C-TYPE SWITCH NETWORK FOR CONNECTING REDUNDANT CHANNELS

摘要

A switch network having n inputs and n+p outputs (or vice versa), said n inputs being connectable to any combination of n outputs among the n+p outputs, wherein n and p are predetermined integers such that n is no lower than 4 and p is no lower than 2, and the switches comprise four pins and at least two configurations. The network comprises n nominal blocks each including a switch, an input, an output, an input pin and an output pin; p redundancy blocks each including an output and an input pin; and a general blocks, where a is the smallest integer such that 2a is no lower than n, and each general block comprises an interconnection block with p input pins and p output pins. The nominal and redundant blocks are distributed among the general blocks, with the proviso that there are no more than two nominal blocks per general block. Each general block has at least as many connected input pins as there are output pins connected to redundancy blocks, and each output pin of one block is connected to an input pin of another block.