A switching network that utilizes at least three degrees of freedom, time, wavelength and space. In one embodiment that involves point-to-point switching, each space channel between an input and an output is assigned a time slot and wavelength coordinate characteristic of the output and the input transmitter and output receiver are tuned to the appropriate time and wavelength coordinates and selective switching is used to complete the space channel between the input and output. In another embodiment for generalized switching, each input channel is assigned a set of space, time slot and wavelength coordinates and an input signal is broadcast to all of the outputs which selectively makes connection to those inputs with an appropriate set of coordinates.
A data bus arrangement for a plurality of nodes connected to each other including a logical decision gate having a plurality of inputs corresponding to the number of nodes. A converter module is connected between each node and the logical decision gate. Each convertor module converts an optical output from one of the nodes to an electrical signal which is fed to one of the inputs of the logical decision gate. A separate switch is connected between an output of the logical decision gate and an input of each one of said convertor modules for controlling the convertor module independent of an output signal on the output of the decision gate.
A space-division optical switching system comprising a multichannel acousto-optical deflector between a plurality of inlet fibers and a plurality of outlet fibers, together with both a plurality of inlet microlenses for collimating beams from the inlet fibers on the deflector and also, downstream from the deflector, a Fourier lens with the said deflector being located in the focal plane thereof, the system including a second multichannel acousto-optical deflector disposed downstream from said lens in the image focal plane thereof, together with a plurality of outlet microlenses serving to focus the beams from the second deflector on the outlet fibers.
Scalable and modular WDM systems to provide a number of processing functions which include, among others, signal detection, signal monitoring, wavelength conversion, signal regeneration, and generation of new WDM channels. Such WDM systems include a platform with an optical switching network and module slots for engaging WDM modules of different processing functions. Both protocol transparent and opaque WDM modules may be included in such a WDM system to provide versatile applications.
Scalable and modular WDM systems to provide a number of processing functions which include, among others, signal detection, signal monitoring, wavelength conversion, signal regeneration, and generation of new WDM channels. Such WDM systems include a platform with an optical switching network and module slots for engaging WDM modules of different processing functions. Both protocol transparent and opaque WDM modules may be included in such a WDM system to provide versatile applications.
A low-latency, high-bandwidth, hybrid TDM/WDM architecture for connecting processing nodes into a high-performance computing environment designed as a system area network is disclosed. Each node has a receiver for receiving optical communication within a fibre at all wavelength channels supported by the system simultaneously and individually. Each node also has a transmitter for transmitting at at least two wavelengths. One of the wavelengths is a default wavelength for the node. In order to transmit data, a node requests a channel and is provided with a transmit wavelength at which to transmit data. Other nodes receive the data and, when the recipient is the addressee of the data, the data is then forwarded to a computing device connected to the node or in communication therewith. The architecture provides robust communication with high bandwidth.
