Optical switching system and equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses an optical switching system and equipment, and relates to the technical field of optical communication. The system comprises a plurality of node access modules and a controller, each node access module comprises an outer layer processing unit and an inner layer connecting unit. The outer-layer processing unit is internally connected with the first port group of the inner-layer connecting unit, and the inner-layer connecting unit is further interconnected through mesh topology based on the second port group with more ports to form an inner-layer optical switching network. The outer-layer processing units are externally connected with input / output optical fibers, and the controller controls the outer-layer processing units and the inner-layer connecting units to construct a transmission optical path of a target wavelength signal in a target transmission direction based on a control instruction. The switching direction dimension of the system is greatly improved based on the asymmetric design of the number of the ports of the inner layer connection unit. And meanwhile, based on the wavelength processing capability of the outer layer processing unit, the wavelength-level scheduling of each optical fiber port is realized, and the contradiction between the total exchange capacity and the flexible wavelength scheduling in the system is greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an optical switching system and device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rise of emerging applications such as artificial intelligence, ultra-large-scale data centers, and supercomputing centers, the capacity of optical transport networks is growing exponentially. It is estimated that the capacity of optical switching nodes will reach over 10Pb / s, and the use of space division multiplexing networks allows the number of optical fibers in optical switching nodes to reach hundreds. Among them, optical cross-connect (OXC) equipment plays a crucial role in optical transport networks. It can perform port-level switching connections and wavelength-level routing selection of optical signals, enabling flexible scheduling of high-capacity optical signals.

[0003] Currently, optical switching nodes typically employ a hierarchical architecture consisting of an N×N matrix of optical switches and a 1×M wavelength selective switch (WSS). This architecture can support up to several hundred fiber dimensions. However, the spatial and wavelength dimensions are hierarchical in this architecture, and the wavelength-level routing capability is entirely determined by the number of WSS ports. This results in only a portion of the optical signals at this node being able to achieve wavelength-level routing. Summary of the Invention The main objective of this application is to provide an optical switching system and device that aims to solve the technical problem of how to reduce the contradiction between the total switching capacity and flexible wavelength scheduling in an optical switching system.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, embodiments of this application provide an optical switching system, the optical switching system comprising: A plurality of node access modules and a controller connected to each of the node access modules; Each node access module includes an outer processing unit and an inner connection unit. The first port group of the inner connection unit is connected to the first interface group of the outer processing unit, and the second port group of the inner connection unit is connected to the inner optical switching network. The inner optical switching network is formed by interconnecting the second port groups of all inner connection units through a mesh topology. The outer processing unit is connected to at least one input optical fiber and at least one output optical fiber through the second interface group, and is used to connect the input optical fiber or the output optical fiber to the corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit according to the wavelength of the optical signal. The controller is used to control each of the inner layer connection units and each of the outer layer processing units to switch working states based on control commands, so as to construct a transmission optical path for transmitting target wavelength optical signals between the input optical fiber and the corresponding output optical fiber corresponding to the target transmission direction. The number of ports in the first port group is no greater than the number of ports in the second port group.

[0005] In one embodiment, the outer processing unit includes: at least one input wavelength selection switch and at least one output wavelength selection switch; The single-interface side of the input wavelength selection switch is connected to the input optical fiber, the single-interface side of the output wavelength selection switch is connected to the output optical fiber, the multi-interface side of the input wavelength selection switch and the multi-interface side of the output wavelength selection switch are connected to the first port group of the inner layer connection unit, and the control terminal of the input wavelength selection switch and the control terminal of the output wavelength selection switch are both connected to the controller. Alternatively, the outer processing unit may include: at least one multiplexing structure and at least one demultiplexing structure; The target wavelength optical signal includes a multi-wavelength composite optical signal formed by coupling multiple different wavelengths; The few-interface side of the multiplexing structure and the few-interface side of the demultiplexing structure are connected to the first port group corresponding to one of the inner layer connection units. The multiple-interface side of the multiplexing structure is connected to several input optical fibers, and the multiple-interface side of the demultiplexing structure is connected to several output optical fibers. The control terminal of the multiplexing structure and the control terminal of the demultiplexing structure are both connected to the controller. The wave combiner structure is used to couple multiple single-wavelength optical signals of different wavelengths input from each of the input optical fibers into the multi-wavelength synthesized optical signal, and transmit it to one of the ports of the first port group of the inner layer connection unit. The wavelength division structure is used to divide the multi-wavelength synthesized optical signal transmitted from another port of the first port group of the inner layer connection unit into individual single-wavelength signal lights according to each wavelength, and output them respectively through multiple corresponding output optical fibers.

[0006] In one embodiment, the multiplexing structure includes: at least one multiplexing device; Any one of the interfaces on the multi-interface side of the multiplexer is connected to a corresponding input optical fiber, the single-interface side of the multiplexer is connected to a corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit, and the control terminal of the multiplexer is connected to the controller. The wavelength division structure includes: at least one wavelength division device; Any one of the interfaces on the multi-interface side of the wavelength division device is connected to a corresponding output optical fiber, the single-interface side of the wavelength division device is connected to a corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit, and the control terminal of the wavelength division device is connected to the controller.

[0007] In one embodiment, both the wavelength multiplexing device and the wavelength splitting device include at least one of a wavelength selective switch, an arrayed waveguide grating, and a dielectric thin-film filter.

