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Hybrid electronic/optical switch system
In telecommunication, an optical switch is a switch that enables signals in optical fibers to be selectively switched from one circuit to another.An optical switch may operate by mechanical means, such as physically shifting an optical fiber to drive one or more alternative fibers, or by electro-optic effects, magneto-optic effects. Slow optical switches may be used for alternate routing of an optical transmission path. Fast optical switches,may be used to perform logic operations. optical amplifiers, can also be used as optical switches. The optical swiching methods used are:
-MEMS approaches involving arrays of micromirrors
-Inkjet methods
-Piezoelelectric Beam Steering involving piezoelctric ceramics
-Thermal methods
-Liquid crystals
-Acousto-optic methods
-Amplifiers and attenuators
-Thermal methods
The hybrid electronic-optical switch devices are used in optical communication and data transfer network. switch circuits and nodes communicate in a dedicated wavelength. Optical signals are converted to electronic signals .The device here supports direct and indirect optical data transmissions and optical-to-electrical or electrical-to-optical conversions.

SUMMARY
This device described here provides a method and apparatus for increasing the bandwidth of data communication. a fiber optic network can be combined with inventive hardware and methods to achieve optimization of resources use at both nodes. This device reduces the analysis of data required in packet switching and effectively establishes circuit switching through high capacity optical switches.opto-electrical conversionsare reduced as possible. direct high speed routing of optical data signals is achieved by switching optical signals through the core network based on assigned wavelengths. hybrid switch circuits communicate amongst each other and peripheral nodes in a dedicated wavelength. Each hybrid switch circuit includes an optical switch for switching optical signals based on the assigned wavelength to an optical fiber. hybrid switch circuit includes an electronic controller and supporting circuitry that converts optical data signals at the first dedicated wavelength to electronic signals. This data is then processed and monitored . The optical switch circuit also include hybrid switch circuit includes an optical splitter disposed in selectable routing paths to support the simultaneous flow of an optical data signal. This device has higher bandwidth than electronic switches due to the use of optical switching circuits.

Full seminar report download:
http://patentstorm.us/patents/6829437/fulltext.html

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ABSTRACT

In the last few years, the Communication field has been rapidly growing in which Optical Fiber Communications is a part and Optical switches play a prominent and promising role to meet the economic challenges, power savings, wavelength services etc., Actually the purpose of a network is to send a signal from one to many and to switch and reroute it exactly and to add or drop signals at some node. As in the case of Mobile Communication the carriers have choosen TDMA, FDMA, CDMA techniques for accessing the data, the optical fiber field is associated with DWDM. Carriers have embraced DWDM as a mechanism to quickly respond to an increasing need for bandwidth, particularly in the long- haul core network. However, as DWDM delivers only raw capacity, carriers now need to implement a solution to manage the bandwidth that DWDM provides. Thus Optical switches present the key for carriers to manage the new capacity and gain a competitive advantage in the recruitment and retention of new customers and making a better network This paper gives a view of optical fiber communication and need to switch for DWDM and Optical switches, types of switches, principles of switching and how to bring out a better network by combining different kinds of switching principles.
Introduction:
The actual purpose of a network is to have the signal from a sender to reach a specific recipient among many. And the network must have two capabilities to switch or reroute the signal and to add or drop the signal at node. Connection between two nodes in a network is a point to point page link and in these networks switching play important role and hence the Optical switches came out.

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please read http://studentbank.in/report-optical-swi...ars-report and http://studentbank.in/report-optical-switching--5663 for more information regarding optical switching