Fiber Optics and Fibonacci

Abstract

A recent problem in fiber optic networks led to a surprising answer. NASA Mission Control Center wanted a design for a fiber optic network that had extremely high reliability. A fiber optic network consists of a number of stations connected by fiber optic links. Stations send and receive messages, and also pass on messages intended for other stations. One common configuration for fiber optic networks is called a token ring. In a single ring configuration, the stations are arranged in a circle, with each station connected to the next by a single, one way fiber optic link (FIGURE 1). A more robust dual ring network has two links between each pair of adjacent stations, so that communications can flow in either direction (FIGURE 2). In this configuration, each station is connected to exactly two neighboring stations, and can transmit or pass on information to either of them. The advantage of a dual ring network is that a single failed station does not break the ring. Any number of consecutive stations in the ring can fail, and every working station can still communicate with every other working station.