The current lambda-switching technology requires each lightpath to occupy the full bandwidth of a wavelength throughout the bufferless all-optical domain. With such a constraint, the granularity of bandwidth is so coarse that the utilization of optical fibers is considerably low. This paper aims at incorporating time division multiplexing (TDM) into wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) in order to divide the entire lambda-bandwidth into smaller base bandwidths in all-optical environments. This new approach is referred to as the slotted WDM (sWDM) scheme. We define the slot labeling, mapping and assignment problems, and derive the necessary and sufficient condition that, in theory, validates sWDM. We also provide simulation results of call blocking rate of sWDM.
Keywords:
Optical Interconnects