The Kaleidoscope switch-a new concept for implementation of a large and fault tolerant ATM switch system

This paper describes a new concept for implementing a large switch network based on smaller modules. The concept is based an an alternative self-routing structure that due to a point symmetry allows the bit in the routing tag to be processed in a random order. Among others this property provides an inherent fault protection and allows a simple implementation of broadcast and multicast. The concept has been implemented as a small prototype, that currently is used in a national experimental ATM network in Denmark.