Methods for providing flammability protection for plastic optical fiber (POF) embedded inside avionics line replaceable units (LRUs) or other equipment used in airborne vehicles such as commercial or fighter aircrafts. A thin and flexible flammability protection tube is placed around the POF. In one proposed implementation, a very thin (100 to 250 microns in wall thickness) polyimide tube is placed outside and around the POF cable embedded inside an LRU or other equipment. The thin-walled polyimide tube does not diminish the flexibility of the POF cable.

The disclosure is directed to an optical telecommunications system which includes a central node and a plurality of user nodes. The central node provides the light necessary to enable communication between the user nodes. Within the central node is a multi-wavelength source, providing lights at different wavelengths, along with a wavelength selector. The wavelength selector selects one of the lights at different wavelengths from the multi-wavelength source for delivery to the user nodes such that the user nodes then modulate this light for transmission between nodes.

An undersea fiber optic cable routing architecture including a branching unit coupled to three trunk cables capable of switching individual fibers in each fiber pair within a cable to either of the other two cables. The branching unit comprises a plurality of optical switches and a controller for receiving remote command signals and configuring the optical switches in accordance with the remote command signals.

A data center network system and a signal transmission system, where the signal transmission system includes one hub device, at least two switches, multiple colored optical modules, at least two multiplexers/demultiplexers, and at least two servers. The hub device, the at least two switches, the multiple colored optical modules, the at least two multiplexers/demultiplexers, and the at least two servers form a star network topology structure.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the communications field, and in particular, to a data scheduling and switching method, apparatus, and system. A data packet is distributed to an optical switching unit or an electrical switching unit for switching by using a control policy. The data packet may be switched by using an electrical packet switching module of the data switching apparatus, or may be switched by using an optical packet switching module.

A passive signal transport medium, constructed as an array of spectral-temporal connectors, connects a large number of access nodes to a number of distributors to form a single-hop network of wide coverage and high throughput yet simplified control. Parameterized spectral-temporal connectors define network expansion over networks using conventional signal transport media. A network accommodating 32000 access nodes with a throughput of an Exabits/second is realizable. The distributors may be geographically distributed (the access nodes are naturally geographically distributed). The entire network structure is parameterized. Selecting the number of distributors to equal the number of access nodes, and pairing each access node with a respective distributor to form an integrated node, an expanded fully-meshed network is realized with each pair of integrated nodes having a direct path and numerous single-hop paths. Several routing schemes within the fully-meshed network are considered to enable both global control and distributed control.

A four-dimensional multiplexing method and four-dimensional multiplexing system are provided for optical networks. The method includes receiving sensor data to be transmitted on an optical network. The method also includes encoding the sensor data into an optical signal employing one or more multiplexing systems. The method additionally includes transmitting the optical signal over the optical network. The method further includes decoding the optical signal into the sensor data employing the one or more multiplexing systems. The method also includes controlling an operation of a processor-based machine responsive to the sensor data.

A data center network system and a signal transmission system, where the signal transmission system includes one hub device, at least two switches, multiple colored optical modules, at least two multiplexers/demultiplexers, and at least two servers. The hub device, the at least two switches, the multiple colored optical modules, the at least two multiplexers/demultiplexers, and the at least two servers form a star network topology structure.

A four-dimensional multiplexing method and four-dimensional multiplexing system are provided for optical networks. The method includes receiving sensor data to be transmitted on an optical network. The method also includes encoding the sensor data into an optical signal employing one or more multiplexing systems. The method additionally includes transmitting the optical signal over the optical network. The method further includes decoding the optical signal into the sensor data employing the one or more multiplexing systems. The method also includes controlling an operation of a processor-based machine responsive to the sensor data.

A method and switch are provided for reconfigurable optical space switch. The method includes receiving a control signal, from a controller, to configure a path through the reconfigurable optical space switch. The method also includes applying a voltage to one or more direction changing devices at each intersection between each of the east-west optical waveguides and each of the north-south optical waveguides to form the path through the reconfigurable optical space switch. The method additionally includes receiving an optical signal in one of a plurality of passive waveguides at a beginning of the path, including the plurality of east-west optical waveguides and the plurality of north-south optical waveguides. The method further includes outputting the optical signal out on of the plurality of passive waveguides at an end of the path.