Abstract

We report on an intelligent 8-channel OXC subsystem on a chip that integrates 8×8 switching functionality with power monitoring and power balancing. The proposed subsystem on a chip includes 112 1×2 switches that form a strictly non-blocking 8×8 switch matrix, 8 optical power taps and 8 integrated photodiodes for per-channel power monitoring, and 8 variable optical attenuators for power level control. The photocurrent signals from the photodiodes are used by a feedback electronic circuit to control the VOA’s, thereby achieving closed-loop automatic power balancing on all the channels.

© 2005 Optical Society of America