Photonic lattice-type self-routing switching network

• Published in: Electronics & communications in Japan. Part 1, Communications Vol. 75; no. 8; pp. 26 - 41
• Main Author: Ogino, Nagao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 1992
• Subjects: ATM switching network; B-ISDN; cell transfer delay; expandability; hardware scale; lattice-type; photonic switching; reliability; self-routing
• ISSN: 8756-6621; 1520-6424
• DOI: 10.1002/ecja.4410750803

The asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is considered as a fundamental technique in constructing the broadband ISDN. High‐speed switching is required in the ATM switching equipment, which forms the core of the ATM network. Then it is desirable to apply the self‐routing switching network. Various self‐routing switching networks have been proposed including the Banyan network, as well as its improvements. This network is composed of the multistage connection of 2 × 2 switches. However, problems remain in such switching networks, for example, the hardware scale in the large network and the hardware reliability. This paper proposes anew a photonic lattice‐type self‐routing network with the following features: (1) the system has essentially a bus structure and excellent expandability; (2) by its structure, the hardware scale increases only slowly in proportion to the number of accommodated circuits. This is an advantage in the large‐scale network; (3) again by its structure, it is possible to deroute the cells thereby avoiding the point of failure which improves the reliability; (4) by restricting the number of cell transfer paths to a certain number, a relatively simple routing control circuit can be employed based on the optical switching circuit; and (5) by the application of the optical switch, the transfer delay of the cell is reduced greatly.