Optoelectronic packet switch/routers

摘要

A packet switch/router including a first stage switch fabric receiving an electrical signal, a mid-stage buffer receiving and storing the electrical signal from the first stage switch fabric, and a second stage switch fabric receiving the electrical signal from the mid-stage buffer. Each switch fabric includes N layers of N×N arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs), and each AWG has ingress ports and egress ports. A wavelength tunable device, such as a tunable laser, communicates with a source ingress port of an AWG and converts the received electrical signal to an optical signal having a wavelength selected for routing a packet from the source ingress port to a target egress port of the arrayed waveguide grating. A photoreceiver, such as a burst-mode photoreceiver, receives the propagated optical signal from the target egress port and converts the optical signal to the electrical signal.

主权项

1. A packet switch comprising:
a first stage switch fabric receiving an electrical signal; a non-transitory mid-stage buffer receiving and storing the electrical signal from the first stage switch fabric; and a second stage switch fabric receiving the electrical signal from the non-transitory mid-stage buffer, wherein each switch fabric comprises:
N layers of N×N arrayed waveguide gratings, each arrayed waveguide grating having ingress ports and egress ports;a wavelength tunable device in communication with a source ingress port of an arrayed waveguide grating, the wavelength tunable device converting the received electrical signal to an optical signal having a wavelength selected for routing a packet from the source ingress port to a target egress port of the arrayed waveguide grating; anda photoreceiver receiving the propagated optical signal from the target egress port and converting the optical signal to the electrical signal; and a scheduler in communication with the wavelength tunable devices, the scheduler configured to receive a notification of a received packet and issue routing instructions to the wavelength tunable devices for routing the packet from a source ingress port to a target egress port on each switch fabric.