Mitsubishi Electric Develops New Low-cost Bascule Optical Switch for ADSL
Announcement posted by Mitsubishi Electric Australia 07 Feb 2002
Slashes Switching Time 97% (10 milliseconds to 0.3 milliseconds)
Mitsubishi Electric has developed a high-speed, low-cost Bascule switch, for use in optical networks and ADSL. The new switch, which drops switching time from 10 milliseconds to .3 milliseconds, is expected to facilitate greater adoption of multi-port, optical cross connect OXC equipment in metropolitan networks.
As high-speed, low-cost technologies such as ADSL and optical fiber networks have advanced in Japan, node centers have become clogged and the OXC switching devices responsible for signal routing are now operating at very close to maximum capacity. High-speed transmission relies on optical signals, so all-optical networks require the processing capabilities of OXC devices if they are to improve.
The new switch makes use of an innovative Bascule structure, which utilizes the flexibility of polymer waveguides to mechanically switch optical transmission routes. The switch renders lenses and other previously required optical components unnecessary.
"By using polymer waveguides produced from polyimide film, which is usually used in mass production of flexible printed circuit boards, we were able to achieve low cost and a high degree of precision at the processing stage," said Tatsuo Hatsuhata, head researcher at Mitsubishi Electrics Information Technology R&D Center. "This exceptional functionality allowed Mitsubishi Electric to create a 32x32 scale switch on a film no larger than 3cm x 3cm. A new mechanical technique allowed for the vast improvement of speed."
The new switch also benefits from the direct physical contact elements make with the waveguide surface, and the resulting high levels (0.1dB/crosspoint) of permeability and from multi-port support expandability.
Everyday communications are increasingly taking place through the media of the Internet rather than the telephone, and data volumes being transmitted are soaring. Household Internet connection speeds, previously a source of concern, have taken significant steps of late thanks to the increasing adoption of high-speed, low-cost technologies such as ADSL and optical fiber networks.
It was this demand that motivated Mitsubishi Electric to develop optical switches capable of loss-less multi-port switching. This new advance will allow users to minimize setup costs, in turn allowing the technology to be broadly adopted in a short time. The company aims to commercialize a 32x32 Bascule optical switch within a year. Further details are due to be announced at the OFC to be held in March 2002.
Technical Summary
- Flexibility of polymer waveguides allows mechanical optical route switching.
- Lenses and other complex optical components not required.
- Polyimide film waveguides make possible highly accurate processing.
- Loss-less connection results in outstanding permeability.
- Multi-port support expandability.
- Switching time of 0.3 milliseconds versus previous 10 milliseconds.
As high-speed, low-cost technologies such as ADSL and optical fiber networks have advanced in Japan, node centers have become clogged and the OXC switching devices responsible for signal routing are now operating at very close to maximum capacity. High-speed transmission relies on optical signals, so all-optical networks require the processing capabilities of OXC devices if they are to improve.
The new switch makes use of an innovative Bascule structure, which utilizes the flexibility of polymer waveguides to mechanically switch optical transmission routes. The switch renders lenses and other previously required optical components unnecessary.
"By using polymer waveguides produced from polyimide film, which is usually used in mass production of flexible printed circuit boards, we were able to achieve low cost and a high degree of precision at the processing stage," said Tatsuo Hatsuhata, head researcher at Mitsubishi Electrics Information Technology R&D Center. "This exceptional functionality allowed Mitsubishi Electric to create a 32x32 scale switch on a film no larger than 3cm x 3cm. A new mechanical technique allowed for the vast improvement of speed."
The new switch also benefits from the direct physical contact elements make with the waveguide surface, and the resulting high levels (0.1dB/crosspoint) of permeability and from multi-port support expandability.
Everyday communications are increasingly taking place through the media of the Internet rather than the telephone, and data volumes being transmitted are soaring. Household Internet connection speeds, previously a source of concern, have taken significant steps of late thanks to the increasing adoption of high-speed, low-cost technologies such as ADSL and optical fiber networks.
It was this demand that motivated Mitsubishi Electric to develop optical switches capable of loss-less multi-port switching. This new advance will allow users to minimize setup costs, in turn allowing the technology to be broadly adopted in a short time. The company aims to commercialize a 32x32 Bascule optical switch within a year. Further details are due to be announced at the OFC to be held in March 2002.
Technical Summary
- Flexibility of polymer waveguides allows mechanical optical route switching.
- Lenses and other complex optical components not required.
- Polyimide film waveguides make possible highly accurate processing.
- Loss-less connection results in outstanding permeability.
- Multi-port support expandability.
- Switching time of 0.3 milliseconds versus previous 10 milliseconds.