Dynamically configurable backplane

摘要

A method and apparatus are provided for transporting a plurality of information signals among a plurality of signal processing boards all located within a single cabinet of an information processing system. The method includes the steps of connecting a plurality of multi-mode fibers among the plurality of signal processing boards and electrooptically converting an information signal of the plurality of transported information signals between an electrical format used on a corresponding pair of signal processing boards of the plurality of signal processing boards and an optical format used for transmission through a corresponding multi-mode fiber of the plurality of multi-mode fibers. The method further includes the step of optically switching a transported information signal of the transported information signals between a set of multi-mode fibers of the plurality of multi-mode fibers.