MEMS-based beam-steerable free-space optical communication link for reconfigurable wireless data center

Flexible wireless datacenter networks based on free space optical communication (FSO) links are being considered as promising solutions to meet the future datacenter demands of high throughput, robustness to dynamic traffic patterns, cabling complexity and energy efficiency. Robust and precise steerable FSO links over dynamic traffic play a key role in the reconfigurable optical wireless datacenter inter-rack network. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a reconfigurable 10Gbps FSO system incorporated with smart beam acquisition and tracking mechanism based on gimballess two-axis MEMS micro-mirror and retro-reflective film marked aperture. The fast MEMS-based beam acquisition switches laser beam of FSO terminal from one rack to the next for reconfigurable networks, and the precise beam tracking makes FSO device auto-correct the misalignment in real-time. We evaluate the optical power loss and bit error rate performance of steerable FSO links at various directions. Experimental results suggest that the MEMS based beam steerable FSO links hold considerable promise for the future reconfigurable wireless datacenter networks.

[1]  Toni Tolker Nielsen,et al.  Pointing, acquisition, and tracking system for the free-space laser communication system SILEX , 1995, Photonics West.

[2]  Jeffrey C. Mogul,et al.  Taming the Flying Cable Monster: A Topology Design and Optimization Framework for Data-Center Networks , 2011, USENIX ATC.

[3]  Mohsen Kavehrad,et al.  Combined CATV and very-high-speed data transmission over a 1550-nm wavelength indoor optical wireless link , 2014, Photonics West - Optoelectronic Materials and Devices.

[4]  Luis M. Correia,et al.  Characterisation of propagation in 60 GHz radio channels (invited) , 2004 .

[5]  Mohsen Kavehrad,et al.  Off-axis catadioptric fisheye wide field-of-view optical receiver for free space optical communications , 2012 .

[6]  Paramvir Bahl,et al.  Flyways To De-Congest Data Center Networks , 2009, HotNets.

[7]  Corey Gough,et al.  Why Data Center Efficiency Matters , 2015 .

[8]  Xiuzhen Cheng,et al.  Wireless data center networking , 2011, IEEE Wireless Communications.

[9]  Jungsang Kim,et al.  Multiplexed broadband beam steering system utilizing high speed MEMS mirrors. , 2009, Optics express.

[10]  Paramvir Bahl,et al.  Augmenting data center networks with multi-gigabit wireless links , 2011, SIGCOMM 2011.

[11]  Himanshu Shah,et al.  FireFly , 2014, SIGCOMM.

[12]  Mohsen Kavehrad.  Sustainable energy-efficient wireless applications using light , 2010, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[13]  Jitender S. Deogun,et al.  Wireless Communication in Data Centers: A Survey , 2016, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.

[14]  Vyas Sekar,et al.  Patch panels in the sky: a case for free-space optics in data centers , 2013, HotNets.

[15]  Mohsen Kavehrad,et al.  Real-time software-defined single-carrier QAM mimo visible light communication system , 2016, 2016 Integrated Communications Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS).

[16]  D. McCormick,et al.  Gimbal-less monolithic silicon actuators for tip-tilt-piston micromirror applications , 2004, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[17]  Jitender S. Deogun,et al.  Evolution of data centers: A critical analysis of standards and challenges for FSO links , 2015, 2015 IEEE Conference on Standards for Communications and Networking (CSCN).

[18]  Amin Vahdat,et al.  A scalable, commodity data center network architecture , 2008, SIGCOMM '08.

[19]  Ankit Singla,et al.  OSA: An Optical Switching Architecture for Data Center Networks With Unprecedented Flexibility , 2012, IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking.

[20]  Nikhil R. Devanur,et al.  ProjecToR: Agile Reconfigurable Data Center Interconnect , 2016, SIGCOMM.

[21]  Ben Y. Zhao,et al.  Mirror mirror on the ceiling: flexible wireless links for data centers , 2012, SIGCOMM.