M*N matrix optical switch with precise axis positioning based on electromagnet driving

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of optical communication and optical devices, and particularly discloses an M * N matrix optical switch with precise axis positioning based on electromagnet driving. According to the invention, a single body integration design is adopted, a complete M * N optical switch is directly manufactured through the electromagnetic driving units arranged in an array mode, splicing of a plurality of 1 * N optical switches is not needed, great increase of the number of optical path nodes caused by splicing and superposition of insertion loss along with the number of cascading times are avoided, the switch structure is greatly simplified, and the cost is reduced. Therefore, the structure and performance of each optical path are more consistent, the transmission quality of optical signals among different channels is more uniform, and the overall performance of the optical communication system is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of optical communication and optical devices, and particularly relates to an M×N matrix optical switch with precise shaft positioning driven by an electromagnet. Background Art

[0002] Currently, most of the M×N matrix optical switches on the market adopt a technical solution composed of splicing 1×N optical switches. Taking a 32×32 optical switch as an example, 64 1×32 optical switches need to be spliced and combined. Although this spliced matrix optical switch meets the basic requirements of the optical communication network to a certain extent, it also exposes many serious problems and deficiencies.

[0003] There are three driving schemes for existing matrix optical switches: stepper motor drive, MEMS micromirror, and piezoelectric ceramic drive, which have the following inherent defects respectively: 1. Stepper motor drive scheme: complex structure, high power consumption, large volume, heavy weight, high cost, and the switching speed is greater than twenty milliseconds, so the speed is slow; 2. MEMS micromirror scheme: a complex feedback circuit is required to maintain the mirror angle, and the state cannot be maintained after power-off; 3. Piezoelectric ceramic drive scheme: the driving force is less than ten Newtons, the driving force is small, and the cycle life is less than one million times, so the durability is poor.

[0004] In addition, the systematic defects of traditional spliced matrix optical switches in terms of structural complexity, optical performance, energy consumption volume, and drive control can no longer meet the requirements of emerging fields such as 5G optical bearer network and quantum communication for high-density, low-loss, and fast-response optical switching devices, and breakthrough innovations are urgently needed. Therefore, it is an urgent practical need and important application value to develop a new type of M×N matrix optical switch with advantages such as low insertion loss, good repeatability, low power consumption, high reliability, fast switching speed, small volume, light weight, low cost, and the ability to automatically maintain the original state after power-off. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an M×N matrix optical switch with precise shaft positioning driven by an electromagnet, so as to solve the problem of systematic defects of existing traditional spliced matrix optical switches in terms of structural complexity, optical performance, energy consumption volume, and drive control.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] An M×N matrix optical switch with precise shaft positioning driven by an electromagnet, comprising:

[0008] A positioning plate;

[0009] M input collimators, and the M input collimators are connected to the positioning plate;

[0010] There are N output collimators, and the N output collimators are connected to the positioning plate;

[0011] There are M×N electromagnetic drive units, which are distributed in an M×N rectangular array. M input collimators and N output collimators are respectively arranged in rows on both sides of the corners of the rectangular array of electromagnetic drive units;

[0012] There are M×N right-angle prisms, which are respectively connected to the electromagnetic drive units and are slidably connected to the positioning plate.

[0013] Preferably, the electromagnetic drive unit includes an electromagnet and a moving terminal arranged at the end of the electromagnet. The relative position of the electromagnet and the positioning plate is fixed. A moving block is connected to the moving terminal. The moving terminal is slidably connected to the positioning plate, and the right-angle prism is connected to the moving block.

[0014] Preferably, a positioning shaft is connected to the moving block, and the positioning shaft is slidably connected to the positioning plate.

[0015] Preferably, the two right-angle sides of the right-angle prism face the input collimator and the output collimator respectively.

[0016] Preferably, the electromagnet has a double-coil structure.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0018] (1) The present invention adopts a single-body integrated design. By directly manufacturing a complete M×N optical switch through an array of electromagnetic drive units, there is no need to splice multiple 1×N optical switches, avoiding a significant increase in the number of optical path nodes caused by splicing and the superposition of insertion losses with the number of cascades. It greatly simplifies the switch structure, makes the structures and performances of each optical path more consistent, and the transmission quality of optical signals between different channels more uniform, thereby improving the overall performance of the optical communication system.

