Optical switching device, system and control method
By converting electrical signals into single-wavelength optical signals in an optical switching device and using optical wave filters for reflection to achieve directional distribution, the problem of excessively long link switching time in existing optical switching devices in data centers is solved, achieving nanosecond-level switching time and meeting the high bandwidth and low latency requirements of data centers.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- WUXI STARS MICRO SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing optical switching devices are insufficient to meet the requirements of high bandwidth and low latency data transmission speeds in data centers, and link switching times are relatively long.
An input conversion module converts an electrical signal into a single-wavelength optical signal, which is then sent to a selected first optical path via an internal switching mechanism. The signal is then reflected to a second optical path using an optical filter and finally transmitted to a signal receiving module, thus achieving directional distribution of the optical signal.
It greatly shortens the link switching time to the nanosecond level, which is far lower than the millisecond level of existing technologies, thus meeting the data transmission speed requirements of data centers.
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Figure CN122002160A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of optical switching technology, specifically to an optical switching device, system, and control method. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of technologies such as the Internet, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, global data traffic is experiencing explosive growth. For example, AI training clusters have extremely high bandwidth requirements, while corresponding cloud service providers need to process massive amounts of data. The electrical switches in data centers are unable to meet their requirements for high bandwidth and low latency, which has driven the demand for optical switching technology.
[0003] The optical switching devices disclosed in related technologies include: optical switching devices based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), optical switching devices based on digital liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and optical switching devices based on piezoelectric ceramics. However, the switching time for each link in these disclosed optical switching devices is much longer than the transmission time of electrical switching, resulting in a long link switching time that is difficult to meet the data transmission speed requirements of data centers. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This application provides an optical switching device, system, and control method to address the problem that optical switching devices disclosed in related technologies are insufficient to meet the data transmission speed requirements of data centers.
[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides an optical switching device, the device comprising: The system includes an input conversion module, multiple first optical paths, multiple second optical paths, and a signal receiving module. The output of the input conversion module is connected to multiple first optical paths. Each first optical path is connected to multiple second optical paths along its own setting direction. Each second optical path is provided with an optical filter at the connection point between it and the first optical path. Each optical filter is used to reflect a single wavelength optical signal corresponding to a selected wavelength to the second optical path. The output of the multiple second optical paths is connected to the signal receiving module. The input conversion module is used to generate a single-wavelength optical signal corresponding to the control signal received from the controller, and send it to the selected first optical path; The first optical path is used to transmit single-wavelength optical signals along a set direction; The second optical path is used to transmit the single-wavelength optical signal reflected by the optical filter to the signal receiving module.
[0006] Through the above implementation method, the input conversion module converts the electrical signal into a single-wavelength optical signal based on the control signal, and then sends it to the selected first optical path through an internal switching mechanism. When the single-wavelength optical signal moves along the first optical path to the optical filter of the corresponding wavelength, it is reflected by the optical filter to the second optical path, and then transmitted to the signal receiving module through the second optical path, thereby realizing the directional distribution of the optical signal. This greatly shortens the time consumption caused by link switching in related technologies and overcomes the defect that the optical switching devices disclosed in related technologies are difficult to meet the data transmission speed requirements of data centers.
[0007] In one optional implementation, the input conversion module includes: Multiple input conversion units, each connected to a first optical path, are used to send the single-wavelength optical signal they generate to their respective first optical paths.
[0008] Through the above implementation method, each input conversion unit is connected to a corresponding first optical path, ensuring that each input conversion unit corresponds one-to-one with a first optical path. This facilitates different input conversion units to generate corresponding single-wavelength optical signals according to their respective access control signals, and to transmit each single-wavelength optical signal to the first optical path, thereby realizing independent and precise transmission control of multiple single-wavelength optical signals.
[0009] In one optional implementation, the input conversion unit includes: An optical signal integration subunit and multiple optical signal modulation subunits are provided, wherein the input terminal of the optical signal integration subunit is connected to the output terminal of the multiple optical signal modulation subunits; The optical signal modulation subunit is used to generate or turn off the optical signal of its corresponding single wavelength based on the control signal of the controller. The optical signal integration subunit is used to receive single-wavelength optical signals transmitted by multiple optical signal modulation subunits and transmit them to the corresponding first optical path.
