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Abstract

The present invention pertains to an ATM cell interface for dispatching ATM cells, each ATM cell having a header with a VPI field having a value and a VCI field having a value. The interface comprises L input ports to which ATM cells enter the interface, where L is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The interface also comprises Q output ports through which ATM cells exit the interface, where Q is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The interface comprises a memory mechanism 24 having serial access memory management. Additionally, the interface comprises a mechanism for directing the ATM cells from an input port of the L input ports to any desired destination through at least one output port 22 of the Q output ports 22. The directing mechanism 26 has entities which identify desired destinations for a corresponding ATM cell. The entries for the corresponding ATM cell are distributed from each other with at least one of the entries for the corresponding ATM cell separate from all other of the entries for the corresponding ATM cell. The entries are stored in the memory preferably in a same table. The number of possible entries in the directing mechanism 26 is less than a total number of entries supported by the ATM cell header. The present invention pertains to a method for dispatching an ATM cell having an ATM header in an ATM network. The present invention pertains to a telecommunications system.

First Claim