An optical network interface unit for multichannel ring networks

The authors present an all-optical hypercube-based multichannel network, implemented on a ring topology, using wavelength division multiplexed channels. For a network of size N, only log₂N distinct channels are required. They design an optical network interface unit (ONIU), which employs free-space optics to perform routing and switching functions. The design eliminates the electronic bottleneck at intermediate nodes and is capable of performing high speed packet switching. ONIU can be reconfigured in the GHz range and provides the high bandwidth necessary to perform distributed and parallel computing in a local area network environment