[0008] In one embodiment, the wavelength selection switch, the input wavelength selection switch, and the output wavelength selection switch are adopted from either a silicon-based liquid crystal architecture or an integrated optical waveguide architecture.

[0009] In one embodiment, the inner layer connection unit includes: an input matrix optical switch and an output matrix optical switch; The first port group of the input matrix optical switch and the first port group of the output matrix optical switch are connected to the first interface group of the corresponding outer processing unit. The second port group of the input matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group of the output matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The second port group of the output matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group of the input matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The control terminals of the input matrix optical switch and the output matrix optical switch are both connected to the controller. Alternatively, the inner connection unit may include: a shared matrix optical switch; The first port group corresponding to the input side of the shared matrix optical switch and the first port group corresponding to the output side of the shared matrix optical switch correspond to the first interface group of the outer processing unit. The second port group corresponding to the input side of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group corresponding to the output side of the shared matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The second port group corresponding to the output side of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group corresponding to the input side of the shared matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The control terminal of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the controller.

[0010] In one embodiment, the input matrix optical switch, the output matrix optical switch, and the common matrix optical switch adopt any one of the following architectures: integrated waveguide architecture, MEMS architecture, piezoelectric ceramic architecture, and mechanical architecture.

[0011] In one embodiment, when the inner connection unit includes the shared matrix optical switch, the inner connection unit further includes: a plurality of optical circulators; Each of the aforementioned optical circulators is used to connect each of the aforementioned common matrix optical switches to the corresponding outer processing units, and / or to connect each of the aforementioned common matrix optical switches to the inner optical switching network.

[0012] In one embodiment, when each of the common matrix optical switches is connected to the corresponding outer processing units via each of the optical circulators, each port of the first port group of the common matrix optical switch is connected to the first end of the corresponding optical circulator, the second end of the optical circulator is connected to a corresponding input interface of the first interface group of the corresponding outer processing unit, and the third end of the optical circulator is connected to a corresponding output interface of the first interface group of the corresponding outer processing unit. When connecting each of the shared matrix optical switches to the inner optical switching network via each of the optical circulators, each port of the second port group of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the first end of a corresponding optical circulator, the second end of the optical circulator is connected to a corresponding input port of the inner optical switching network, and the third end of the optical circulator is connected to a corresponding output port of the inner optical switching network.

[0013] In addition, this application also proposes an optical switching device that employs the optical switching system described above.

[0014] This application provides an optical switching system and device. The optical switching system includes: a plurality of node access modules and a controller connected to each of the node access modules; each node access module includes an outer processing unit and an inner connection unit; a first port group of the inner connection unit is connected to a first interface group of the outer processing unit, and a second port group of the inner connection unit is connected to an inner optical switching network, which is formed by interconnecting the second port groups of all the inner connection units through a mesh topology; the outer processing unit is connected to at least one input optical fiber and at least one output optical fiber through a second interface group, and is used to connect the input optical fiber or the output optical fiber to the corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit according to the wavelength of the optical signal; the controller is used to control each of the inner connection units and each of the outer processing units to switch their working states based on control commands, so as to construct a transmission optical path for transmitting a target wavelength optical signal between the input optical fiber corresponding to the target transmission direction and the corresponding output optical fiber; wherein, the number of ports in the first port group is not greater than the number of ports in the second port group.

[0015] The asymmetric port design of the inner connection unit significantly increases the switching directional dimension of the system. Simultaneously, the wavelength processing capability of the outer processing unit enables wavelength-level scheduling of each fiber optic port, greatly reducing the conflict between reducing the total switching capacity of the system and flexible wavelength scheduling. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the optical switching system of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the first structure provided in Embodiment 2 of the optical switching system of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a second structure provided in Embodiment 2 of the optical switching system of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a first partial structure provided in Embodiment 2 of the optical switching system of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a second partial structure provided in Embodiment 2 of the optical switching system of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a third partial structure provided in Embodiment 2 of the optical switching system of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a fourth partial structure provided in Embodiment 2 of the optical switching system of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the fifth partial structure provided in Embodiment 2 of the optical switching system of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the sixth partial structure provided in Embodiment 2 of the optical switching system of this application.

[0019] The purpose, features, and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0020] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0021] To better understand the technical solution of this application, a detailed description will be provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0022] This application presents an optical switching system according to a first embodiment. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 The optical switching system includes: A plurality of node access modules and a controller 10 connected to each of the node access modules; Each node access module includes an outer processing unit and an inner connection unit. The first port group of the inner connection unit is connected to the first interface group of the outer processing unit, and the second port group of the inner connection unit is connected to the inner optical switching network. The inner optical switching network is formed by interconnecting the second port groups of all inner connection units through a mesh topology. The outer processing unit is connected to at least one input optical fiber and at least one output optical fiber through the second interface group, and is used to connect the input optical fiber or the output optical fiber to the corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit according to the wavelength of the optical signal. The controller 10 is used to control each of the inner layer connection units and each of the outer layer processing units to switch working states based on control commands, so as to construct a transmission optical path for transmitting target wavelength optical signals between the input optical fiber and the corresponding output optical fiber corresponding to the target transmission direction. The number of ports in the first port group is no greater than the number of ports in the second port group.

