Multichannel ATM switch with preserved packet sequence

The author introduces a multichannel asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch that guarantees the packet sequence throughout the network when channel grouping is used in the switching nodes. The switch consists of two modified omega networks and a batcher sorter. It is shown that the packet sequence will be preserved by providing a virtual first-in, first-out (FIFO) queue within the switch architecture. The virtual FIFO queue is shared by all the input-output pairs so that the packet loss probability is significantly reduced with the same number of buffers. It also has distributed switch control so that the expansion of the switch into larger sizes does not create a bottleneck in the performance. The performance analysis of the switch shows that the number of buffers and the average packet delay can be significantly reduced in the proposed switch while maintaining the required throughput and packet loss probability compared to multichannel switches with dedicated buffers