The wavelength dilation concept-implementation and system considerations

The dilation concept in switching networks is generalized and extended to the wavelength dimensions, resulting in a new class of dynamic wavelength-routing crossconnects. The wavelength dilated switches constitute a new type of high-density, low-crosstalk, fault-tolerant crossconnects. They are scalable, with switch complexity of alpha Nlog/sub 2/N, where alpha is the dilation constant, typically 4-6, and N is the number of ports. A novel method for minimizing the crosstalk is described. It is shown that by careful wavelength grouping, the crosstalk is reduced significantly. A new switch architecture is suggested to fully exploit the advantages of this method. An example is given showing how such a fabric can be used to reduce the coherent crosstalk in wavelength-routing switches based on acoustooptic tunable filters.<<ETX>>