Bypass protection switch for SMPTE 310M signals in broadcast or satellite applications. When a fault is detected in the primary input, and the secondary input is verified as good, the switch will activate causing the secondary input to be switched to the modules output. It includes a passive, fail-safe path that ensures there is an output even in the event of a total power failure. The health of a 310 signal is determined by monitoring digital clock lock, packet presence, and PID presence. The user can configure tests to define the minimum number of video packet sand audio packets expected per second in a given service. The switch can operate in two modes, automatic or non-resetting. In fully automatic mode, the 4450 will automatically switch back to the primary signal once its been restored. In the non-resetting mode, the secondary input remains routed to the output, even after the primary input has recovered. Controls are easily accessed through an Avenue Control Panel,Avenue PC, GPIs, or front edge module controls. GPI inputs allow faults detected input stream equipment to contribute to the switching logic.