[0023] It should be noted that, as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the node access module refers to the basic functional unit that constitutes the optical switching node. Each node access module corresponds to at least one independent access node and switching direction. Each node access module is configured with an inner and outer layer structure. The side closer to the outer optical fiber has an outer layer processing unit (e.g., 101 and 102, 103 and 104, 105 and 106, 107 and 108), which is mainly responsible for wavelength-level scheduling or other related processing (e.g., wavelength division, multiplexing, wavelength selection) of the optical signal. The side closer to the inner fiber has an inner layer connection unit (e.g., 109 and 110, 111 and 112, 113 and 114, 115 and 116), which is mainly responsible for connecting the optical signal processed by the outer layer to a public, high-capacity switching network, i.e., the inner layer optical switching network mentioned above.

[0024] It is easy to understand that in this embodiment, the inner optical switching network is a mesh topology, which can also be understood as a network interconnection structure. It contains multiple switching nodes that are directly or indirectly connected to each other, forming a network with multiple selectable paths. As a specific example, the physical form of the inner optical switching network can be optical fiber or an optical backplane.

[0025] It should be noted that, Figure 1This diagram illustrates one possible basic architecture of this embodiment, and is intended to describe only a common scenario. In the diagram, the functional units 101 and 102, 103 and 104, 105 and 106, and 107 and 108 outside the dashed boxes can be considered as outer processing units corresponding to four sets of directional dimensions, while the functional units 109 and 100, 111 and 112, 113 and 114, and 115 and 116 inside the dashed boxes can be considered as four inner connection units corresponding to the aforementioned four sets of directional dimensions.

[0026] It is readily understood that, in this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, taking a node access module represented by outer processing units 101 and 102 and inner connection units 109 and 110 as examples, for the outer processing unit, its first interface group is connected to optical fibers (including at least one input fiber and at least one output fiber), and its inner interface group is connected to the first port group of the inner connection unit through its second interface group. The number of interfaces in the first interface group of the outer processing unit is much less than the number of interfaces in the second interface group, and the number of interfaces in the second interface group of the outer processing unit is equal to the number of ports in the first port group of the inner connection unit. For the inner connection unit, each port in its inner second port group is connected to one port in the second port group of the other inner connection units, forming an inner optical switching network through a mesh topology. The number of ports in its inner second port group is no less than the number of ports in its outer first port group.

[0027] Thus, during optical switching, the optical signal first enters the outer processing unit (e.g., 101 in 101 and 102) through the input fiber. The outer processing unit processes the optical signal based on its wavelength granularity (e.g., multiplexing or wavelength scheduling), and then transmits the optical signal through a corresponding interface to the corresponding inner connection unit (e.g., 109 in 109 and 110). The inner connection unit, based on the constructed inner optical switching network, can transmit the optical signal to a corresponding port in the second port group of the inner connection unit of another node access module (e.g., 114 in 113 and 114). The inner connection unit of the other node access module can then transmit the optical signal through a corresponding port in the first port group to the corresponding outer processing unit (e.g., 106 in 105 and 106). This outer processing unit reprocesses the optical signal based on its wavelength granularity (e.g., wavelength division or wavelength scheduling) and outputs it through the output fiber.

[0028] It is worth noting that in this embodiment, the target wavelength signal light refers to signal light composed of one or more specific wavelengths. When the target wavelength signal light contains only one wavelength, the outer processing unit only needs to connect one input fiber and one output fiber. When receiving the target wavelength signal light provided by the input fiber or when it is necessary to transmit the target wavelength signal light to the output fiber, it is mainly used to perform wavelength scheduling on the target wavelength signal light and allocate a suitable channel for that wavelength. When the target wavelength signal light contains multiple specific wavelengths, it can also be either multi-wavelength composite light or multiple single-wavelength lights with each wavelength separated from the others. In the former case, only one input fiber and one output fiber need to be configured for the outer processing unit as input and output channels. The outer processing unit performs wavelength scheduling to transmit the multi-wavelength composite light through one or more suitable channels to the inner connection unit or to the output fiber. In the latter case, multiple input fibers and multiple output fibers need to be configured for the outer processing unit. The outer processing unit performs wavelength scheduling to transmit multiple single-wavelength lights through multiple channels corresponding to the wavelengths to the inner connection unit or to the output fibers.

[0029] It should be understood that control commands are commands generated based on the actual needs of optical switching services. They can be generated externally or automatically generated based on feedback mechanisms through information or signals fed back from each outer processing unit and each inner connection unit.

[0030] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the controller 10 can determine the optical switching service to be performed based on control commands, thereby obtaining the wavelength of the target wavelength optical signal used in the optical switching service and the relevant information corresponding to the target transmission direction of the optical signal. Subsequently, the controller 10 can control and switch the working state of each inner connection unit and each outer processing unit according to the wavelength of the target wavelength optical signal and the relevant information corresponding to the target transmission direction of the optical signal, so that a corresponding transmission optical path is constructed between "input optical fiber - one interface of the second interface group of the outer processing unit - one interface of the second interface group of the outer processing unit - one port of the second port group of the inner processing unit - a corresponding port of the second port group of another inner processing unit - a corresponding interface of the second interface group of another outer processing unit - the corresponding output optical fiber". This transmission optical path enables the target wavelength optical signal of a specific wavelength to be transmitted to the corresponding node according to the required directional dimension (target transmission direction).

[0031] It is worth noting that, in this embodiment, the number of interfaces on the multi-interface side of the outer processing unit in different directional dimensions can be different.

