WDM Intelligent Transport Network for All-Optical Routing

Conventional optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks calls for optoelectronic conversion for each wavelength in every node plus a large management effort for proper packet routing. All-optical networks are still unavailable. Here, a new architecture is described where the optical transport is done without conversions (except at extreme nodes), and with minimal routing management effort. The present basic mechanism is, firstly, to gather (at any source node) the packets demanding for a certain destination node K. Secondly, all these packets are modulated onto wavelength λK. Next, the wavelength is routed towards node K by passive directional devices. As other source nodes reuse wavelength λK, an anti-collision mechanism is presented. This mechanism uses very economic and widely available components. The present arrangement seems to be pre-wired, conveying packets from source to destination nodes almost automatically. The present arrangement is simpler and far more economical than (G)MPL(λ)S arrangements, for instance. Additionally, the present system does not demand for expensive wavelength conversions or central protocols. The disadvantage over (G)MPL(λ)S is that the present arrangement limits its maximum number of operational nodes to the number of wavelenghts WDM is able to support.