Fast All-Optical Packet Header Processing for Self-Routing Switch

Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to design and develop an all-optical packet header processing system that will perform all- optical self-routing for future optical ATM networks and optical phased array antennas. The proposed packet header processing system uses optical content addressable memory (CAM) for fast, parallel and all-optical processing, where CAM contains all the routing information. Therefore, the proposed packet switching can route high-data-rate signals in a time interval less than the packet length, so that the switch is ready to route the packet as soon as it arrives, preventing any congestion. During Phase I, POC will focus on designing CAMs for 2x2 and 4x4 switches, demonstrating through computer simulation the feasibility of the subsystem so that it can be applied in Navy phased array antennas and computer simulation. Phase II will proceed to optimization of a 16x16 prototype and initial commercialization.