[0010] Through the above implementation method, each optical signal modulation subunit can accurately switch between generating or turning off a single wavelength optical signal based on the control signal transmitted by the controller. Then, the generated single wavelength optical signal is transmitted to the optical signal integration subunit, which transmits the received single wavelength optical signal to the first optical path, thereby ensuring that each single wavelength optical signal is accurately transmitted along the first optical path.
[0011] In one optional implementation, the optical signal modulation subunit includes: A modulator is used to generate or turn off a single-wavelength optical signal based on a control signal received from a controller.
[0012] Through the above implementation method, by utilizing the modulator's function of generating or shutting down a single-wavelength optical signal based on the received controller signal, precise, real-time, and independent control of the single-wavelength optical signal can be achieved, ensuring the independent controllability of the single-wavelength optical signal and thereby improving the reliability of data transmission using the single-wavelength optical signal.
[0013] In one optional implementation, the optical signal integration subunit includes: An optical multiplexer is used to receive single-wavelength optical signals transmitted from multiple optical signal modulation subunits and transmit them to the corresponding first optical path.
[0014] Through the above implementation method, the optical path multiplexer is used to transmit the single-wavelength optical signal transmitted by the received optical signal modulation subunit to the first optical path, ensuring that the single-wavelength optical signal generated by the optical signal modulation subunit is accurately transmitted to the first optical path, thereby improving the reliability of signal transmission using single-wavelength optical signals.
[0015] In one optional implementation, the optical filter includes: The reflective surface and the transmission surface are provided, with the reflective surface tilted towards the side of the second optical path closer to the signal receiving module. The reflective surface is used to reflect selected single-wavelength optical signals and transmit other single-wavelength optical signals. The transmission surface is used to transmit all single-wavelength optical signals.
[0016] Through the above implementation method, the selected single-wavelength light signal is reflected to the second optical path by the reflective surface of the optical filter. When a certain single-wavelength light signal is transmitted along the first optical path and before it reaches the optical filter that can reflect the corresponding wavelength light signal, the corresponding single-wavelength light signal passes through the previous optical filter, thereby transmitting different single-wavelength light signals to different second optical paths, which facilitates the use of single-wavelength light signals for information transmission.
[0017] Secondly, this application provides an optical switching system, the system comprising: The optical switching device of the first aspect described above or any corresponding embodiment thereof.
[0018] In one alternative implementation, the system is applied to a data center, wherein the input of the input conversion module is connected to at least one server or switch, and the output of the signal receiving module is connected to at least another server or switch.
[0019] In one alternative implementation, the system further includes: The controller, which is communicatively connected to the input conversion module, is used to send a control signal to the input conversion module based on the target output port information in the data to be transmitted, so as to control it to generate an optical signal of a specific wavelength and inject it into a specific first optical path.
[0020] Thirdly, this application provides an optical switching control method, the method comprising: Receive data to be transmitted, which includes target output port information; Based on the target output port information, determine the corresponding target wavelength and the target first optical path; A control signal is generated, which is used to control the input conversion module to generate an optical signal of the target wavelength and inject the optical signal into the first optical path of the target.
[0021] Through the above implementation method, based on the received data to be transmitted, the target wavelength and the target first optical path are determined according to the output port information of the data to be transmitted, and then a control signal is generated. The input conversion module generates an optical signal of the corresponding optical wavelength and transmits it to the target first optical path, thereby achieving the purpose of data signal transmission and ensuring the accurate matching of the data to be transmitted and the optical signal in the optical switching device. Attached Figure Description
[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the data center architecture according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a first structural block diagram of an optical switching device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of section A; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of optical signal transmission in a first structural block diagram of an optical switching device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a second structural block diagram of an optical switching device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of a single input conversion unit of an optical switching device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of optical signal transmission in a second structural block diagram of an optical switching device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of an optical switching system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic flowchart of a control method for an optical switching device according to an embodiment of this application.
[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 20, input conversion module; 201, input conversion unit; 2011, optical signal integration subunit; 2012, optical signal modulation subunit; 30, first optical path; 40, second optical path; 50, signal receiving module; 60, optical wave filter; 601, reflecting surface; 602, transmission surface. Detailed Implementation
[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0026] It is understood that before using the technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this application, users should be informed of the types, scope of use, and usage scenarios of the personal information involved in this application in an appropriate manner in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and user authorization should be obtained.
