Optical Crossbar Switch

An optical crossbar switch for optically coupling optic fibers comprising:

• at least one first fiber and a plurality of second fibers;
• a moveable fiber-end carriage coupled to an end of the at least one first fiber and constrained to move along a predetermined trajectory;
• at least one moveable slack-control carriage which is coupled to the body of the at least one first fiber so that at least two lengths of the fiber extend between the fiber-end carriage and slack control carriage and is constrained to move along a predetermined trajectory;
• and at least one moving device controllable to move the carriages;
• wherein to optically couple a first fiber of the at least one first fiber to a second fiber of the plurality of second fibers, the at least one moving device moves the fiber-end carriage of the first fiber along its trajectory to a position at which the end of the first fiber is optically coupled to an end of the second fiber and moves the at least one slack-control carriage to take up slack in the first fiber generated by movement of its fiber-end carriage.

An optical crossbar switch for optically coupling optic fibers comprising:

• a plurality of optic fibers;
• a moveable fiber-end carriage coupled to an end of each of the plurality of optic fibers and constrained to move along a predetermined trajectory;
• at least one moveable slack-control carriage coupled to the body of each fiber and constrained to move along a predetermined trajectory;
• at least one moving device controllable to move the carriages;
• a light director coupled to each fiber-end carriage so that for any pair of the fibers and at least one set of positions of their fiber-end carriages along their respective trajectories,
• the light directors are controllable to direct light between their ends;
• and
• wherein to optically couple a pair of the fibers the at least one moving device moves their fiber-end carriages to the at least one set of positions at which their light directors are controllable to direct light between their fiber ends.

An optical crossbar switch for optically coupling optic fibers comprising:

• a first optic fiber;
• a light detection discontinuity in the first fiber that allows a portion of light being transmitted in the first fiber to exit the fiber;
• and
• a first optical detector operable to detect light exiting the first fiber at the discontinuity therein.