AWG Based Optical Packet Switch Architecture

This paper discusses an optical packet switch (OPS) architecture, which utilizes the components like optical reflectors, tunable wavelength converters (TWCs), arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) and pieces of fiber to realize the switching action. This architecture uses routing pattern of AWG, and its symmetric nature, to simplify switch operation significantly. It is also shown that using multi-wavelengths optical reflector, length of delay lines can be reduced to half of its original value. This reduction in length is useful for comparatively larger size packets as for them. It can grow up some kilometers. The considered architecture is compared with already published architecture. Finally, modifications in the architecture are suggested such that switch can be efficiently placed in the backbone network.