[0019] (2) The present invention drives the right-angle prism to move through the electromagnetic drive unit to realize the synchronous control of optical path switching and mechanical displacement. The magnetic force generated by the electromagnetic drive unit can quickly and stably drive the right-angle prism to move up and down, push the right-angle prism to the preset position, and use the total reflection characteristic of the right-angle prism to complete the deflection of the optical path, realizing low-latency optical path switching. This driving method has a fast response speed and can complete the optical path switching action in a very short time, greatly improving the working efficiency of the optical switch. The electromagnet used in the electromagnetic drive unit has a two-way self-holding structure and has the characteristic of self-holding at the power-off position;

[0020] The electromagnet has a strong driving force, which can ensure that the right-angle prism is not interfered by the outside world during movement and stably changes the propagation path of the optical signal. Compared with some traditional driving methods that are easily affected by environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, the electromagnet driving has stronger stability and can work reliably under a wide range of environmental conditions. By controlling the magnitude, direction, and on-off time of the current of the electromagnet, the moving speed and direction of the right-angle prism can be precisely controlled, thereby achieving precise control of the optical path switching. This precise control ability enables the optical switch to meet the diverse requirements of different optical communication systems for optical path switching;

[0021] (3) In the present invention, by setting a high-precision positioning shaft, the use of the precision positioning shaft provides precise positioning and guidance for the movement of the right-angle prism. Multiple precision positioning shafts cooperate with each other, and can control the movement error of the right-angle prism within an extremely small range, ensuring the accuracy and stability of the optical signal during the switching process. Compared with the simple positioning structure in the traditional motor-driven optical switch, the precision positioning shaft of the present invention can effectively reduce the optical path deviation and improve the transmission quality of the optical signal;

[0022] Since the precision positioning shaft can ensure that the right-angle prism accurately moves to the predetermined position, the optical signal can be more accurately aligned with the target optical path during the propagation process, thereby reducing the signal loss caused by the optical path deviation. This is crucial for improving the performance of the optical communication system. Especially in long-distance and high-speed optical communication applications, it can significantly reduce the signal attenuation and improve the communication quality;

[0023] The precision positioning shaft has high mechanical strength and stability, and can withstand frequent rotation for a long time without wear or deformation. This enables the optical switch to maintain a stable optical path positioning accuracy during long-term use, reduces the probability of failures caused by inaccurate positioning, and improves the reliability and service life of the optical switch;

[0024] (4) Compared with the prior art, since the present invention does not require splicing, it reduces the number of optical switch cascades, reduces the optical signal loss at the splicing point, effectively reduces the insertion loss, and improves the transmission intensity and quality of the optical signal; through the directly fabricated integral structure and precise drive positioning technology, the consistency of each optical path switching is ensured, and the stability and accuracy of the optical signal during switching at different times and different channels are guaranteed; the electromagnet drive mode only needs to be powered on during the moment of optical path switching and does not need to be continuously powered on usually, greatly reducing the power consumption of the optical switch, which is beneficial to reducing the operating cost and energy consumption of the optical communication system; the simplified structure reduces the number of opto-mechanical components inside the optical switch module, reduces the failure points, improves the reliability of the optical switch, and reduces the maintenance cost and downtime of the optical communication system; the fast response speed of the electromagnet and the precise guidance of the precision shaft, as well as the optimized optical path switching structure, enable the optical switch of the present invention to complete the optical path switching within an extremely short time, and the switching speed is much faster than that of the motor splicing type optical switch, meeting the requirements of modern high-speed optical communication for fast optical path switching; the directly fabricated integrated structure significantly reduces the overall volume and also reduces the weight, making it more convenient for installation and application, saving the space and installation cost of the optical communication equipment; no splicing reduces the number of optical switches used, the number of components, and the splicing process cost, reducing the manufacturing cost of the optical switch. At the same time, the reduction in power consumption and the improvement in reliability also reduce the operating and maintenance costs of the optical communication system; the optical switch of the present invention has the function of automatically maintaining the original state when powered off. Through the self-holding characteristic of the electromagnet, it can automatically lock the current optical path state at the moment of power-off, ensuring that the communication is not affected and improving the reliability and stability of the optical communication system. This is an advantage that the existing splicing type optical switch does not have and is of great significance in some scenarios with special requirements for the stability of the optical path. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the matrix optical switch module of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the 8×8 matrix optical switch structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the electromagnetic drive unit structure of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0028] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the electromagnetic drive unit structure of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0029] In the figure: 1, positioning plate; 2, input collimator; 3, output collimator; 4, electromagnet; 5, moving terminal; 6, moving block; 7, positioning shaft; 8, right-angle prism. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0030] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0031] Embodiment:

