OPTICAL-DATA SELF-ROUTING USING ADDRESS DECODING

We present an optoelectronic self-routing packet switch for digital data commutation applications. The routing of the input data is determined by the optical decoding of the destination address coded in the packet header preceding the data bits. As proof of the operating principle, a one input 64 output demonstration system was built. The experiment is based on the association of two 8 x 8 arrays of GaAs/GaAlAs multiple quantum well electro-optical modulators and optical bistable devices. We have demonstrated the optical address decoding in our first experiments by operating individually the channels of the set-up.