[0032] This embodiment constructs an inner and outer layer architecture, mainly consisting of an outer layer processing unit for handling wavelength processing, an inner layer connection unit for providing high capacity, and a controller 10 for coordinating the operations of these two layers. The outer layer processing unit is responsible for performing fine-grained wavelength operations (such as separating specific wavelengths) on the signals in each input / output fiber, solving the problem of scheduling flexibility. The inner layer connection unit, through its large number of second port groups, forms a mesh interconnect, constructing a high-capacity internal switching core, solving the problems of switching dimension and capacity.

[0033] Because the inner connection unit adopts an asymmetric design where the number of ports in the first port group is no greater than the number of ports in the second port group, a single outer processing unit (with fewer ports) can control a large switching network through the inner connection unit. This increases the total switching direction dimension of the system to hundreds or even thousands, breaking through the capacity limitation imposed by the number of ports in traditional upper and lower layer optical switching architectures. Furthermore, since each node access module is equipped with an outer processing unit with wavelength processing capabilities, any specific wavelength entering from any input fiber can be flexibly scheduled to any target output fiber, achieving full-mesh, full-port wavelength-level flexible scheduling. This fundamentally resolves the contradiction between total switching capacity and flexible wavelength scheduling capability inherent in traditional upper and lower layer architectures.

[0034] This application proposes an optical switching system, comprising: a plurality of node access modules and a controller connected to each node access module; each node access module includes an outer processing unit and an inner connection unit; a first port group of the inner connection unit is connected to a first interface group of the outer processing unit, and a second port group of the inner connection unit is connected to an inner optical switching network, the inner optical switching network being formed by interconnecting the second port groups of all inner connection units through a mesh topology; the outer processing unit is connected to at least one input optical fiber and at least one output optical fiber through a second interface group, for connecting the input optical fiber or the output optical fiber to the corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit according to the wavelength of the optical signal; the controller is used to control each inner connection unit and each outer processing unit to switch their working states based on control commands, so as to construct a transmission optical path for transmitting a target wavelength optical signal between the input optical fiber corresponding to the target transmission direction and the corresponding output optical fiber; wherein, the number of ports in the first port group is not greater than the number of ports in the second port group.

[0035] The asymmetric port design of the inner connection unit significantly increases the switching directional dimension of the system. Simultaneously, the wavelength processing capability of the outer processing unit enables wavelength-level scheduling of each fiber optic port, greatly reducing the conflict between reducing the total switching capacity of the system and flexible wavelength scheduling.

[0036] Based on the first embodiment of the optical switching system of this application, in the second embodiment of the optical switching system of this application, the contents that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment described above can be referred to the above description, and will not be repeated hereafter. Based on this, please refer to... Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 In this embodiment, the outer processing unit includes at least one input wavelength selection switch and at least one output wavelength selection switch; The single-interface side of the input wavelength selection switch is connected to the input optical fiber, the single-interface side of the output wavelength selection switch is connected to the output optical fiber, the multi-interface side of the input wavelength selection switch and the multi-interface side of the output wavelength selection switch are connected to the first port group of the inner layer connection unit, and the control terminal of the input wavelength selection switch and the control terminal of the output wavelength selection switch are both connected to the controller 10. Alternatively, the outer processing unit may include: at least one multiplexing structure and at least one demultiplexing structure; The target wavelength optical signal includes a multi-wavelength composite optical signal formed by coupling multiple different wavelengths; The few-interface side of the multiplexing structure and the few-interface side of the demultiplexing structure are connected to the first port group corresponding to one of the inner layer connection units. The multiple-interface side of the multiplexing structure is connected to several input optical fibers, and the multiple-interface side of the demultiplexing structure is connected to several output optical fibers. The control terminal of the multiplexing structure and the control terminal of the demultiplexing structure are both connected to the controller 10. The wave combiner structure is used to couple multiple single-wavelength optical signals of different wavelengths input from each of the input optical fibers into the multi-wavelength synthesized optical signal, and transmit it to one of the ports of the first port group of the inner layer connection unit. The wavelength division structure is used to divide the multi-wavelength synthesized optical signal transmitted from another port of the first port group of the inner layer connection unit into individual single-wavelength signal lights according to each wavelength, and output them respectively through multiple corresponding output optical fibers.

[0037] It should be understood that a wavelength selective switch (WSS) is an optical switch that can independently and dynamically route different wavelength channels in an input optical signal, and is a core device for achieving flexible wavelength scheduling. A multiplexer is a functional component used to multiplex (combine) multiple independent wavelength signals, while a demultiplexer is a functional component used to demultiplex (separate) multiple independent wavelength signals.

[0038] It should be noted that, Figure 2 An example of a hybrid system architecture including upsweep and downsweep functions is shown. The figure only shows the cases using a single multiplexer structure and a splitter structure. Figure 2 In the middle, the node access modules on the left, top, and right sides, the 201, 203, and 205 internal components of their outer processing units can be understood as three input wavelength selection switches for connecting to the input optical fiber, and the 202, 204, and 206 internal components of their outer processing units can be understood as three output wavelength selection switches for connecting to the output optical fiber. The function of this part is the same as the basic function of the first embodiment provided above, and will not be described in detail again. However... Figure 2 The lower node access module has an outer processing unit (e.g., 207 and 208) that uses a combination of a multiplexing structure 207 and a demultiplexing structure 208, which is a traditional upper and lower wave architecture.