[0027] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the data center architecture in the related technology may include at least one terminal device and at least one server. Figure 1 The example shows that the data center includes a computer 101, a mobile terminal 102, and a server 103, and terminal devices such as the computer 101 and the mobile terminal 102 are connected to the server 103 through a network 110.
[0029] Specifically, the terminal device can be a smartphone, tablet, laptop, PDA, desktop computer, game console, smart TV, smart wearable device, in-vehicle terminal, VR (Virtual Reality) device, AR (Augmented Reality) device, etc. Server 103 can be a standalone physical server, a server cluster, a distributed system, or a cloud server providing cloud services. Network 110 can be a wired or wireless network, examples of which include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranet, local area network, wide area network, mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.
[0030] With the development of AI data transmission technology, data centers are evolving from traditional architectures towards more efficient and energy-saving approaches. Optical Circuit Switching (OCS) technology, through all-optical signal transmission and dynamic physical path reconstruction, eliminates the need for photoelectric conversion, offering significant advantages such as ultra-low latency, ultra-low energy consumption, and ultra-high bandwidth.
[0031] Optical circuit switching (OCS) is a cross-connect technology based on optical signals, used to dynamically route and switch optical signals at the optical layer without converting them into electrical signals, thereby improving network transmission efficiency and flexibility. OCS enables efficient interconnection within and between data centers, increasing network throughput and flexibility while reducing power consumption, making it a crucial choice for data center architecture upgrades.
[0032] The optical switching devices disclosed in related technologies include: microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based optical switching devices, digital liquid crystal (LCD) based optical switching devices, piezoelectric ceramic (PPC) based optical switching devices, and silicon photonics based optical switching devices. However, the link switching time in these disclosed optical switching devices is significantly longer than the transmission time of electrical switching. For example, the link switching time for MEMS-based optical switching devices is milliseconds, for LCD-based optical switching devices it is milliseconds, for piezoelectric ceramic-based optical switching devices it is milliseconds, and for silicon photonics-based optical switching devices it is microseconds. The relatively long link switching times of these disclosed optical switching devices make it difficult to meet the speed requirements of data centers for data transmission.
[0033] To address the shortcomings of existing optical switching devices in the related technologies, which are unable to meet the data transmission speed requirements of data centers, this application provides an optical switching device. The device utilizes an input conversion module 20 to convert an electrical signal into a single-wavelength optical signal based on a control signal. This signal is then transmitted to a selected first optical path 30 via an internal switching mechanism. When the single-wavelength optical signal travels along the first optical path 30 to the corresponding wavelength optical filter 60, it is reflected by the filter to a second optical path 40. The signal is then transmitted to a signal receiving module 50 via the second optical path 40, thereby achieving directional distribution of the optical signal. This significantly reduces the time consumption caused by link switching in the related technologies and overcomes the shortcomings of existing optical switching devices in meeting the data transmission speed requirements of data centers.
[0034] According to an embodiment of this application, an optical switching device is provided, which can be used as a data transmission terminal in the aforementioned data center. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical switching device according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the device includes: The system includes an input conversion module 20, multiple first optical paths 30, multiple second optical paths 40, and a signal receiving module 50. The output of the input conversion module 20 is connected to a plurality of first optical paths 30. Each first optical path 30 is connected to a plurality of second optical paths 40 along its own setting direction. A light filter 60 is provided at the connection point between each second optical path 40 and the first optical path 30. Each light filter 60 is used to reflect a single wavelength light signal corresponding to a selected wavelength to the second optical path 40. The output of the plurality of second optical paths 40 is connected to the signal receiving module 50. The input conversion module 20 is used to generate a single-wavelength optical signal corresponding to the control signal received from the controller, and send it to the selected first optical path 30. The first optical path 30 is used to transmit single-wavelength optical signals along a set direction; The second optical path 40 is used to transmit the single-wavelength optical signal reflected by the optical filter 60 to the signal receiving module 50.
[0035] A single-wavelength optical signal can be uniquely selected and reflected by a specific optical filter based on its wavelength.
[0036] For example, both the first optical path 30 and the second optical path 40 can be implemented as ordinary optical fiber, hollow optical fiber or other optical waveguide materials to ensure that the single-wavelength optical signal generated by the input conversion module 20 is transmitted to the signal receiving module 50.
