Optical dWDM LAN Passive Star Coupler Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The telecom industry has been slow to adopt all-optical dense wavelength division multiplexing (dWDM) technology for local area networks due to the lack of cost-effective and mature components such as tunable lasers and passive star couplers, and the need for a new set of devices that can efficiently facilitate communication in local area networks.
Innovation Solution
An optical-inclusive, dWDM network architecture utilizing a passive star coupler for node connection, a non-preemptive gated scheduling protocol, and a Fast Tunable Transmitter-Slowly Tunable Receiver (FTT-STR) approach, which includes a master node that calculates and disseminates schedules, ensuring collision-free communication and supporting a large number of nodes and wavelengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If traditional Ethernet standards (GigE, 10 GigE) are adopted for LAN infrastructure, then compatibility with existing electronic switching speeds is maintained, but the network cannot achieve ultra high transmission speeds available in optical medium
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electronic switching and signal processing with all-optical switching and processing. Optical signals are switched and routed directly in the optical domain without conversion to electrical signals, enabling ultra-high transmission speeds while maintaining Ethernet-like network functionality and compatibility at the protocol level
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameter of the network from electronic frequency ranges to optical frequency ranges. By using multiple wavelengths (colors) of light simultaneously in the same fiber, the network achieves terabit-level aggregate throughput while maintaining compatibility with existing Ethernet protocols through optical-to-electrical conversion only at endpoint devices
2Speed
If all-optical dWDM technology is implemented in LANs, then ultra high transmission speeds and terabit throughput are achieved, but completely new components (tunable lasers, passive star couplers) are required which have only recently matured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into all-optical core infrastructure (passive star coupler, optical switches, wavelength multiplexing) and electronic endpoint devices (tunable lasers, receivers). This segmentation allows the mature electronic components to interface with the high-speed optical infrastructure, achieving ultra-high speeds while using only recently matured optical components in a controlled manner
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal platform that supports multiple Ethernet standards (GigE, 10 GigE, and beyond) simultaneously through wavelength division multiplexing. A single all-optical infrastructure can handle diverse traffic types and speeds by allocating different wavelengths to different services, making the new technology adaptable to various existing and future applications
3Reliability
If passive star coupler is used to connect all nodes in the network, then collision-free communication is achieved through scheduled access, but the network requires a master node to calculate and disseminate schedules which increases control complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a distributed scheduling mechanism where each node autonomously monitors the optical medium for schedule information and self-configures its transmission timing. The master node broadcasts schedule templates, but individual nodes independently calculate their own transmission slots based on these templates, eliminating the need for complex centralized control while ensuring collision-free operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where nodes monitor the optical medium for schedule broadcasts from the master node and adjust their transmission timing accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that all nodes remain synchronized with the scheduled access pattern, maintaining collision-free communication while keeping the scheduling protocol relatively simple through event-driven synchronization
Data Source
AI summary
An optical-inclusive, dWDM local area network and the accompanying signaling protocol necessary to facilitate communication between nodes in a network. This network architecture provides for a packet-oriented network, independent of the number of nodes and the number of supported wavelengths, and provides for scheduled access to the medium, which guarantees higher utilization.