[0039] It is easy to understand that in this embodiment, each outer processing unit can simultaneously employ two core configurations. The first configuration (input WSS / output WSS) enables flexible wavelength-level scheduling of pass-through traffic: the input WSS separates the multiplexed optical signal from the optical fiber into different wavelengths as needed, exchanges them through the inner network, and then re-multiplexes them for output by the output WSS. The second configuration (multiplexing / demultiplexing structure) enables batch add / drop of local traffic: the multiplexing structure multiplexes the local uplink signal (target wavelength optical signal) and sends it to the network, while the demultiplexing structure demultiplexes the signal received from the network to the local network.

[0040] These two types of outer processing units can coexist in the same system and share the same high-capacity inner optical switching network, enabling the system to maintain ultra-large pass-through capacity while having flexible local service access capabilities, thus achieving a unity of function and performance.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiplexing structure includes at least one multiplexing device D1; Any one of the interfaces on the multi-interface side of the multiplexer D1 is connected to a corresponding input optical fiber, and the single-interface side of the multiplexer D1 is connected to a corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit. The control terminal of the multiplexer D1 is connected to the controller 10. The wavelength division structure includes: at least one wavelength division device D2; Any one of the interfaces on the multi-interface side of the wavelength division device D2 is connected to a corresponding output optical fiber, the single-interface side of the wavelength division device D2 is connected to a corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit, and the control terminal of the wavelength division device D2 is connected to the controller 10.

[0042] It should be understood that the multiplexing device D1 is the basic functional element that constitutes the multiplexing structure, and the demultiplexing device D2 is the basic functional element that constitutes the demultiplexing structure. Each device is responsible for processing one (or more) wavelength channels.

[0043] It should be noted that, as Figure 2 As shown in the structure of the outer processing unit on the lower middle side, in this embodiment, the multiplexing structure 207 can be composed of multiple multiplexing devices D1, and the demultiplexing structure 208 can be composed of multiple demultiplexing devices D2. Both the multiplexing device D1 and the demultiplexing device D2 include a multi-interface side and a single-interface side. The single-interface side has only one interface, which is connected to a corresponding interface in the first port group of the inner connection units (215 and 216); while the multi-interface side has multiple interfaces, each of which can be connected to a corresponding input optical fiber or a corresponding output optical fiber.

[0044] By employing multiple independent multiplexing / demultiplexing devices D2 to construct a multiplexing / demultiplexing unit, traditional multiplexing / demultiplexing functions can be achieved, resulting in significant configuration flexibility and scalability. On the one hand, the number of multiplexing / demultiplexing interfaces can be flexibly configured as needed; on the other hand, different types or performance levels of multiplexing / demultiplexing devices D2 can be used for different wavelength groups, thereby achieving an optimal balance between system cost, interface density, and performance.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, both the multiplexing device D1 and the demultiplexing device D2 include at least one of a wavelength selective switch, an arrayed waveguide grating, and a dielectric thin film filter.

[0046] It should be understood that arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) and thin-film filters (TFFs) are two common passive devices that achieve fixed or quasi-static wavelength multiplexing / demultiplexing based on physical principles. An AWG is an integrated optical device based on a planar optical waveguide circuit, which can utilize the phase difference caused by the optical path difference to achieve wavelength-selective constructive interference. A TFF is a discrete filter element based on the principle of optical thin-film interference, formed by alternately depositing dozens or even hundreds of layers of dielectric thin films with different refractive indices on a glass substrate. It can utilize the interference of reflected light at the interfaces of multiple thin films to selectively transmit specific wavelengths and reflect other wavelengths.

[0047] It is easy to understand that, in this embodiment, for situations requiring flexible reconfiguration of up-and-down wavelengths, WSS can be used as the multiplexing device D1 and the demultiplexing device D2; for cost-sensitive scenarios with fixed wavelength allocation, more economical AWG or TFF can be selected as the multiplexing device D1 and the demultiplexing device D2. The above design can adapt to the differentiated needs of nodes at different levels, from the core backbone network to the metropolitan area access network.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wavelength selection switch, the input wavelength selection switch, and the output wavelength selection switch adopt any one of a silicon-based liquid crystal architecture and an integrated optical waveguide architecture.

[0049] It should be understood that silicon-based liquid crystal architecture and integrated optical waveguide architecture are currently the two mainstream and advanced platform technologies for achieving high-performance, programmable wavelength selective switches. WSS based on silicon-based liquid crystal architecture utilizes silicon-based liquid crystal as a two-dimensional spatial optical phase modulator to dynamically control the light beam in a free-space optical system, separating wavelengths in space. A programmable digital diffraction grating is used to independently modulate the phase of each wavelength, thereby precisely controlling its output direction. WSS based on integrated optical waveguide architecture integrates the functions of light separation, switching, and coupling entirely within a planar waveguide. Electrical control (such as thermo-optical effects and carrier dispersion effects) is used to change the refractive index of the waveguide, thereby achieving optical path switching.