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 - Figure 4 As shown, the M×N matrix optical switch with precise shaft positioning based on electromagnetic drive includes a positioning plate 1, an input collimator 2, an output collimator 3, an electromagnetic drive unit, and a right-angle prism 8.

[0033] There are M input collimators 2, and the M input collimators 2 are connected to the positioning plate 1; there are N output collimators 3, and the N output collimators 3 are connected to the positioning plate 1; there are M×N electromagnetic drive units, which are distributed in an M×N rectangular array. The M input collimators 2 and the N output collimators 3 are respectively arranged in rows on both sides of the corners of the electromagnetic drive unit rectangular array; there are M×N right-angle prisms 8, which are respectively connected to the electromagnetic drive unit and are slidably connected to the positioning plate 1. The two right-angle sides of the right-angle prism 8 face the input collimator 2 and the output collimator 3 respectively.

[0034] As can be seen from the above, by arranging the electromagnetic drive unit rectangular array and the right-angle prism 8 on the positioning plate 1, when the electromagnetic drive unit is powered on, the corresponding electromagnetic drive unit will drive the right-angle prism 8 to displace. When the right-angle prism 8 moves upward, the light incident from the corresponding input collimator 2 is reflected by the right-angle prism 8 and enters the corresponding output collimator 3, realizing an effective switching of the optical path.

[0035] The electromagnetic drive unit includes an electromagnet 4 and a moving terminal 5 arranged at the end of the electromagnet 4. A moving block 6 is connected to the moving terminal 5. The moving terminal 5 is slidably connected to the positioning plate 1. The relative position of the electromagnet 4 and the positioning plate 1 is fixed, that is, the position of the electromagnet 4 and the positioning plate 1 is relatively stationary. The moving terminal 5 and the electromagnet 4 are integrally arranged. The electromagnet 4 can control the telescopic movement of the moving terminal 5, and the telescopic moving terminal 5 slides on the positioning plate 1. The right-angle prism 8 is connected to the moving block 6, and the moving terminal 5 will drive the moving block 6 and the right-angle prism 8 to move.

[0036] A positioning shaft 7 is connected to the moving block 6. The positioning shaft 7 is slidably connected to the positioning plate 1. The number of positioning shafts 7 can be set to 2 to 4. Through the limitation of multiple high-precision positioning shafts 7, high-precision displacement of the moving block 6 on the positioning plate 1 is achieved, avoiding deviation in the position of the right-angle prism 8 during the movement of the moving block 6.

[0037] The electromagnet 4 has a double-coil structure and forms a closed magnetic circuit in cooperation with the permanent magnet, which can reduce energy consumption and improve the stability of the driving force.

[0038] Refer to Figures 2 - 4 , taking an 8×8 matrix optical switch as an example, the input collimator 2 and the output collimator 3 are combined into an optical input port and an optical output port. The right-angle prism 8 is used to change the propagation path of the optical signal to achieve optical path switching. The electromagnetic drive units are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the right-angle prism 8. After the electromagnet 3 is energized, it will drive the moving terminal 5 and the moving block 6 to move, and then drive the right-angle prism 8 to move, thereby realizing optical path switching. The positioning shaft 7 can accurately limit the degrees of freedom of the moving terminal 5 and the moving block 6, and thus provide accurate positioning and guidance for the movement of the right-angle prism 8, ensuring the accuracy of optical path switching.

