Optical switch architecture

• US 10,028,041 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockley Photonics Limited
• Original Assignee: Rockley Photonics Limited
• Inventors: Schrans, Thomas Pierre, Minkenberg, Cyriel Johan Agnes, Farrington, Nathan, Rickman, Andrew George
• Primary Examiner(s): SINGH, DALZID E
• Application Number:
  US15/461,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20170195758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 398 49
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1515 Non-blocking multistage, e.g. Clos
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/00 Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems multiplex systems H04J
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0071 Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0032 using static wavelength routers (e.g. arrayed waveguide grating router [AWGR] )
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0033 using time division switching

Abstract

An optoelectronic switch for transferring a signal from an input device for an output device, the optoelectronic switch including: a plurality of leaf switches, each having a radix R, and arranged in an L-dimensional array, in which the i-th dimension has a size R_i where (i=1, 2, . . . , L) and for a reduced dimension, R_i is less than for all of the other dimensions, each leaf switch having an associated L-tuple of coordinates (x₁, . . . , x_L) giving its location with respect to each of the L dimensions; wherein each leaf switch is a member of L sub-arrays, each of the L sub-arrays associated with a different one of the L dimensions, and including: a plurality of R_i leaf switches whose coordinates differ only in respect of the i-th dimension, each leaf switch having C client ports for connecting to an input device or an output device.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic switch for transferring a signal from an input device to an output device, the optoelectronic switch comprising:

an array of leaf switches, the array having L dimensions, each of the leaf switches having a radix R, R and L being integers greater than 1, the size of the array being less, in a reduced dimension of the L dimensions, than in each of the other dimensions of the L dimensions, each of the leaf switches having an associated L-tuple of coordinates giving its location in the array with respect to each of the L dimensions; and

a plurality of spine switches,

wherein the array consists of a plurality of overlapping sub-arrays, each of the sub-arrays being associated with a dimension of the L dimensions and consisting of R_i of the leaf switches, wherein R_i is the size of the array in the dimension associated with the sub-array, the coordinates of the leaf switches of the sub-array differing only in respect of the dimension associated with the sub-array, each of the sub-arrays being connected to a respective plurality of spine switches of the plurality of spine switches,

wherein each of the leaf switches is a member of L sub-arrays of the sub-arrays, each of the L sub-arrays being associated with a different one of the L dimensions,

wherein each of the leaf switches has;

a plurality of client ports for connecting to an input device or an output device; and

a plurality of fabric ports for connecting to the spine switches,

wherein each spine switch has R fabric ports for connecting to fabric ports of the leaf switches of the array, and

wherein each of the spine switches connected to a first sub-array of the plurality of sub-arrays, the first sub-array being associated with the reduced dimension, has;

a connection to each of the leaf switches in the sub-array, and

a plurality of connections to at least one of the leaf switches in the sub-array.

2. The optoelectronic switch of claim 1, wherein all of the fabric ports of each of the plurality of spine switches connected to the first sub-array are connected to a fabric port on a leaf switch in the first sub-array.

3. The optoelectronic switch of claim 1, wherein a spine switch of the plurality of spine switches connected to the first sub-array has a plurality of connections to each of the leaf switches in the first sub-array.

4. The optoelectronic switch of claim 1, wherein a spine switch of the plurality of spine switches connected to the first sub-array has the same number of connections to every leaf switch in the first sub-array.

5. The optoelectronic switch of claim 1, wherein each of the spine switches connected to the first sub-array has the same number of connections to every leaf switch in the first sub-array.

6. The optoelectronic switch of claim 1, wherein each of the spine switches connected to a second sub-array of the plurality of sub-arrays has:

at least one connection to each leaf switch in the second sub-array;

a first number of connections to each of a first subset of the leaf switches in the second sub-array;

a second number of connections to each of a second subset of the leaf switches, disjoint from the first subset, in the second sub-array,

wherein;

the first number is the same for all of the spine switches connected to the second sub-array,

the second number is the same for all of the spine switches connected to the second sub-array, and

the first number is greater than the second number.

