US 2013/0330076 A1 · Methods and Devices for Space-Time Multi-Plane Optical Networks

Abstract

Scalability and energy efficiency are key issues in data centers imposing tight constraints on the networking infrastructure connecting the servers. Optical interconnection mitigates electronic limitations but the additional flexibility offered by WDM and datarate across a data center interconnection network requires architectural design, photonic technologies, and operating strategies be selected and optimized to meet power consumption requirements. Multi-plane architectures based upon space-wavelength domain architectures have been proposed to overcome scalability limitations. It would be beneficial to extend space and time switching domains with the wavelength domain for additional capacity to increase throughput as well as providing same electro-optic interface. Accordingly, the inventors have established space-time domain interconnection network architectures with wavelength domain overlay overcoming power consumption issues, especially at low utilization, by exploiting all-optical implementations with active elements which act simultaneously as a switch and an amplifier, and the possibility to remain in an idle state when unused.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method of transmitting data comprising:

encoding at a transmitter serial electrical data into parallel optical data through the process of:
receiving an electrical serial data packet for transmission comprising a predetermined number of bits;
encoding each bit of the electrical serial data packet onto a predetermined wavelength of a plurality of wavelengths;
delaying each wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths by a first predetermined time delay;
gating with a first gate the plurality of wavelengths to form a parallel optical data packet, wherein the gated wavelengths are all aligned in time;
and
combining the plurality of gated wavelengths onto a single output port of the transmitter;
transmitting the parallel optical data packet from the transmitter to a receiver via an optical network;
and
converting at a receiver the parallel optical data to output serial electrical data through the process of:
receiving at a single input port of the receiver the plurality of gated wavelengths;
delaying each gated wavelength of the plurality of gated wavelengths by a second predetermined time delay to generate a delayed gated wavelength, each second predetermined time delay determined in dependence upon the first predetermined time delay;
and
coupling the plurality of delayed gated wavelengths to a broadband photodetector to generate the output serial electrical data.

11 more elements

A method of transmitting data comprising:

providing a transmitter for encoding serial electrical data into parallel optical data;
coupling the output of the transmitter to an input port of an N:1 combiner;
coupling the N:1 combiner to an input port of an M×M interconnection network;
coupling an output port of the M×M interconnection network a 1:N splitter;
coupling a receiver to an output of the 1:N splitter;
and
decoding the parallel optical data to output serial electrical data with the receiver.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and Devices for Space-Time Multi-Plane Optical Networks

Life of this patent

Methods and Devices for Space-Time Multi-Plane Optical Networks

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29