Self clocked, self routed photonic switch

摘要

An optical communication system is described wherein a message pathway is indicated by a destination address, manifested by an address time interval between a reference optical signal and an address optical signal. The optical communication system includes an optical switch for directing messages onto selected pathways. The switch includes a gate summer, and a reference circuit for applying a destination address portion of a message to the gate summer. A first delay circuit also applies the address portion of the message to the gating summer, while retarding it by a first address time interval. The gate summer sums the address portion from the reference circuit and the retarded address portion to produce a gating signal when the reference optical signal and address optical signal are time coincident. Switch means are further provided which are responsive to the gating signal to direct the message along a first selected pathway.