Abstract
WDM optical networks are considered a viable alternative for providing Gbitls communications with the flexibility of packet switching. Such networks could prove essential to provide adequate interconnection between large ATM switches or ATM networks. In this paper we present an approach which, in WDM packet switched networks with ring topology, allows for contention and collision free transmission, simplifying the access protocols and the receiver hardware. In addition the proposed solution does not require packet deflection/retransmission, thus resolving the network problem of unpredictable packet latency. A side effect of this solution is thus the possibility to exactly evaluate the power budget required and the maximum size of the network. Two alternative architectures to realizing the proposed system are investigated and compared in this paper. The first is a solution based on fast tunable receivers, the other an option using fast tunable transmitters.
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