Configuring synchronous optical switches

摘要

A method (10) of configuring a synchronous optical switch to route received data cells. The synchronous optical switch comprises optical switch transmitter modules, each comprising tunable optical transmitters, optical switch receiver modules, each comprising optical receivers, and optical connections between the transmitter modules and receiver modules. For each optical switch transmitter module, the method: assigns (12) wavelengths associated with the received data cells to the transmitters such that each wavelength is assigned to a different transmitter; and generates (14) a control signal for controlling the operating wavelength of each transmitter. For each wavelength, the method: allocates (16) to each transmitter an optical connection such that each optical switch transmitter module has no more than one connection exiting it at said wavelength and each optical receiver module has no more than one connection entering it at said wavelength; and generates (18) a control signal for connecting each transmitter to the respective optical connection.

主权项

1. A method of configuring a synchronous optical switch to route received data cells, the synchronous optical switch comprising a first plurality of optical switch transmitter modules each comprising a second plurality of tunable optical transmitters, a first plurality of optical switch receiver modules each comprising a second plurality of optical receivers, and a third plurality of optical connections between said transmitter modules and the said receiver modules, the method comprising the steps:
a. for each optical switch transmitter module, assigning wavelengths associated with the received data cells to said transmitters such that each said wavelength is assigned to a different one of said transmitters; b. for each said module, generating a first control signal for controlling the operating wavelength of each said transmitter; c. for each said wavelength, allocating to each transmitter assigned said wavelength one of said optical connections coupled to an optical receiver configured to receive said wavelength, such that each optical switch transmitter module has no more than one connection exiting it at said wavelength and each optical receiver module has no more than one connection entering it at said wavelength; and d. generating a second control signal for connecting each said transmitter to the respective said optical connection.