Optical communications network node and method of controlling data transmission between optical communications network nodes

摘要

An optical communications network node (10) comprising an optical transmitter module (16), an optical receiver module (12), an electrical cross-point switch (20) and control apparatus (24, 26). The optical transmitter module (16) comprises optical sources (18) each having a different operating wavelength and each being selectively assignable as an optical circuit switching channel source or an optical burst switching channel source. The optical receiver module (12) comprises a said plurality of optical detectors each operable at one of said operating wavelengths. The electrical cross-point switch (20) comprises switch paths (22) and is configurable to allocate a first set of switch paths for optical circuit switching and a second set of switch paths for optical burst switching. The control apparatus (24, 26) configures the switch paths (22), separates data traffic to be dropped from transit data traffic, and schedules data traffic for transmission on optical burst switching channels to the respective sources (18).

主权项

1. An optical communications network node comprising:
an optical transmitter module comprising a plurality of optical sources each having a different substantially fixed operating wavelength, each optical source being selectively assignable as an optical circuit switching channel source or an optical burst switching channel source; an optical receiver module comprising a plurality of optical detectors each operable at one of said different substantially fixed operating wavelengths; an electrical cross-point switch coupled between said optical receiver module and said optical transmitter module and comprising a plurality of switch paths and being selectively configurable to allocate a selected first set of said switch paths for optical circuit switching and to allocate a selected second set of said switch paths for optical burst switching; and control apparatus arranged to configure the said switch paths to allocate paths to said first and second sets and to separate data traffic to be dropped at the node from transit data traffic, and arranged to schedule data traffic for transmission on optical burst switching channels to the said optical sources assigned as optical burst switching channel sources.