Reconfigurable semitransparent optical switching device

An optical switching device for selectively switching channels carried by respective wavelengths of at least one optical multiplex signal to respective output ports (A′1-A′3) selected as a function of a control signal, this switching device including:

• an input stage (1) comprising at least one broadcast module (MD1-MD3) able to provide at a plurality of outputs duplicates of an optical multiplex signal,
• an output stage (2) comprising a plurality of programmable multiplexer modules (OWS1-OWS3) each having inputs associated with respective broadcast modules (MD1-MD3), the output of each programmable multiplexer module constituting one of said output ports (A′1-A′3), and
• an intermediate stage (3) connecting each programmable multiplexer module input that is associated with a broadcast module (MD1-MD3) to an output of the broadcast module associated with that input,
• which switching device is characterized in that at least one of said broadcast modules (MD1-MD3) includes a programmable demultiplexer module (IWS1-IWS3) having at least one transit output (B1) and at least one selection output (B2) and a star coupler (SC1-SC3) having first and second inputs (C1-C2) and n outputs constituting outputs of the broadcast module, a transit output (B1) is connected to said first input (C1) of the star coupler (SC1-SC3), and an input and an output of a processing device (RG, RG′) are respectively connected to a selection output (B2) and to said second input (C2) of said star coupler (SC1-SC3).