[0050] It is easy to understand that using advanced technologies such as silicon-based liquid crystal or integrated optical waveguides (such as silicon photonics) to manufacture WSS can ensure that the device has high resolution, low loss, fast response and excellent reconfigurability, thus providing a solid guarantee for the high performance, high reliability and long-term evolution capability of the entire optical switching system.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner layer connection unit includes: an input matrix optical switch and an output matrix optical switch; The first port group of the input matrix optical switch and the first port group of the output matrix optical switch are connected to the first interface group of the corresponding outer processing unit. The second port group of the input matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group of the output matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The second port group of the output matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group of the input matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The control terminals of the input matrix optical switch and the output matrix optical switch are both connected to the controller 10. Alternatively, the inner connection unit may include: a shared matrix optical switch; The first port group corresponding to the input side of the shared matrix optical switch and the first port group corresponding to the output side of the shared matrix optical switch correspond to the first interface group of the outer processing unit. The second port group corresponding to the input side of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group corresponding to the output side of the shared matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The second port group corresponding to the output side of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group corresponding to the input side of the shared matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The control terminal of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the controller 10.

[0052] It should be understood that, Figure 1 , Figure 2 The inner connection unit of the discrete architecture is shown. Figure 3 The inner connection unit of the integrated architecture is shown.

[0053] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, the inner connection unit of the discrete architecture can be composed of input matrix optical switches (e.g., 209, 211, 213, 215) and output matrix optical switches (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216), which is a bidirectional independent switching architecture. Figure 3 As shown, the inner connection unit of the integrated architecture is composed of only a single shared matrix optical switch (e.g., 309, 310, 311, 312), which is an optimized architecture that integrates bidirectional switching functions into a single switch through logical or physical means.

[0054] It's easy to understand that the discrete architecture's input and output matrix optical switches are intuitively designed, easy to implement, and easy to control. The integrated architecture's shared matrix optical switches can reduce the number of physical optical switches required in the system. Both effectively reduce the system's hardware complexity, cost, and size.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the input matrix optical switch, the output matrix optical switch, and the common matrix optical switch adopt any one of the following architectures: integrated waveguide architecture, MEMS architecture, piezoelectric ceramic architecture, and mechanical architecture.

[0056] It should be understood that the matrix optical switch is the core device for realizing optical path connection from any input port to any output port, and it can switch all wavelength signals in the entire optical channel.

[0057] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, any one of the optical matrix switches—the input matrix switch, the output matrix switch, and the shared matrix switch—can adopt any one of the following architectures: integrated waveguide architecture, MEMS architecture, piezoelectric ceramic architecture, and mechanical architecture.

[0058] It is easy to understand that, in this embodiment, the matrix optical switch based on the integrated waveguide architecture can change the propagation path of the optical signal by electrically controlling the physical properties (such as refractive index) of the waveguide on a single photonic integrated circuit, thereby realizing the switching function. It features extremely high integration, chip-level size, no moving parts (high reliability), fast switching speed (microsecond level, carrier effect up to nanosecond level), and ease of mass production. The matrix optical switch based on the MEMS architecture can use electrostatic force to drive micrometer-scale micro-mirrors to precisely deflect the light beam from the input fiber to the target output fiber. Its port count can be very large (up to 1000×100). 0) Low insertion loss independent of port count, true non-blocking switching, and extremely low crosstalk; Matrix optical switches based on piezoelectric ceramic architecture can utilize the characteristic of piezoelectric ceramic materials to produce minute deformations under voltage, directly driving the input / output optical fibers or microlenses to perform translation or rotation with sub-micron precision, achieving direct alignment of the fiber end faces. It has extremely low insertion loss, extremely low crosstalk, better stability than ordinary motor-driven mechanical switches, and faster switching speed (millisecond level); Matrix optical switches based on mechanical architecture can physically change the position of components in the optical path through mechanical movement based on electromagnetic drive or stepper motor drive. Its structure is simple, low cost, and easy to implement.

[0059] Since all the matrix optical switches in this embodiment can adopt the various architectures mentioned above, they can adapt to the requirements of different markets and technological development stages.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the inner layer connection unit includes the shared matrix optical switch, the inner layer connection unit further includes: a plurality of optical circulators D3; Each of the optical circulators D3 is used to connect each of the shared matrix optical switches to the corresponding outer processing unit, and / or to connect each of the shared matrix optical switches to the inner optical switching network.

[0061] It should be understood that the optical circulator D3 is a non-reciprocal optical device that forces optical signals to be transmitted unidirectionally along the port sequence. It is a key passive device that enables port multiplexing and signal isolation.

[0062] It should be noted that, Figure 3 The system also showcases an optical switching architecture equipped with an optical circulator D3, specifically demonstrating how the optical circulator D3 is used to connect outer processing units (specifically, input wavelength selection optical switches 301, 303, 305, 307 and output wavelength selection optical switches 302, 304, 306, 308) with inner connection units (shared matrix optical switches 309, 310, 311, 312).

[0063] It is easy to understand, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the unidirectional conduction characteristic of the optical circulator D3 allows a single physical optical switch port to simultaneously and without interference serve signal flows in both the input and output directions. When the optical circulator D3 is used to connect a shared matrix optical switch to an outer processing unit, it enables a single optical switch to replace the original pair of input / output optical switches, halving the required number of matrix optical switches and significantly reducing cost and complexity.