[0037] Since the first optical path 30 needs to restrict the propagation direction of a single-wavelength optical signal, the first optical path 30 can be implemented as a straight line or a curve. When the first optical path 30 is a curve, two adjacent segments of the first optical path 30 form an arc.
[0038] The second optical path 40 has the same characteristics as the first optical path 30. Therefore, the second optical path 40 can also be implemented as a straight line or a curve. When the second optical path 40 is a curve, two adjacent segments of the path in the second optical path 40 form an arc.
[0039] The side of the optical filter 60 facing the output of the input conversion module reflects only the selected specific wavelength, while transmitting other wavelengths.
[0040] Specifically, the light filter 60 can be prepared by coating one side of the light-transmitting material. After coating one side of the light-transmitting material, a single-wavelength light signal of a specific wavelength that propagates to the front of the coated side of the light-transmitting material is reflected by the coating material, while single-wavelength light signals of other wavelengths are transmitted when they propagate to the front of the coated side of the light-transmitting material. Furthermore, any single-wavelength light signal can be directly transmitted when it propagates from the back of the coated side of the light-transmitting material.
[0041] For example, the light filter 60 includes: The reflective surface 601 and the transmission surface 602 are provided, wherein the reflective surface 601 is inclined toward the side of the second optical path 40 that is closer to the signal receiving module 50; The reflective surface 601 is used to reflect a selected single-wavelength optical signal and transmit other single-wavelength optical signals. The transmission surface 602 is used to transmit all single-wavelength optical signals.
[0042] Reference Figure 3 In order to facilitate the transmission of single-wavelength optical signals from the first optical path 30 to the second optical path 40, the reflective surface 601 of the optical filter 60 is disposed at the connection between the first optical path 30 and the second optical path 40, and the angle between the plane containing the reflective surface 601 of any optical filter 60 and the first optical path 30 is equal to the angle between the corresponding plane and the second optical path 40.
[0043] The selected single-wavelength optical signal is reflected to the second optical path 40 by the reflective surface 601 of the optical filter 60. When a single-wavelength optical signal is transmitted along the first optical path 30, and before it reaches the optical filter 60 that can reflect the corresponding wavelength optical signal, the corresponding single-wavelength optical signal passes through the optical filter 60 before it, thereby transmitting different single-wavelength optical signals to different second optical paths 40, which facilitates the use of single-wavelength optical signals for information transmission.
[0044] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the optical switching device provided in this application embodiment includes: m first optical paths 30 and n second optical paths 40. The first optical paths 30 are arranged vertically along the longitudinal direction, while the second optical paths 40 are arranged horizontally along the transverse direction. The input end of the first optical path 30 is connected to an input conversion module 20, and the output end of the second optical path 40 is connected to a signal receiving module 50. At the same time, an optical filter 60 is provided at the connection point between each first optical path 30 and a second optical path 40. The optical filters 60 at the connection points between the first optical path 30 and different second optical paths 40 can reflect single-wavelength optical signals with different wavelengths.
[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, when the single-wavelength optical signal received at the first optical path 30TX0 is violet light, the corresponding single-wavelength optical signal continues to propagate through the optical filter 60 at the connection between the first optical path 30TX0 and the second optical path 40RXn until it reaches the optical filter 60 at the connection between the first optical path 30TX0 and the second optical path 40RX1. Since the optical filter 60 at the corresponding position can reflect violet light, the single-wavelength optical signal is reflected by the reflective surface 601 of the optical filter 60 at the connection between the first optical path 30TX0 and the second optical path 40RX1 to the second optical path 40RX1. Then it moves along the second optical path 40RX1, and at the same time passes through the transmission surface 602 of other optical filters 60 set in the second optical path 40RX1, and finally passes through the output end of the second optical path 40RX1 to the signal receiving module 50, thus realizing the purpose of optical signal transmission.
[0046] Reference Figure 5 To achieve independent and precise transmission control for each single-wavelength optical signal, the input conversion module 20 provided in this application embodiment includes: Multiple input conversion units 201 are provided, each of which is connected to a first optical path 30 and is used to send the single-wavelength optical signal generated by each unit to its corresponding first optical path 30.