[0039] During the specific use process, when it is necessary to couple the optical signal of the 2nd input collimator 2 to the 3rd output collimator 3, the 11th electromagnet 4 is energized with electricity having an upward thrust, so that the right-angle prism 8 fixed thereto is in an ascending state, thus corresponding to the heights of the 2nd input collimator 2 and the 3rd output collimator 3. At this time, the optical signal output from the 2nd input collimator 2 is reflected by the right-angle prism 8 and coupled to the 3rd output collimator 3, and the 3rd output collimator 3 outputs the optical signal.

[0040] When it is necessary to couple the optical signal of the 2nd input collimator 2 to other output collimators 3, for example, output to the 5th output collimator 3, at this time, the 11th electromagnet 4 is energized with electricity having a downward suction force, and at the same time, the 13th electromagnet 4 is energized with electricity having an upward thrust. At this time, the optical signal output from the 2nd input collimator 2 is reflected by the right-angle prism 8 fixed to the 13th electromagnet 4 and coupled to the 5th output collimator 3, and the 5th output collimator 3 outputs the optical signal.

[0041] The present invention adopts a single-body integrated design, and directly manufactures a complete M×N optical switch through an array of electromagnetic drive units, without using multiple 1×N optical switches spliced together, avoiding a large increase in the number of optical path nodes caused by splicing and the superposition of insertion loss with the number of cascades, greatly simplifying the switch structure, making the structures and performances of each optical path more consistent, and the transmission quality of optical signals between different channels more uniform, thereby improving the overall performance of the optical communication system.

[0042] The present invention drives the right-angle prism 8 to move through an electromagnetic drive unit, realizing the synchronous control of optical path switching and mechanical displacement. The magnetic force generated by the electromagnetic drive unit can drive the right-angle prism 8 to move up and down quickly and stably, push the right-angle prism 8 to a preset position, and utilize the total reflection characteristic of the right-angle prism 8 to complete the optical path deflection, realizing low-latency optical path switching. This driving method has a fast response speed and can complete the optical path switching action in an extremely short time, greatly improving the working efficiency of the optical switch. The electromagnet 4 used in the electromagnetic drive unit has a bidirectional self-holding structure and has the characteristic of self-holding at the power-off position;

[0043] The electromagnet 4 has a strong driving force, which can ensure that the right-angle prism 8 is not interfered by the outside world during the movement process and stably changes the propagation path of the optical signal. Compared with some traditional driving methods that are easily affected by environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, the driving stability of the electromagnet 4 is stronger and it can work reliably under a wider range of environmental conditions. By controlling the magnitude, direction, and on-off time of the current of the electromagnet 4, the moving speed and direction of the right-angle prism 8 can be accurately controlled, thereby realizing the precise control of the optical path switching. This precise control ability enables the optical switch to meet the diverse requirements of different optical communication systems for optical path switching;

[0044] The present invention provides precise positioning and guidance for the movement of the right-angle prism 8 by setting a high-precision positioning shaft 7. The use of multiple precision positioning shafts 7 can cooperate with each other to control the movement error of the right-angle prism 8 within an extremely small range, ensuring the accuracy and stability of the optical signal during the switching process. Compared with the simple positioning structure in traditional motor-driven optical switches, the precision positioning shaft 7 of the present invention can effectively reduce the optical path deviation and improve the transmission quality of the optical signal;

[0045] Since the precision positioning shaft 7 can ensure that the right-angle prism 8 accurately moves to the predetermined position, the optical signal can be more accurately aligned with the target optical path during the propagation process, thereby reducing the signal loss caused by the optical path deviation. This is crucial for improving the performance of the optical communication system, especially in long-distance and high-rate optical communication applications, which can significantly reduce the signal attenuation and improve the communication quality;

[0046] The precision positioning shaft 7 has high mechanical strength and stability and can withstand frequent rotation for a long time without wear or deformation. This enables the optical switch to maintain a stable optical path positioning accuracy during long-term use, reduces the probability of failures caused by inaccurate positioning, and improves the reliability and service life of the optical switch;

