In electronics, a crossbar switch is a collection of switches arranged in a matrix configuration. A crossbar switch has multiple input and output lines that form a crossed pattern of interconnecting lines between which a connection may be established by closing a switch located at each intersection, the elements of the matrix. Originally, a crossbar switch consisted literally of crossing metal bars that provided the input and output paths. Later implementations achieved the same switching topology in solid-state semiconductor chips or System on Chips (SoC). The cross-point switch is one of the principal switch architectures, together with a rotary switch, memory switch, and a crossover switch.