[0047] Each input conversion unit 201 is connected to a corresponding first optical path 30, ensuring that each input conversion unit 201 corresponds one-to-one with a first optical path 30. This allows different input conversion units 201 to generate corresponding single-wavelength optical signals according to their respective access control signals and transmit each single-wavelength optical signal to the first optical path 30, thereby achieving independent and precise transmission control of multiple single-wavelength optical signals.
[0048] Specifically, refer to Figure 6 Each input conversion unit 201 includes: The optical signal integration subunit 2011 and multiple optical signal modulation subunits 2012 are provided, wherein the input terminal of the optical signal integration subunit 2011 is connected to the output terminal of the multiple optical signal modulation subunits 2012. The optical signal modulation subunit 2012 is used to generate or turn off the optical signal of its corresponding single wavelength based on the control signal of the controller. The optical signal integration subunit 2011 is used to receive single-wavelength optical signals transmitted by multiple optical signal modulation subunits 2012 and transmit them to the corresponding first optical path 30.
[0049] Through the above implementation, each optical signal modulation subunit 2012 can accurately switch between generating or turning off a single-wavelength optical signal based on the control signal transmitted by the controller. Then, the generated single-wavelength optical signal is transmitted to the optical signal integration subunit 2011, which transmits the received single-wavelength optical signal to the first optical path 30, thereby ensuring that each single-wavelength optical signal is accurately transmitted along the first optical path 30.
[0050] In one optional embodiment, the optical signal modulation subunit 2012 includes: A modulator is used to generate or turn off a single-wavelength optical signal based on a control signal received from a controller.
[0051] Through the above implementation method, by utilizing the modulator's function of generating or shutting down a single-wavelength optical signal based on the received controller signal, precise, real-time, and independent control of the single-wavelength optical signal can be achieved, ensuring the independent controllability of the single-wavelength optical signal and thereby improving the reliability of data transmission using the single-wavelength optical signal.
[0052] In one optional implementation, the optical signal integration subunit 2011 includes: An optical path multiplexer is used to receive single-wavelength optical signals transmitted by multiple optical signal modulation subunits 2012 and transmit them to the corresponding first optical path 30.
[0053] Through the above implementation method, the single-wavelength optical signal received from the optical signal modulation subunit 2012 is transmitted to the first optical path 30 by the optical path multiplexer, which ensures that the single-wavelength optical signal generated by the optical signal modulation subunit 2012 is accurately transmitted to the first optical path 30, thereby improving the reliability of signal transmission using single-wavelength optical signals.
[0054] In some optional embodiments, in order to facilitate the transmission of single-wavelength optical signals generated by different modulators to the subsequent first optical path 30, multiple modulators are parallel to each other and connected to the input of an optical multiplexer. When a modulator generates a corresponding single-wavelength optical signal, the optical multiplexer transmits the corresponding single-wavelength optical signal to the subsequent first optical path 30 through the output through the output through refraction or reflection.
[0055] Reference Figure 7 When the single-wavelength optical signal generated by the leftmost input conversion unit 201 under the action of the control signal is yellow, the other optical signal modulation subunits 2012 connected to the same optical signal integration subunit 2011 within the input conversion unit 201 all turn off their respective generated single-wavelength optical signals. The modulated yellow single-wavelength optical signal then enters the first optical path 30TX0 through the optical signal integration subunit 2011. Afterwards, the corresponding single-wavelength optical signal passes through the optical filter 60 at the connection point between the first optical path 30TX0 and the second optical path 40RXn and continues to propagate, then passes through the optical filter 60 at the connection point between the first optical path 30TX0 and the second optical path 40RX1. The optical signal is transmitted through the optical filter 60 until it reaches the optical filter 60 at the junction of the first optical path 30TX0 and the second optical path 40RX0. Since the optical filter 60 at the corresponding position can reflect yellow light, the single-wavelength optical signal is reflected by the reflective surface 601 of the optical filter 60 at the junction of the first optical path 30TX0 and the second optical path 40RX0 to the second optical path 40RX0. Then it moves along the second optical path 40RX0, and at the same time passes through the transmission surface 602 of other optical filters 60 set in the second optical path 40RX0, and finally passes through the output end of the second optical path 40RX0 to the signal receiving module 50, so as to achieve the purpose of optical signal transmission.
