We are currently witnessing a strong worldwide trend of bringing fiber closer to individual homes and businesses, which at the same time creates a need for efficient optical-switching mechanisms. There is no doubt that optical switch plays an essential role in telecommunication networks. In this article, we are going to review the optical switching technology that help to improve the bandwidth efficiency, as well as to decrease the cost and power consumption of optical networks.
Optical Switching Technology
An optical switch is a switch that enables signals in optical fibers or integrated optical circuits (IOCs) to be selectively switched from one circuit to another. Here is how it works, as we know that most networking equipment today is still based on electronic-signals, which means that the optical signals have to be converted to electrical ones, to be amplified, regenerated or switched, and then reconverted to optical signals. Information traveling around an optical network needs to be switched through various points known as nodes. Once information arriving at a node, it will be forwarded on towards its final destination via the best possible path, which may be determined by such factors as distance, cost, and the reliability of specific routes. The conventional way to switch the information is to detect the light from the input optical fibers, convert it to an electrical signal, and then convert that back to a laser light signal, which is then sent down the fiber you want the information to go back out on. The following picture shows a 2x2A Opto-Mechanical Optical Switches.
An optical switch is a switch that enables signals in optical fibers or integrated optical circuits (IOCs) to be selectively switched from one circuit to another. Here is how it works, as we know that most networking equipment today is still based on electronic-signals, which means that the optical signals have to be converted to electrical ones, to be amplified, regenerated or switched, and then reconverted to optical signals. Information traveling around an optical network needs to be switched through various points known as nodes. Once information arriving at a node, it will be forwarded on towards its final destination via the best possible path, which may be determined by such factors as distance, cost, and the reliability of specific routes. The conventional way to switch the information is to detect the light from the input optical fibers, convert it to an electrical signal, and then convert that back to a laser light signal, which is then sent down the fiber you want the information to go back out on. The following picture shows a 2x2A Opto-Mechanical Optical Switches.
Current Situation of Optical Switches in Optical Networks
The main attraction of optical switching is that it enables routing of optical data signals without the need for conversion to electrical signals and, therefore, is independent of data rate and data protocol. The transfer of the switching function from electronics to optics will result in a reduction in the network equipment, an increase in the switching speed, and thus network throughput, and a decrease in the operating power. In addition, the elimination of E/O and O/E conversions will result in a major decrease in the overall system cost, since the equipment associated with these conversions represents the lion’s share of cost in today’s networks.
The main attraction of optical switching is that it enables routing of optical data signals without the need for conversion to electrical signals and, therefore, is independent of data rate and data protocol. The transfer of the switching function from electronics to optics will result in a reduction in the network equipment, an increase in the switching speed, and thus network throughput, and a decrease in the operating power. In addition, the elimination of E/O and O/E conversions will result in a major decrease in the overall system cost, since the equipment associated with these conversions represents the lion’s share of cost in today’s networks.
Up to now, the limitations of optical component technology—the lack of processing at bit level and the lack of efficient buffering in the optical domain, have largely limited optical switching to facility management applications. Several solutions are currently under research; the common goal for all researchers is the transition to switching systems in which optical technology plays a more central role. Unfortunately, optical switching technology is still very much in its infancy. There have been numerous proposals as to how to implement light switching between optical fibers, such as semiconductor amplifiers, liquid crystals, holographic crystals, and tiny mirrors.
Types of Optical Switches
An optical switch has one or more inputs ports and two or more output ports that we usually call 1xN or NxN optical switch. The three leading categories today would arguably be optical-electrical-optical (OEO), optical data unit (ODU), and reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs). Each of these types of optical switches has its pros and cons. When selecting the suitable ones, you should always take the bandwidth provider’s infrastructure and applications as an reference.
An optical switch has one or more inputs ports and two or more output ports that we usually call 1xN or NxN optical switch. The three leading categories today would arguably be optical-electrical-optical (OEO), optical data unit (ODU), and reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs). Each of these types of optical switches has its pros and cons. When selecting the suitable ones, you should always take the bandwidth provider’s infrastructure and applications as an reference.
Summary
The discussed optical switching techniques significantly improve the function of the telecom networking by providing a wide range of different temporal and spatial switching granularities. Ultimately, when requiring an optical switch for any application, it is important to understand the types that are the most suitable solution. If you wish to discuss the right type of optical switch for an application, Fiberstore is always available to offer assistance and expertise at your convenience. They not only supply all kinds of optical switches, but offer QSFP+ transceiver and QSFP+ cable with very competitive prices.
The discussed optical switching techniques significantly improve the function of the telecom networking by providing a wide range of different temporal and spatial switching granularities. Ultimately, when requiring an optical switch for any application, it is important to understand the types that are the most suitable solution. If you wish to discuss the right type of optical switch for an application, Fiberstore is always available to offer assistance and expertise at your convenience. They not only supply all kinds of optical switches, but offer QSFP+ transceiver and QSFP+ cable with very competitive prices.
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