JPH0515119B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical switch device that can easily construct a large-scale matrix switch using a large number of basic optical lattices.

Prior Art and Problems In converters, etc., any one incoming line out of many incoming lines is connected to any one outgoing line out of many outgoing lines, and the other incoming lines and outgoing lines are connected. A configuration is used in which connections can be made simultaneously and selectively. In order to realize such a function, it is desired to be able to construct a large-scale matrix switch by combining small-scale basic grids. Crossbar switches in conventional exchanges have basic grids of 4x4, 8x8, etc., and these basic grids are combined to form a large-scale matrix switch. However, when optical signals are used, only a 2x2 or 4x4 basic lattice can be obtained, and when the basic lattices are cascaded, the loss increases, so it is difficult to use large-scale optical matrix switches. It was difficult to configure.

For example, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the main parts of a conventionally proposed optical switch device, in which a 4×4
In this figure, a1 to a4 are common input lines, and b1 to b4 are configured as a matrix switch.
is a common output line, 11a to 11d are optical splitters, 12a
12d is a light combiner, and 13 shown by a dotted line is an optical amplifier. The optical signal from the common input line a1 is branched by the optical splitter 11a and sent to the basic gratings 10a and 10b.
For example, it can be output to the common outgoing line b4 via the basic grid 10b. Further, the optical signal from the common input line a2 is branched by the optical splitter 11b, added to the input lines of the basic gratings 10a and 10b, and can be outputted to the common output line b3 via the basic grating 10b, for example.

However, since the optical signals of the common input lines a1 to a4 are branched into two by the optical splitters 11a to 11d, the optical signal power applied to the input lines of the basic lattice is halved. Therefore, it becomes necessary to provide an optical amplifier 13. Since this optical amplifier 13 is configured to convert into an electrical signal, amplify it, and then convert it into an optical signal, it has a complicated structure, and providing a large number of optical amplifiers poses an economical problem. In particular, when the optical branching device has a multi-branching configuration such as 3-branching or 4-branching, or a multi-branching configuration by connecting the optical branching device in multiple stages,
Since the optical signal power is reduced by a factor of the number of branches, an optical amplifier must be provided after the optical splitter, making it difficult to realize a large-scale optical matrix switch.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an optical switch device that can easily constitute a large-scale matrix switch with little optical signal loss.

Composition of the Invention The present invention arranges basic optical gratings for switching and connecting optical paths between a plurality of incoming lines and a plurality of outgoing lines in a matrix in the column and row directions, and connects a common incoming line and a plurality of outgoing lines in the column direction. An optical changeover switch is connected between the common incoming line and the corresponding incoming line among the plurality of incoming lines of the arranged basic optical gratings, and the common outgoing line and the plurality of the basic optical gratings arranged in the row direction are connected to each other. An optical coupler is connected between the common outgoing line and the corresponding outgoing line among the outgoing lines, and an embodiment thereof will be described in detail below.

Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 2 is a block diagram of essential parts of an embodiment of the invention, and the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 indicate the same parts. In FIG. 2, 14a to 14d are optical changeover switches, c1 and c2 are input terminals for control signals that control the basic optical gratings 10a to 10b, c3 is an input terminal for control signals of the optical changeover switches, and i1 and i2 are input terminals for control signals of the optical changeover switches. Incoming lines t1 and t2 of the basic optical gratings 10a to 10b are outgoing lines of the basic optical gratings 10a to 10b. For example, when outputting an optical signal from a common input line a1 made of an optical fiber to a common output line b2 made of an optical fiber, the optical changeover switch 14a is controlled by a control signal from the input terminal c3, and the optical basic grating 10a is Incoming line i1
switch so that the optical signal is applied to the Further, the basic optical grating 10a is controlled by a control signal from the input terminal c1 so that an optical signal is output from the output line t2 along the path shown by the dotted line. In that case, the optical fundamental lattice 1
Since the basic optical grating 10c is controlled so that no optical signal is output from the outgoing line t2 of the optical basic grating 10a, the optical signal from the outgoing line t2 of the basic optical grating 10a is coupled to the outgoing line t2 of the basic optical grating 10c. Photosynthesizer 12
It is output to the common output line b1 via line a.

In addition, when outputting the optical signal from the common input line a1 to the common output line b4, the optical changeover switch 14a is controlled by the control signal from the input terminal c3 so that the optical signal is added to the input line i1 of the optical basic grating 10b. The output line t1 of the basic optical grating 10b is switched to output the optical signal, and the optical signal is output to the common output line b4 via the optical coupler 12d.

The optical switching switches 14a to 14d, for example, as shown in _FIG .
The electrodes 22 are formed so that they intersect, and an electric field is applied to the intersection, and the terminals 23 and 24 are formed so that they intersect.
When no voltage is applied to the terminals, the optical signal propagates from port 25 to port 26 and from port 27 to port 28, and when a predetermined voltage is applied to terminals 23 and 24, the optical signal propagates from port 25 to port 28. An optical signal propagates. Therefore, by using port 25 or port 27 as an input terminal and ports 26 and 28 as output terminals, a 1-input, 2-output optical changeover switch can be constructed. It is also possible to use an optical changeover switch configured to mechanically switch the tip of an optical fiber to either one of two optical fibers.