[0056] This device is used to implement the above embodiments and preferred embodiments, and details already described will not be repeated. As used below, the term "module" can refer to a combination of software and / or hardware that performs a predetermined function. Although the device described in the following embodiments is preferably implemented in software, hardware implementation, or a combination of software and hardware, is also possible and contemplated.
[0057] Secondly, this application provides an optical switching system, which includes the optical switching device as described above.
[0058] In the optical switching system provided in this application, an input conversion module 20 converts an electrical signal into a single-wavelength optical signal based on a control signal, and then sends it to a selected first optical path 30 through an internal switching mechanism. When the single-wavelength optical signal moves along the first optical path 30 to the corresponding wavelength optical filter 60, it is reflected by the optical filter 60 to the second optical path 40, and then transmitted to the signal receiving module 50 through the second optical path 40, thereby realizing the directional distribution of the optical signal. This greatly shortens the time consumption caused by link switching in related technologies and overcomes the defect that the optical switching devices disclosed in related technologies are difficult to meet the data transmission speed requirements of data centers.
[0059] For example, if the optical switching system provided in this application embodiment has 64 first optical paths 30 and 64 second optical paths 40, and the typical modulation bandwidth of a single modulator is calculated as 50 GHz, and assuming that each receiver can only receive one transmit (TX) signal at the same time, then for a typical 64-input, 64-output optical switching system, the calculated link switching time is 1 / 50 GHz * 64 = 1280 picoseconds = 1.28 nanoseconds. Therefore, the switching time of the optical switching system provided in this application embodiment is in the nanosecond range, which is much lower than the millisecond switching time of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
[0060] Reference Figure 8 In some optional embodiments, the optical switching system provided in this application is applied to a data center, wherein the input terminal of the input conversion module is connected to at least one server or switch, and the output terminal of the signal receiving module is connected to at least another server or switch.
[0061] In some alternative implementations, the system further includes: The controller, which is communicatively connected to the input conversion module, is used to send a control signal to the input conversion module based on the target output port information in the data to be transmitted, so as to control it to generate an optical signal of a specific wavelength and inject it into a specific first optical path.
[0062] According to an embodiment of this application, a control method for an optical switching device is provided. It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart in the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions. Furthermore, although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be executed in a different order than that shown here.
[0063] This embodiment provides a control method for an optical switching device, which can be used in the controller of the aforementioned optical switching device. Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a control method for an optical switching device according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the process includes the following steps: S901 receives the data to be transmitted, which includes the target output port information.
[0064] The data to be transmitted includes information carriers that are transmitted using network transmission links in related technologies. In this embodiment of the application, the original information carriers that need to be transmitted over long distances or at high speeds through the first optical path and the second optical path are the sources of digital signals (such as binary 0 / 1 electrical signals) generated by electronic devices such as computers, servers, and switches, or analog signals that have undergone preliminary processing, including various types of information such as text, images, videos, and instructions.
[0065] The target output port information is an identifier or parameter information used to indicate which specific port the data to be transmitted needs to be output to. In this embodiment, the target output port information is the sequence number or port of the second optical path used by the signal receiving module to obtain the data signal.
[0066] S902, based on the target output port information, determine the corresponding target wavelength and the target first optical path.
[0067] Specifically, the aforementioned S902 includes: Based on the target output port information, the target wavelength and target first optical path corresponding to the target output port are determined using a preset mapping relationship. The mapping relationship includes the correlation between the target output port, the first optical path where the light filter reflecting the wavelength corresponding to the port is located, and the specific wavelength reflected by the light filter.
[0068] The preset mapping relationship is a set of corresponding rules pre-set and stored in the system to associate different parameters or components. In this embodiment, the mapping relationship is used to establish a one-to-one correspondence between the target output port, the first optical path where the optical filter is located, and the specific wavelength reflected by the optical filter. This facilitates the direct invocation of the mapping relationship to control the input conversion unit 20 to generate a single-wavelength optical signal of a specific wavelength and inject it into the corresponding target first optical path.
[0069] S903, Generate a control signal, the control signal being used to control the input conversion module to generate an optical signal of the target wavelength and inject the optical signal into the first optical path of the target.
[0070] The control signal is an intermediate instruction signal used to directly control the input conversion module to generate the corresponding single-wavelength optical signal by processing the data to be transmitted using a preset mapping relationship. After receiving the corresponding intermediate instruction signal, the input conversion module generates a single-wavelength optical signal corresponding to the control signal through its internal structure, and uses the target first optical path and the reflective surface of the corresponding optical filter to achieve the purpose of data information transmission.