7. The optoelectronic switch of claim 6, wherein the first number is one greater than the second number.

8. The optoelectronic switch of claim 1, wherein at least two of the fabric ports of the plurality of spine switches connected to the first sub-array are unused.

9. The optoelectronic switch of claim 8, wherein the number of unused ports is the same on each of the spine switches connected to the first sub-array.

10. The optoelectronic switch of claim 8, wherein:

the plurality of spine switches connected to the first sub-array consists of a first subset of spine switches and a second subset of spine switches, disjoint from the first subset of spine switches;

each of the spine switches in the first subset of spine switches has;

a first number of connections to each of a first subset of leaf switches in the first sub-array; and

a second number of connections to each of a second subset of leaf switches in the first sub-array, the second subset of leaf switches being disjoint from the first subset of leaf switches;

each of the spine switches in the second subset of spine switches has;

a third number of connections to each of a third subset of leaf switches in the first sub-array; and

a fourth number of connections to each of a fourth subset of leaf switches in the first sub-array, the fourth subset of leaf switches being disjoint from the third subset of leaf switches;

and wherein;

the first number is the same for all of the spine switches in the first subset of spine switches;

the second number is the same for all of the spine switches in the first subset of spine switches;

the third number is the same for all of the spine switches in the second subset of spine switches;

the fourth number is the same for all of the spine switches in the second subset of spine switches;

the first number is greater than the second number, and

the third number is greater than the fourth number.

11. The optoelectronic switch of claim 10, wherein:

the first number is one greater than the second number; and

/or

the third number is one greater than the second number.

12. An optoelectronic switch for transferring a signal from an input device to an output device, the optoelectronic switch comprising:

an array of leaf switches, the array having L dimensions, each of the leaf switches having a radix R, R and L being integers greater than 1, the size of the array being less, in a reduced dimension of the L dimensions, than in each of the other dimensions of the L dimensions, each of the leaf switches having an associated L-tuple of coordinates giving its location in the array with respect to each of the L dimensions; and

a plurality of spine switches,

wherein the array consists of a plurality of overlapping sub-arrays, each of the sub-arrays being associated with a dimension of the L dimensions and consisting of R_i of the leaf switches, wherein R_i is the size of the array in the dimension associated with the sub-array, the coordinates of the leaf switches of the sub-array differing only in respect of the dimension associated with the sub-array, each of the sub-arrays being connected to a respective spine switch of the plurality of spine switches,

wherein each of the leaf switches is a member of L sub-arrays of the sub-arrays, each of the L sub-arrays being associated with a different one of the L dimensions,

wherein each of the leaf switches has;

a plurality of client ports for connecting to an input device or an output device; and

a plurality of fabric ports for connecting to the spine switches,

wherein each spine switch has R fabric ports for connecting to fabric ports of the leaf switches of the array, and

wherein a first spine switch is connected to a first sub-array of the plurality of sub-arrays and has R fabric ports each connected to a fabric port of a leaf switch of the array, and the spine switch has connections to;

each of the leaf switches in a first sub-array of the plurality of sub-arrays, and

a leaf switch of the leaf switches in a second sub-array of the plurality of sub-arrays, associated with the same dimension as the first sub-array.

13. The optoelectronic switch of claim 12, wherein the first spine switch is connected to a first plurality of leaf switches in a respective first plurality of sub-arrays of the plurality of sub-arrays, each associated with the same dimension, the leaf switches of the first plurality of leaf switches all having the same co-ordinate with respect to the dimension with which each sub-array of the first plurality of sub-arrays is associated.

14. The optoelectronic switch of claim 12, wherein the first spine switch is connected to a leaf switch in every sub-array, of the plurality of sub-arrays, associated with the same dimension as the first sub-array and the second sub-array.

15. The optoelectronic switch of claim 12, wherein each spine switch of a first plurality of spine switches connected to a second sub-array of the plurality of sub-arrays has:

a connection to each leaf switch in the second sub-array, and

a plurality of connections to at least one leaf switch in the second sub-array.

16. The optoelectronic switch of claim 15, wherein a spine switch of the first plurality of spine switches has a connection to each of the leaf switches in a first plurality of sub-arrays of the plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array of the first plurality of sub-arrays being associated with the same dimension.