shown that the switch readily achieves low delay and small blocking-and-loss probability for video traffic while still being able to utilize the remaining system bandwidth to serve voice and data traffic. It is concluded that the FP switch is a flexible and efficient architecture for integrated voice-data-video services switching systems