[0071] Control signals are transmitted through a signal transmission link connecting the controller and the input conversion module. The signal transmission link includes: copper foil lines connecting the output terminal of the controller and the input terminal of the input conversion module on the same printed circuit board, or a standard interface cable connecting the output terminal of the controller and the input terminal of the input conversion module.
[0072] By transmitting the control signal to the input conversion module, the input conversion module can be used to convert the data to be transmitted into a single-wavelength optical signal. The single-wavelength optical signal is then transmitted through the first optical path, the optical filter, and the second optical path, thereby realizing the conversion of the data to be transmitted into an optical signal for transmission. This greatly shortens the time consumed by link switching in related technologies and overcomes the shortcomings of publicly disclosed optical switching devices in related technologies that are difficult to meet the data transmission speed requirements of data centers.
[0073] Although embodiments of this application have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of this application, and all such modifications and variations fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An optical switching device, characterized in that, The device includes: Input conversion module (20), multiple first optical paths (30), multiple second optical paths (40) and signal receiving module (50); The output of the input conversion module (20) is connected to a plurality of first optical paths (30). Each first optical path (30) is connected to a plurality of second optical paths (40) along its own setting direction. Each second optical path (40) is provided with an optical filter (60) at the connection point between it and the first optical path (30). Each optical filter (60) is used to reflect a single wavelength optical signal corresponding to a selected wavelength to the second optical path (40). The output of the plurality of second optical paths (40) is connected to the signal receiving module (50). The input conversion module (20) is used to generate a single-wavelength optical signal corresponding to the control signal based on the control signal, and send it to the selected first optical path (30). The first optical path (30) is used to transmit single-wavelength optical signals along the set direction; The second optical path (40) is used to transmit the single-wavelength optical signal reflected by the optical filter (60) to the signal receiving module (50).
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The input conversion module (20) includes: Multiple input conversion units (201) are connected to a first optical path (30) respectively, and are used to send the single-wavelength optical signal generated by each unit to their respective first optical path (30).
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The input conversion unit (201) includes: An optical signal integration subunit (2011) and multiple optical signal modulation subunits (2012) are provided, wherein the input terminal of the optical signal integration subunit (2011) is connected to the output terminal of the multiple optical signal modulation subunits (2012); The optical signal modulation subunit (2012) is used to generate or turn off the optical signal of its corresponding single wavelength based on the control signal of the controller. The optical signal integration subunit (2011) is used to receive single-wavelength optical signals transmitted by multiple optical signal modulation subunits (2012) and transmit them to the corresponding first optical path (30).
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The optical signal modulation subunit (2012) includes: A modulator is used to generate or turn off a single-wavelength optical signal based on a control signal received from a controller.
5. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The optical signal integration subunit (2011) includes: An optical path multiplexer is used to receive single-wavelength optical signals transmitted by multiple optical signal modulation subunits (2012) and transmit them to the corresponding first optical path (30).
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light filter (60) includes: A reflective surface (601) and a transparent surface (602) are provided, wherein the reflective surface (601) and the transparent surface (602) are disposed opposite to each other, and the reflective surface (601) is tilted toward the side of the second optical path (40) closer to the signal receiving module (50); The reflective surface (601) is used to reflect a single wavelength optical signal of a selected wavelength and transmit optical signals of other wavelengths. The transmission surface (602) is used to transmit optical signals of all wavelengths.
7. An optical switching system, characterized in that, The system includes: As claimed in claim 1 The optical switching device as described in any one of the 6.
8. The system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The system is applied in a data center, and the input terminal of the input conversion module is connected to at least one server or switch, while the output terminal of the signal receiving module is connected to at least another server or switch.
9. The system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The system also includes: The controller, which is communicatively connected to the input conversion module, is used to send a control signal to the input conversion module based on the target output port information in the data to be transmitted, so as to control it to generate an optical signal of a specific wavelength and inject it into a specific first optical path.
10. An optical switching control method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive data to be transmitted, which includes target output port information; Based on the target output port information, determine the corresponding target wavelength and the target first optical path; A control signal is generated, which is used to control the input conversion module to generate an optical signal of the target wavelength and inject the optical signal into the first optical path of the target.