SELF-ROUTING METHOD/DEVICE AND PACKET STRUCTURE

摘要

PURPOSE:To provide a method that secures the self-routing in an optical signal state and through an optical switch part of plural stages which performs the switching actions of a packet based on the presence or absence of input of the control light. CONSTITUTION:The characteristics are previously given to a header part 35 and a data part 37 of a packet 33 so that both parts 35 and 37 of different wavelengths are separated from each other. The part 35 consists of the same number of blocks as the number of optical switch stages of an optical switch part S. The control optical information are previously given to these blocks to control the state of each optical switch so that a desired route of the packet 33 is formed at the part S. Then the packet 33 is separated into both parts 35 and 37 by a wavelength filter 43. There separated parts 35 and 37 are sent to the part S so that the coincidence is secured between the time when the part 37 successively arrives at the subsequent optical switches and the time when the blocks received with the control optical information on each optical switch arrive at the control ports of each corresponding optical switch.