Projects : switching

Optical Switching and Networking

In addition to featuring high transport capacity, next-generation fiber-optic networks will also need to be highly flexible to accommodate dynamic traffic patterns from both legacy as well as emerging applications. At NEC OND, we are generating key solutions to this important challenge through advanced research and development of both flexible switching node architectures and innovative system technologies. Among our principal achievements in this area is the demonstration of the first 4x4 wavelength cross-connect (WXC), as well as a low-cost, stackable, modular-based reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM). We are also investigating novel architectures and enabling device technologies to achieve multi-granularity switching, centralized resource sharing (GMPLS/PCE) and colorless operation in the optical switching node, while also examining network stability and protection schemes. Moreover, in collaboration with our academic partners, we are an active participant in the NSF Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) project ( http://www.geni.net/ ), with a focus on optical network virtualization (e.g., optical OFDM/OFDMA networking) and the interaction of virtual optical nodes (e.g., sliceable router) with cross-layer communication technologies.