Hybrid optoelectrical switches
AssigneeMellanox Technologies, Ltd.
InventorsIoannis (Giannis) Patronas, Paraskevas Bakopoulos, Elad Mentovich, Barak Gafni, Adam V. Richards
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Abstract
A device for a network switch comprises N input ports, and an electrical block including a plurality of electrical switches configured to route signals in an electrical domain. Each electrical switch includes M input ports, and the device further comprises an optical block coupled to the electrical block. The optical block is configured to route signals in an optical domain. A configuration of the optical block and a configuration of the electrical block are based on at least a number of the N input ports.
Claims20
A device for a network switch, the device comprising:
- N input ports;
- an electrical block including a plurality of electrical switches configured to route signals in an electrical domain, wherein each electrical switch includes M input ports;
- and
- an optical block coupled to the electrical block and configured to route signals in an optical domain, wherein a configuration of the optical block and a configuration of the electrical block are based on at least a number of the N input ports.
A semiconductor package, comprising:
- a substrate;
- N input ports;
- an electrical block on the substrate and configured to route signals in an electrical domain, the electrical block including a plurality of electrical switches, wherein each electrical switch includes M input ports;
- and
- an optical block on the substrate and communicatively coupled to the electrical block, the optical block being configured to route signals in an optical domain, wherein a configuration of the optical block and a configuration of the electrical block are based on at least a number of the N input ports.
A system, comprising:
- a plurality of network devices configured in a hierarchical network topology, at least one of the network devices including:
- N input ports;
- an electrical block coupled to the N input ports and including a plurality of switches configured to route signals in an electrical domain, wherein each switch includes M input ports;
- and
- an optical block coupled to the electrical block and configured to route signals in an optical domain, wherein a configuration of the optical block and a configuration of the electrical block are based on a number of the N input ports and a number of the M input ports.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.