A non-blocking architecture for a wavelength division multiplexing photonic switching network

Abstract

The authors previously derived the condition for a non-blocking architecture in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) photonic switching network, i.e., the generalized parallel delta network (GPDN) [1]. GPDN is configured as a multi-stage link connection of multiple unit switches, where the hardware complexity can be adjusted by varying the number of stages according to the network size. It can provide a framework for network design of various trunk networks, access networks, and in-station networks. This paper presents an architecture for a wavelength division multiplexing photonic unit switch that is applicable to a wavelength division multiplexing photonic switching network (GPDN), and evaluates the cost. The proposed wavelength division multiplexing photonic unit switch is constructed by assuming the situation in which an optical signal is multiplexed and handled without being converted to an electrical signal and employing the wavelength division multiplexing technique. The latter is considered promising for future networks from the viewpoint of reducing hardware complexity and economizing broadband communication. The input call to the carrier is wavelength converted to the carrier corresponding to the required outlet. Then, an optical filter is used to realize spatial switching. By combining the photonic unit switches proposed here, a large-scale switching network can be constructed. © 1998 Scripta Technica. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 1, 81(8): 59–67, 1998