System and method for interconnecting multiple communication interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for interconnecting multiple communication interfaces is provided. The system includes a router comprising a fabric controller. The fabric controller is operable to communicate with a plurality of ports, each port having an associated physical address. The plurality of physical addresses is divided into a plurality of non-overlapping address sets. The router is operable to communicate with two or more devices during the same time period, each device being attached to a different port in the plurality of ports.

1 . A communications system, comprising:
 a router comprising a fabric controller operable to communicate with a plurality of ports; and   a plurality of physical addresses associated with the plurality of ports; wherein the plurality of physical addresses is divided into a plurality of non-overlapping address sets,   wherein:
 during initialization, a first device attached to a first port in the plurality of ports is assigned to a first non-overlapping address set in the plurality of non-overlapping address sets, 
 the router is operable to route one or more frames to an address in the plurality of non-overlapping address sets, and 
 the router is operable to communicate, during a common time period, with the first device and a second device attached to a second port in the a plurality of ports. 
   
     
     
         2 . The communications system of  claim 1 , wherein the router comprises an interface operably connected to the plurality of ports. 
     
     
         3 . The communications system of  claim 1 , wherein the router identifies a port in the plurality of ports using an address in the plurality of physical addresses. 
     
     
         4 . The communications system of  claim 1 , wherein the second device is assigned to a second non-overlapping address set. 
     
     
         5 . A network controller, the network controller comprising:
 a first port operable to communicate data over a first interface, wherein the first port is one of a plurality of ports operable to communicate data over the first interface and the first port is identified by one a plurality of physical addresses;   a transmission layer module operably connected to the first port, the transmission layer module operable to enable the first port to communicate data with a control port; and   a signaling layer module operably connected to the transmission layer module, the signaling layer module operable to enable data communication with a second interface,   wherein the network controller is operable to receive data over the first interface during a same time that a device comprising a second port of the plurality of ports is receiving data over the first interface.   
     
     
         6 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein a router is operable to communicate simultaneously with the network controller and the device. 
     
     
         7 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the second interface comprises an Ethernet transceiver. 
     
     
         8 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the first port supports duplex communication. 
     
     
         9 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the transmission layer module comprises a port control module. 
     
     
         10 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the signaling layer module comprises a processor. 
     
     
         11 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the transmission layer module receives data from the signaling layer module that is to be transmitted from the first port. 
     
     
         12 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the transmission layer module receives data from the signaling layer module that is to be transmitted over the first interface. 
     
     
         13 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the signaling layer module receives data from the transmission layer module that is to be transmitted over the second interface. 
     
     
         14 . The network controller of  claim 5 , wherein the first interface and the second interface operate at different data rates. 
     
     
         15 . A method for communicating data and, the method comprising:
 receiving a first data packet addressed to a first port, the first data packet being communicated over a first interface at a first speed;   transferring the first data packet to a signaling layer module;   transmitting the first data packet over a second interface at a second speed to an address found in a look-up table; and   transmitting a second data packet over the second interface at the second speed during a same time as the first data packet is transmitted over the second interface.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second interface comprises a port control module. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first interface comprises an Ethernet port. 
     
     
         18 . A method for communicating data, the method comprising:
 receiving a first data packet addressed to a device, the first data packet being communicated over a first interface at a first speed;   transferring the first data packet to a second interface via a signaling layer module;   transmitting the first data packet over the second interface to the device at a second speed, an address for the device found in a look-up table; and   transmitting a second data packet over the second interface at the second speed during a same time as the first data packet is transmitted over the second interface.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first interface comprises an Ethernet port. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second interface comprises a port control module.