| 摘要 |
An optical fiber switching system (10) is provided which includes two optically opposed groups of optical fiber switching units (12). The system is capable of rapidly aligning any one of the optical fibers (14) in any one of the switching units (12) in one group with any one of the optical fibers in any one of the switching units (12) in the other group in response to a command from an exterior source. In one aspect of the invention, each optical fiber includes, on a single support chassis (84), one or more data carrying optical fibers and all associated circuitry for directing each fiber toward a predetermined target in response to an alignment signal (18, 52) and the timing portion of a pulsing signal. In another aspect of the invention, a novel alignment algorithm is implemented which provides for the alignment of two fibers in less time than past switches. The optical fiber switching system (10) of the present invention also includes a maintenance feature which allows the switch to be quickly and easily maintained in the field with minimal down time.
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