Fast optical cross-connect for parallel processing computers

摘要

A multiwavelength optical cross-connect network for a parallel processing computer system is disclosed. Illustratively, in a parallel processing computer system with N processors and M memories, two passive star couplers and a total of 2N+2M optical fiber links, produce a fully connected, internally non-blocking, large throughput, cross-connect network. Illustratively, the cross-connect network utilizes tunable optical sources and heterodyne receivers to deliver information requests from particular processors to particular memories and responses from particular memories to particular processors.