Method and apparatus for optical to electrical to optical conversion in an optical cross-connect switch

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• one or more port cards to couple to the one optical network connection, at least one of the one or more port cards including
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into a regenerated optical signal;
• and,
• wherein the at least one of the one or more port cards including the optical-electrical-optical converter is a smart port card.

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• and
• one or more port cards to couple to the one optical network connection, at least one of the one or more port cards including
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into a regenerated optical signal, wherein the optical-electrical-optical converter is in an input path of the at least one of the one or more port cards including the optical-electrical-optical converter.

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• and
• one or more port cards to couple to the one optical network connection, at least one of the one or more port cards including
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into a regenerated optical signal, wherein the optical-electrical-optical converter is in an output path of the at least one of the one or more port cards including the optical-electrical-optical converter.

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• one or more port cards to couple to the one optical network connection, at least one of the one or more port cards including
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into a regenerated optical signal;
• and,
• wherein the at least one of the one or more port cards including the optical-electrical-optical converter having the optical-electrical-optical converter on an input side of the optical cross-connect switch.

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• one or more port cards to couple to the one optical network connection, at least one of the one or more port cards including
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into a regenerated optical signal;
• and,
• wherein the at least one of the one or more port cards including the optical-electrical-optical converter having the optical-electrical-optical converter on an output side of the optical cross-connect switch.

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• one or more port cards to couple to the one optical network connection, at least one of the one or more port cards including
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an-optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into a regenerated optical signal, wherein the optical-electrical-optical converter includes
• an optical-electrical converter (O/E) having an electrical output, and
• an electrical-optical converter (E/O) having an electrical input coupled in series to the electrical output of the optical-electrical converter (O/E).

A data communication network comprising:

• an optical cross-connect switch including
• an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection, and
• an optical-electrical-optical converter coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection or the another optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into an outgoing optical signal, the incoming optical signal and the outgoing optical signal being substantially similar;
• and
• attached network equipment coupled to the optical cross-connect switch, the attached network equipment coupled to one or more port cards to bi-directionally transport optical signals there-between.

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• a first optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• a second optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from the one optical network connection to the another optical network connection;
• and,
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the first and second optical switch fabrics and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into an outgoing optical signal, the incoming optical signal and the outgoing optical signal being substantially similar.

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• a first optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• a second optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from the one optical network connection to the another optical network connection;
• one or more port cards to couple to the one optical network connection, at least one of the one or more port cards including
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the first and second optical switch fabrics and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into an outgoing optical signal, the incoming optical signal and the outgoing optical signal being substantially similar;
• and,
• wherein the at least one of the one or more port cards including the optical-electrical-optical converter is a smart port card.

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• a first optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• a second optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from the one optical network connection to the another optical network connection;
• and,
• one or more port cards to couple to the one optical network connection, at least one of the one or more port cards including
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the first and second optical switch fabrics and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into an outgoing optical signal, the incoming optical signal and the outgoing optical signal being substantially similar, wherein the optical-electrical-optical converter is in an input path of the at least one of the one or more port cards including the optical-electrical-optical converter.

An optical cross-connect switch comprising:

• a first optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
• a second optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from the one optical network connection to the another optical network connection;
• and,
• one or more port cards to couple to the one optical network connection, at least one of the one or more port cards including
• an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the first and second optical switch fabrics and the one optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into an outgoing optical signal, the incoming optical signal and the outgoing optical signal being substantially similar, wherein the optical-electrical-optical converter is in an output path of the at least one of the one or more port cards including the optical-electrical-optical converter.