Digital circuit-switching and packet-switching network and switching facility therefor

摘要

A digital switching network is disclosed in which paths can be preset from any inlet to any outlet either for circuit-switched connections or for packet-switched messages (packets), as required. At any point in time, the paths preset for the packet-switched messages form a network whose nodes lie in the switching facilities of the switching network. The switching facilities contain the functional units required to switch each data packet on the path preset for it. This makes it possible to dynamically divide a single switching network into a circuit- switching network and a packet-switching network as required.