Photonic switching of universal timeslots

In an experimental switching system N autonomous electronic time-division multiplexing modules interconnect through a photonic time-multiplexed switching network. The system is called DiSCO, for Distributed switching with Centralized Optics. DiSCO switches inter-module voice and conventional data calls, inter-module control messages, and, now, wide-band data and video calls over time-multiplexed network paths through its photonic center-stage. These photonic network paths, called Universal Timeslots, are transparent to data and are independent of transmitter and receiver bit rate. This photonic center-stage application, its dilated Benes network architecture, and DiSCO's Time-Space-Time system architecture match well with lithium niobate technology.