Ultra Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (UDWDM) Fiber Optic Network for Protocol Independent Wiring

The DoD has an emerging need for a data bus architecture which prevents communication protovol conflicits between legacy equipment and new (commercially developed) equipment on a variety of military platforms. It is not cost effective to continually upgrade legacy equipment to meet the lastest shift in protocol standards, but the new standards are necessary if the DoD is to leverage new technology which is being developed by the telecom (and other) industries in a cost effective manner. This problem can be addressed economically with an UDWDM network which provides a large number of separate optiical channels so that each protocol, and possible each piece of equipment, can have its own dedicated optical channel which provides a large electrical bandwidth that is free of constraints imposed by other protocols. A novel narrowband filter configuration utilizing a fiber Bragg grating and a low cost all-fiber circulator being developed at Tetra Tech Data Systems will provide the UDWDM filtering. Additionally, mixed signal buses will be enabled by isolating fragile analog signals from ditital signals with a combination of polarization and wavelength filtering (an extra 20 - 50 dB of isolation).