[0047] Compared with the prior art, since the present invention does not require splicing, the number of optical switch cascades is reduced, the optical signal loss at the splicing point is reduced, the insertion loss is effectively reduced, and the transmission intensity and quality of the optical signal are improved; through the directly fabricated integral structure and precise drive positioning technology, the consistency of each optical path switching is ensured, and the stability and accuracy of the optical signal during switching at different times and different channels are ensured; the electromagnet drive mode only needs to be powered on during the moment of optical path switching and does not need to be continuously powered on usually, which greatly reduces the power consumption of the optical switch, is beneficial to reducing the operation cost and energy consumption of the optical communication system; the simplified structure reduces the number of opto-mechanical components inside the optical switch module, reduces the failure points, improves the reliability of the optical switch, and reduces the maintenance cost and downtime of the optical communication system; the fast response speed of the electromagnet 4 and the precise guidance of the precise positioning shaft 7, as well as the optimized optical path switching structure, enable the optical switch of the present invention to complete the optical path switching in an extremely short time, and the switching speed is much faster than that of the motor splicing type optical switch, meeting the requirements of modern high-speed optical communication for fast optical path switching; the directly fabricated integrated structure greatly reduces the overall volume and the weight also decreases accordingly, which is more convenient for installation and application, saving the space and installation cost of the optical communication equipment; no splicing reduces the number of optical switches used, the number of parts, and the splicing process cost, and reduces the manufacturing cost of the optical switch. At the same time, the reduction in power consumption and the improvement in reliability also reduce the operation and maintenance costs of the optical communication system; the optical switch of the present invention has the function of automatically maintaining the original state when powered off. Through the self-holding characteristic of the electromagnet 4, it can automatically lock the current optical path state at the moment of power-off, ensuring that the communication is not affected, and improving the reliability and stability of the optical communication system. This is an advantage that the existing splicing type optical switch does not have and is of great significance in some scenarios with special requirements for the stability of the optical path.

[0048] All the opto-mechanical standard parts used in the present invention can be purchased from the market, and the non-standard parts can be customized and processed in China. The specific connection and fixing methods of each part all adopt conventional means such as the mature processes in the prior art, and the required instruments and equipment all adopt the conventional models in the existing technology in China, which will not be elaborated here. The content not described in detail in this specification belongs to the prior art well-known to those skilled in the art.

[0049] In the description of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. The meaning of "plurality" is two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0050] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined or limited, terms such as "installed", "connected", "linked", "fixed", etc. shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0051] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined or limited, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

[0052] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0053] In the attached drawings of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, only the structures related to the disclosed embodiments are involved, and other structures can refer to the general design. Without conflict, the same embodiment and different embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

Claims

1. An M×N matrix optical switch with precise axis positioning based on electromagnet drive, characterized in that: include: Positioning plate (1); An input collimator (2), M of which are provided, and the M input collimators (2) are connected to the positioning plate (1); Output collimators (3), N of which are provided, and the N output collimators (3) are connected to the positioning plate (1); The electromagnetic drive units are provided with M×N units, which are distributed in an M×N rectangular array, and the M input collimators (2) and the N output collimators (3) are respectively arranged in rows on both sides of the corners of the rectangular array of the electromagnetic drive units; The right-angle prisms (8) are provided in M×N numbers and are respectively connected to the electromagnetic drive units and are slidably connected to the positioning plate (1).

2. The M×N matrix optical switch with precise axis positioning based on electromagnet drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electromagnetic drive unit comprises an electromagnet (4) and a movable terminal (5) arranged at the end of the electromagnet (4); the electromagnet (4) and the positioning plate (1) are fixed in relative position; a movable block (6) is connected to the movable terminal (5); the movable terminal (5) is slidably connected to the positioning plate (1); and the right-angle prism (8) is connected to the movable block (6).

3. The M×N matrix optical switch with precise axis positioning based on electromagnet drive according to claim 2, characterized in that: The moving block (6) is connected to a positioning shaft (7), and the positioning shaft (7) is slidably connected to the positioning plate (1).

4. The M×N matrix optical switch with precise axis positioning based on electromagnet drive according to claim 2, characterized in that: Two right-angled side surfaces of the right-angle prism (8) face the input collimator (2) and the output collimator (3) respectively.

5. The M×N matrix optical switch with precise axis positioning based on electromagnet drive according to claim 2, characterized in that: The electromagnet (4) is a double-coil structure.

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