RIBBON ARRAY OPTICAL SWITCH AND OPTICAL SWITCH ARCHITECTURE UTILIZING SAME

• Main Author: COHEN, LEONARD GEORGE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 12.09.2000
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; SELECTING; TRANSMISSION

A ribbon array switch in which an input ribbon array comprising a plurality of input optical fibers can be selectively switched to any one of a pl urality of output ribbon arrays mounted on an outer periphery of a switch housing. Preferably, a stepper motor is used to rotate the input ribbon array along the o uter periphery of the switch housing, the result being that the input optical fibers will be optically connected to corresponding output optical fibers that make up the outp ut ribbon arrays. In another aspect, the invention features an optical switch architecture including a first stage comprising a fiber switch element and secon d stage comprising a ribbon array switch element described above. The output optic al fibers of the fiber switch element make up the input ribbon array of the ribbon array switch element. The architecture switches an input optical fiber to any on e of a plurality of output optical fibers by optically connecting the input optica l fiber of the fiber switch element to a selected one of the output optical fibers of th e fiber switch element and aligning the input ribbon array of the ribbon array switch element with a selected one of a plurality of output ribbon arrays of the ribbon array switch element. Each of the output ribbon arrays comprises a predetermined number of output optical fibers. The result is that the output optical fibers of the fiber switch element will be optically connected to corresponding ones of the predetermined number of output optical fibers of the ribbon switch element, and thus the input optical fiber will be optically connected to a desired output opt ical fiber.