[0064] It is worth noting that, such as Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 A partial structure of an optical switching system configured with an optical circulator D3 is shown. In this embodiment, the unidirectional conduction characteristic of the optical circulator D3 can also be used as a connection point for the inner optical switching network. In this way, a bidirectional independent channel can be provided for each internal link without adding additional ports, thus optimizing the utilization of internal network resources.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when each of the common matrix optical switches is connected to the corresponding outer processing units through each of the optical circulators D3, each port of the first port group of the common matrix optical switch is connected to the first end of the corresponding optical circulator D3, the second end of the optical circulator D3 is connected to a corresponding input interface of the first interface group of the corresponding outer processing unit, and the third end of the optical circulator D3 is connected to a corresponding output interface of the first interface group of the corresponding outer processing unit. When connecting each of the shared matrix optical switches to the inner optical switching network via each of the optical circulators D3, each port of the second port group of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the first end of a corresponding optical circulator D3, the second end of the optical circulator D3 is connected to a corresponding input port of the inner optical switching network, and the third end of the optical circulator D3 is connected to a corresponding output port of the inner optical switching network.

[0066] It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the first end of the optical circulator D3 is the common end, the second end of the optical circulator D3 is the input guide end, and the third end of the optical circulator D3 is the output guide end.

[0067] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, as Figure 6 , Figure 7 as well as Figure 9 As shown, all three local structures describe the case where the optical circulator D3 is used to connect the shared matrix optical switch and the outer processing unit. The technical principles and beneficial effects achieved in this case are the same as those described above. Figure 3 The situation shown is the same, and will not be repeated here; as Figure 7As shown, this local structure also describes the case where the optical circulator D3 is used as the connection point of the inner optical switching network. The technical principles and beneficial effects of this case have been described above and will not be repeated here.

[0068] Furthermore, this embodiment of the optical switching system also proposes various local structures based on one or more of the above-mentioned schemes combined and extended. Figures 4 to 9 The examples show six local structures that can be implemented in the optical switching system of this embodiment. These local structures can be used in combination in the same optical switching system, or only some local structures can be used in combination in the same optical switching system.

[0069] In the first type of local structure, such as Figure 4 As shown, in the first type of node access module 401, it can adopt an inner connection unit (input matrix optical switch 401-3 and output matrix optical switch 401-4) with a separate architecture and an outer processing unit (input wavelength selection switch 401-1 and output wavelength selection switch 401-2) that is not of the upper or lower wavelength type.

[0070] In the second type of local structure, such as Figure 5 As shown, in the second type of node access module 402, it can adopt an integrated architecture inner connection unit (shared matrix optical switch 402-3) and an outer processing unit (input wavelength selection switch 402-1 and output wavelength selection switch 402-2) that are not of the upper or lower wavelength type.

[0071] In the third type of local structure, such as Figure 6 As shown, in the third type of node access module 403, it can adopt an integrated architecture inner connection unit (shared matrix optical switch 403-3) and an outer processing unit (input wavelength selection switch 403-1 and output wavelength selection switch 403-2) that are not of the upper or lower wavelength type. The shared matrix optical switch 403-3 and the input wavelength selection switch 403-1 (or output wavelength selection switch 403-2) are connected through several optical circulators D3.

[0072] In the fourth type of local structure, such as Figure 7 As shown, in the fourth type of node access module 404, it can adopt an integrated architecture inner connection unit (shared matrix optical switch 404-3) and an outer processing unit (input wavelength selection switch 404-1 and output wavelength selection switch 404-2) that are not of the up-down wavelength type. The shared matrix optical switch 404-3 is connected to the input wavelength selection switch 404-1 and the output wavelength selection switch 404-2 through several optical circulators D3, and the shared matrix optical switch 404-3 also constructs an optical switching network through several optical circulators D3.

[0073] It is worth noting that, such as Figure 7 In the fourth local structure shown, when the shared matrix optical switch 404-3 constructs an optical switching network through several optical circulators D3, for another matrix optical switch that constructs the optical switching network together with it, it can either choose to use the same optical circulator D3 to access the optical switching network, or it can choose to directly access the optical switching network (without using the optical circulator D3).

[0074] In the fifth type of local structure, such as Figure 8 As shown, in the fifth type of node access module 405, it can adopt a split architecture inner connection unit (input matrix optical switch 405-3 and output matrix optical switch 405-4) and an outer processing unit of up-and-down wave type (wave-combining structure 405-1 and wave-splitting structure 405-2). The input matrix optical switch 405-3 is connected to the wave-combining structure 405-1, and the output matrix optical switch 405-4 is connected to the wave-splitting structure 405-2.

[0075] In the sixth type of local structure, such as Figure 9 As shown, in the sixth type of node access module 406, it can adopt an integrated architecture inner connection unit (shared matrix optical switch 406-3) and an outer processing unit of up-and-down wave types (wave-combining structure 406-1 and wave-splitting structure 406-2). The input matrix optical switch 406-3 and the wave-combining structure 406-1 are connected through several optical circulators D3, and the output matrix optical switch 406-4 and the wave-splitting structure 406-2 are connected through several optical circulators D3.

[0076] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also propose an optical switching device, which employs the optical switching system described above.

[0077] Since the optical switching device proposed in this application includes all the technical solutions of all embodiments of the optical switching system described above, the optical switching device proposed in this application also has all the beneficial effects brought by all embodiments of the optical switching system described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0078] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent scope of this application.

