.3-dimensional Torus Switching Nodes In The Network Design And Implementation

The performance of data switching is becoming a bottleneck of the development of communication network today. In order to improve the efficiency, the switching devices in the network should have a higher performace in capacity, scalability and reliability. To reach these goals, the core component of the device—Switching Fabric has to be made a breakthrough. The Multi-dimensional Interconnection Network, which has been studied for decades in the area of multi-processor system, exactly meets the demand. And as a mature technology, it is very likely to get widely used in the area of high capacity data switching. The study about the node structure makes an important part of the research in multi-dimensional data switching, which is also the main topic of this dissertation.Because of the difference between the data communication and the parallel processing, the Multi-dimensional Switching Fabric is distinct for some unique requirements of its performance. To discuss the possibility of"transplant", similarities and distinctions of the two applications are both described in the first place. Then some mature technologies like wormhole routing and virtual channel control, which could be applied to the node structure design, are introduced. As the main functions of a network node, routing and resource scheduling play important roles in the node design, which is also briefly discussed.The structure of the node in multi-dimensional switching network is mainly decided by the network topology and the switching technologies. According to the basic functional demands of multi-dimensional data switching, a node structure based on a 3D-torus topology is proposed, using the technologies of wormhole routing and virtual channel control. It could effectively achieve DOR routing and appropriate resource scheduling. Under the given structural frame, the node is divided into two parts– the Data Plane and the Control Plane, respectively dealing with data signals and control signals.According to this structure, several issues about the node's working process have been discussed. A Time-Slot working mode has been proposed to alternately transmit data signals and control signals on the same link. The formats of the data being processed have been decided and the working flow of the node has been described in details. Then an effective scheme of flow-control has been proposed, which could easily achieve packet-level and flit-level flow-control in the network.By means of top-down design, modules of the node have been carefully studied and implemented using VHDL. Based on the design, a single-node functional simulation has been executed to verify the functions of the node. Finally, a brief is give to summarize the whole work and to direct the further research.