GaAs Router Chip for ATM Switching

With the evolution of Broadband ISDN there is a growing need for high-speed, low-power circuits for the implementation of ATM switches. In this paper we describe the design of a Gallium Arsenide Router Chip which can be used for the implementation of an ATM switch fabric. Flip-flops, pad drivers and pad receivers were developed in order to achieve high speed and low power. The chip is working at 850MHz, corresponding to a throughput of 6.8Gb/s. The speed/power performance is superior when compared to CMOS and BiCMOS. Furthermore the higher cost of GaAs is more than compensated for by a higher throughput.