Wavelength selective switching
Encyclopedia
Wavelength Selective Switching components are industrial packages integrating devices for wavelength multiplexing/demultiplexing of WDM
signals and mechanisms to switch signals on a per-wavelength basis.
Multiplexing/demultiplexing elements can be realized as array waveguide gratings (AWG).
Currently, the two major switching technologies are microelectromechanical systems (MEMS
) and liquid crystals (LCoS).
A WSS component is characterized by the number of WDM channels (e.g., 40 or 80) and by the number of selectable directions (e.g., 1x5 or 1x9).
The main application of WSSs is the implementation of reconfigurable optical ADMs (ROADM
), or, in full mesh arrangements, of optical cross-connect systems.
JDS Uniphase http://www.jdsu.com/ProductLiterature/wsscomp_wp_cms_ae.pdf
Capella http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=0UV9AAAAEBAJ&dq=RE39411
Reflective Slit MEMS:
Nistica http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=s6OsAAAAEBAJ&dq=nistica
Transmissive Liquid Crystal:
Oclaro http://oclaro.com/WSS_liquid_crystal.php
acquired from Xtellus http://www.xtellus.com/liquid_crystal.htm
Reflective Liquid Crystal on Silicon:
Finisar http://www.finisar.com/download_yVzRcEWSS%20ROADM%20Product%20guide_FINALDec08.pdf Acquired from Optium http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=154135 which acquired it from Engana http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=90138
Liquid Crystal:
CoAdna http://www.coadna.com/index429f.html?page=lightflow
Silica-on-Silicon Grating:
Enablence http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=LqF9AAAAEBAJ&dq=enablence+MUX
Unsure of Technology:
neophotonics http://www.neophotonics.com/product/detail.php?id=58 (Most Likely MEMS but can not find reference of this)
Wavelength-division multiplexing
In fiber-optic communications, wavelength-division multiplexing is a technology which multiplexes a number of optical carrier signals onto a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths of laser light...
signals and mechanisms to switch signals on a per-wavelength basis.
Multiplexing/demultiplexing elements can be realized as array waveguide gratings (AWG).
Currently, the two major switching technologies are microelectromechanical systems (MEMS
Microelectromechanical systems
Microelectromechanical systems is the technology of very small mechanical devices driven by electricity; it merges at the nano-scale into nanoelectromechanical systems and nanotechnology...
) and liquid crystals (LCoS).
A WSS component is characterized by the number of WDM channels (e.g., 40 or 80) and by the number of selectable directions (e.g., 1x5 or 1x9).
The main application of WSSs is the implementation of reconfigurable optical ADMs (ROADM
Reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer
In fiberoptics, a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer is a form of optical add-drop multiplexer that adds the ability to remotely switch traffic from a WDM system at the wavelength layer. This is achieved through the use of a Wavelength selective switching module...
), or, in full mesh arrangements, of optical cross-connect systems.
Technologies
Reflective MEMS:JDS Uniphase http://www.jdsu.com/ProductLiterature/wsscomp_wp_cms_ae.pdf
Capella http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=0UV9AAAAEBAJ&dq=RE39411
Reflective Slit MEMS:
Nistica http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=s6OsAAAAEBAJ&dq=nistica
Transmissive Liquid Crystal:
Oclaro http://oclaro.com/WSS_liquid_crystal.php
acquired from Xtellus http://www.xtellus.com/liquid_crystal.htm
Reflective Liquid Crystal on Silicon:
Finisar http://www.finisar.com/download_yVzRcEWSS%20ROADM%20Product%20guide_FINALDec08.pdf Acquired from Optium http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=154135 which acquired it from Engana http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=90138
Liquid Crystal:
CoAdna http://www.coadna.com/index429f.html?page=lightflow
Silica-on-Silicon Grating:
Enablence http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=LqF9AAAAEBAJ&dq=enablence+MUX
Unsure of Technology:
neophotonics http://www.neophotonics.com/product/detail.php?id=58 (Most Likely MEMS but can not find reference of this)