FIG. 4 is a main part block diagram of another embodiment of the present invention, which is a part of a 16×16 optical switch configuration using the 4×4 optical switch of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 as an optical basic lattice. This shows that. In Figure 4, 30
a, 30b, 30c, . . . are 4×4 optical basic lattices having incoming lines a1 to a4 and outgoing lines b1 to b4,
31a, 31b, 31c, . . . are 1×4 optical changeover switches, A1, A2, A3, . . . are common incoming lines made of optical fibers, and B1, B2, B3, . The optical changeover switches 31a, 31b, 31c, . . . are, for example,
The optical changeover switch shown in FIG. 3 can be connected in multiple stages. That is, when the 1×4 optical changeover switch 31a uses three optical changeover switches shown in FIG. 3 and connects the common input line A1 to the port 25 of the first stage optical changeover switch, 2
The ports 25 of the two optical changeover switches in the second stage are connected to the ports 28 and 26 of the two optical changeover switches in the second stage, for a total of four ports 28 and 26, respectively.
Four ports are connected to four optical basic gratings 30a, 30.
It will be connected to the incoming line a1 of b, 30c, and 30d.

The basic optical gratings 30a, 30b, 30c,...
Optical switching switches 31a are arranged in a matrix in the column and row directions and are connected to the common input line A1.
are the basic optical gratings 30a, 30b, 30 in the column direction.
The optical switching switch 31b connected to the common input line A2 selectively switches and inputs the optical signal to the input line a1 of the optical basic gratings 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d in the column direction. The optical signal is selectively switched and inputted to a2.
Note that connection lines between the optical changeover switches 31b, 31c and the input lines a2, a3 of the optical basic gratings 30b, 30c, 30d are omitted for the sake of simplicity.

Similarly to the above, the optical changeover switches 31c and 31d connected to the common input lines A3 and A4 selectively switch and input optical signals to the input lines a3 and a4 of the optical basic gratings 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d in the column direction. It is something to do. Also, the optical basic grating 30e in the next column direction,
The optical changeover switches 31e, 31f, 31 are similarly set for the input lines a1 to a4 of 30f, 30g, and 30h.
The optical signals are input by being selectively switched by the signals g and 31h.

In addition, the output lines b1 of the basic optical gratings 30a, 30e, . . . in the row direction are connected to a common output line B via an optical coupler.
1, and each output line b2 is connected to the common output line B2 via an optical coupler. Other outgoing line b3,
Similarly, b4 is also connected to common output lines B3 and B via an optical coupler.
Connected to 4. Also, the optical basic grating 30 in the next row direction
The outgoing lines b1 to b4 of b, 30f, . . . are similarly connected to the common outgoing lines B5 to B8 via optical couplers.
Note that the optical coupler is provided at the point where the outgoing lines with the same symbol are connected, as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, and is not shown in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 for the sake of brevity. are doing.

For example, when outputting an optical signal from the common input line A2 to the common output line B5, the optical signal is input from the optical changeover switch 31b to the input line a2 of the basic optical grating 30b, and the basic optical grating 30b connects the input line a2 and the output line b4. The optical signal is output from the output line b4,
It is output to the common output line B5 via an optical coupler. At this time, the optical signal from the common input line A1 is transferred to the common output line B8.
Even if an optical signal is input from the optical switching switch 31a to the input line a1 of the basic optical grating 30b, and the aforementioned input line a2 and output line b4 are connected, the input line a1 and Since the connection can be made to the outgoing line b1, the optical signal is sent to the outgoing line b1.
The optical signal is output to the common output line B8 via the optical coupler.

As mentioned above, an optical switching switch is connected to the common input line and the optical signal from the common input line is selectively switched and inputted to the input line of the optical basic grating, so even when a large number of optical basic gratings are arranged. Since the power of the optical signal input to the input line of each basic optical lattice is not divided, a large-scale matrix switch can be constructed without providing an optical amplifier.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, the present invention arranges optical basic gratings having a plurality of incoming and outgoing lines such as 4×4 in a matrix in the column and row directions, and transmits optical signals from a common incoming line. an optical changeover switch 14a for selectively switching and inputting input to the input line of the basic optical grid in the column direction;
14b, 14c, 14d, 31a, 31b, 31
c, 31d, . without using an amplifier,
This means that a large-scale matrix switch can be constructed using a large number of basic optical lattices. Therefore,
This means that it can be applied to exchange networks using optical signals.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a conventional optical switch device.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main part of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an optical changeover switch, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a main part of another embodiment of the present invention. 10a to 10d are optical basic gratings, 12a to 2d are optical couplers, 14a to 14d are optical switching switches, 3
0a, 30b, 30c, ... are optical fundamental lattices, 31
a, 31b, 31c, ... are optical selector switches, A
1, A2, A3, ... are common input lines, B1, B2,
B3, . . . are common outgoing lines, a1 to a4 are incoming lines or common incoming lines, and b1 to b4 are outgoing lines or common outgoing lines.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Optical basic gratings that switch and connect optical paths between a plurality of incoming lines and a plurality of outgoing lines are arranged in a matrix in the column and row directions, and the common incoming lines and the optical basic gratings arranged in the column direction An optical changeover switch is connected between the common incoming line and the corresponding incoming line among the plurality of incoming lines of the lattice, and the common outgoing line and one of the plurality of outgoing lines of the optical basic lattice arranged in the row direction are connected. An optical switch device characterized in that an optical coupler is connected between the common outgoing line and the corresponding outgoing line.