Claims

1. An optical switching system, characterized in that, The optical switching system includes: A plurality of node access modules and a controller connected to each of the node access modules; Each node access module includes an outer processing unit and an inner connection unit. The first port group of the inner connection unit is connected to the first interface group of the outer processing unit, and the second port group of the inner connection unit is connected to the inner optical switching network. The inner optical switching network is formed by interconnecting the second port groups of all inner connection units through a mesh topology. The outer processing unit is connected to at least one input optical fiber and at least one output optical fiber through the second interface group, and is used to connect the input optical fiber or the output optical fiber to the corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit according to the wavelength of the optical signal. The controller is used to control each of the inner layer connection units and each of the outer layer processing units to switch working states based on control commands, so as to construct a transmission optical path for transmitting target wavelength optical signals between the input optical fiber and the corresponding output optical fiber corresponding to the target transmission direction. The number of ports in the first port group is no greater than the number of ports in the second port group.

2. The optical switching system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer processing unit includes: at least one input wavelength selection switch and at least one output wavelength selection switch; The single-interface side of the input wavelength selection switch is connected to the input optical fiber, the single-interface side of the output wavelength selection switch is connected to the output optical fiber, the multi-interface side of the input wavelength selection switch and the multi-interface side of the output wavelength selection switch are connected to the first port group of the inner layer connection unit, and the control terminal of the input wavelength selection switch and the control terminal of the output wavelength selection switch are both connected to the controller. Alternatively, the outer processing unit may include: at least one multiplexing structure and at least one demultiplexing structure; The target wavelength optical signal includes a multi-wavelength composite optical signal formed by coupling multiple different wavelengths; The few-interface side of the multiplexing structure and the few-interface side of the demultiplexing structure are connected to the first port group corresponding to one of the inner layer connection units. The multiple-interface side of the multiplexing structure is connected to several input optical fibers, and the multiple-interface side of the demultiplexing structure is connected to several output optical fibers. The control terminal of the multiplexing structure and the control terminal of the demultiplexing structure are both connected to the controller. The wave combiner structure is used to couple multiple single-wavelength optical signals of different wavelengths input from each of the input optical fibers into the multi-wavelength synthesized optical signal, and transmit it to one of the ports of the first port group of the inner layer connection unit. The wavelength division structure is used to divide the multi-wavelength synthesized optical signal transmitted from another port of the first port group of the inner layer connection unit into individual single-wavelength signal lights according to each wavelength, and output them respectively through multiple corresponding output optical fibers.

3. The optical switching system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The multiplexing structure includes: at least one multiplexing device; Any one of the interfaces on the multi-interface side of the multiplexer is connected to a corresponding input optical fiber, the single-interface side of the multiplexer is connected to a corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit, and the control terminal of the multiplexer is connected to the controller. The wavelength division structure includes: at least one wavelength division device; Any one of the interfaces on the multi-interface side of the wavelength division device is connected to a corresponding output optical fiber, the single-interface side of the wavelength division device is connected to a corresponding port in the first port group of the inner connection unit, and the control terminal of the wavelength division device is connected to the controller.

4. The optical switching system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Both the wavelength multiplexing device and the wavelength splitting device include at least one of a wavelength selective switch, an arrayed waveguide grating, and a dielectric thin film filter.

5. The optical switching system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The wavelength selection switch, the input wavelength selection switch, and the output wavelength selection switch adopt any one of the following: silicon-based liquid crystal architecture and integrated optical waveguide architecture.

6. The optical switching system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner layer connection unit includes: an input matrix optical switch and an output matrix optical switch; The first port group of the input matrix optical switch and the first port group of the output matrix optical switch are connected to the first interface group of the corresponding outer processing unit. The second port group of the input matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group of the output matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The second port group of the output matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group of the input matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The control terminals of the input matrix optical switch and the output matrix optical switch are both connected to the controller. Alternatively, the inner connection unit may include: a shared matrix optical switch; The first port group corresponding to the input side of the shared matrix optical switch and the first port group corresponding to the output side of the shared matrix optical switch correspond to the first interface group of the outer processing unit. The second port group corresponding to the input side of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group corresponding to the output side of the shared matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The second port group corresponding to the output side of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the second port group corresponding to the input side of the shared matrix optical switch of other inner connection units through the inner optical switching network. The control terminal of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the controller.

7. The optical switching system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The input matrix optical switch, the output matrix optical switch, and the shared matrix optical switch adopt any one of the following architectures: integrated waveguide architecture, MEMS architecture, piezoelectric ceramic architecture, and mechanical architecture.

8. The optical switching system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, When the inner layer connection unit includes the shared matrix optical switch, the inner layer connection unit further includes: a plurality of optical circulators; Each of the aforementioned optical circulators is used to connect each of the aforementioned common matrix optical switches to the corresponding outer processing units, and / or to connect each of the aforementioned common matrix optical switches to the inner optical switching network.

9. The optical switching system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, When connecting each of the common matrix optical switches and the corresponding outer processing units through each of the optical circulators, each port of the first port group of the common matrix optical switch is connected to the first end of the corresponding optical circulator, the second end of the optical circulator is connected to a corresponding input interface of the first interface group of the corresponding outer processing unit, and the third end of the optical circulator is connected to a corresponding output interface of the first interface group of the corresponding outer processing unit. When connecting each of the shared matrix optical switches to the inner optical switching network via each of the optical circulators, each port of the second port group of the shared matrix optical switch is connected to the first end of a corresponding optical circulator, the second end of the optical circulator is connected to a corresponding input port of the inner optical switching network, and the third end of the optical circulator is connected to a corresponding output port of the inner optical switching network.

10. An optical switching device, characterized in that, The optical switching device employs the optical switching system as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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