Design of the speedup buffer for the single-flux-quantum network switch

We have designed a speedup buffer (SB) that is indispensable for realizing a high-throughput network switch based on single-flux-quantum (SFQ) technology. The SB performs the rate conversion from 10 to 40 Gbps for the packet data streams fed into the Banyan switch. This approach can reduce the packet-blocking rate, resulting in an increased throughput for the network switch. The SB is composed of a 1:3 stream demultiplexer (SDMUX), three variable-bit-length shift registers (VLSRs) and a 3:1 stream multiplexer, coupled with a controller. We have successfully demonstrated the 1:3 SDMUX and the VLSR. As for the VLSR, we confirmed high-speed operation up to 55 GHz. We have also designed the SB using these components. The SB is a large-scale circuit composed of 11 663 Josephson junctions on a 3.8 x 3.8 mm(2) area. So far, partial operations have been demonstrated experimentally.