OPTICAL BUFFER

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To activate the optical buffer by providing a valid packet extract section to an entry of each output port so as to select only a valid packet thereby relaxing the requirement of elements of the optical buffer even when a large switching size is required. SOLUTION: A valid packet extract circuit section 30 uses a frequency filter 1 to expand frequencies of a frequency multiplex packet into frequencies f1 -fN and uses optical gates 2-1 to 2-N to individually pass only a valid packet going to an output port of an optical (N-to-1) packet selection section 50, and uses an optical multiplexer 3 to conduct frequency multiplexing to the packets and sends the result to an optical buffer section 40. The optical buffer section 40 stores the frequency multiplexing signal being a plurality of the packets and copies them and outputs them sequentially. Optical (N-to-1) packet selection section 50 receives the outputs of the optical buffer section 40 and selects one packet and outputs the selected packet. The simultaneous arrival packet number to the optical buffer section 40 is reduced by allowing the valid packet extract circuit section 30 to shut off in advance valid packets so as to reduce the requirement to elements of the optical buffer.