Page 163 - Optical Switching And Networking Handbook

07_200023_CH06/Batesx 1/17/01 10:05 AM Page 148

148 Chapter 6

Rx
Figure 6-14
The WSXC from
Agilent (Agilent)

Optical
Fabric

Local Traffic
Tx Rx
Tx Rx
Tx Rx
Local Traffic Local Traffic

Local Rearrangement Matrix

Source: Agilent

Agilent is packaging its Photonic Switching Platform devices so
that it can be used by vendors to build switches. Large numbers of
these devices can be connected together to offer carriers a “building
block” approach to expanding the capacity of optical cross-connects.
It is unclear whether Agilent’s products will scale to the 1,000
port optical cross-connects required by carriers. The number of
devices needed to build nonblocking cross-connects increases quickly
as the port count goes up. A 512 512 port assembly would need 64
devices.The number of devices in larger assemblies could be reduced
by making equipment partially nonblocking.