Current summed optoelectronic crossbar switch

Claim 2

An optoelectric crossbar switch for selectively connecting signals from M optical fiber channels to N output receivers, said switch comprising: splitter means for splitting each optical channel into N optical fibers; said fibers being arranged in an array having a plurality of rows and columns, each row containing fibers from each channel; a summation network for each row of fibers, each network including: M selectively activatable detectors each receiving optical signals from a given fiber, each detector providing an electrical output signal at its output if activated by a given bias signal when illuminated by an incident optical signal from its associated fiber, addressing means coupled between a source of said given bias voltage and said detectors for selectively activating a given detector by applying the bias voltage source thereto, said addressing means including a multiplexer device having a plurality of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field effect transistors, each transistor having an output coupled to an input of a given detector, said transistors being coupled in common to said bias voltage source, with said multiplexer including selector inputs for selectively energizing a given transistor to thereby couple the bias voltage to the detector thereby activating same, all of the detector outputs being coupled to a node, and each network including a common amplifier means for amplifying the current delivered to the node from the selected detector; whereby only one amplifier means is required for each row of fibers thereby minimizing the number of components required for the switch.

Claim 3

The switch of claim 1 wherein each detector comprises a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) device.

Claim 4

The switch of claim 1 wherein said amplifying means comprises a preamplifier for converting current delivered to the node to a voltage level, and a voltage amplifier for amplifying said voltage level to an amplitude suitable for transmission to said output receivers.

Claim 5

The switch of claim 3 where there are N×M detectors.

Claim 6

The switch of claim 4 wherein N and M are 8.

Claim 7

An optoelectric crossbar switch for selectively connecting signals from M optical fiber channels to N output receivers, said switch comprising: splitter means for splitting each optical channel into N optical fibers; said fibers being arranged in an array having a plurality of rows and columns, each row containing fibers from each channel; a summation network for each row of fibers, each network including: M selectively activatable detectors each receiving optical signals from a given fiber, each detector providing an electrical output signal at its output if activated by a given bias signal when illuminated by an incident optical signal from its associated fiber and each detector comprising a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) device, addressing means coupled between a source of said given bias voltage and said detectors for selectively activating a given detector by applying the bias voltage source thereto, said addressing means including a multiplexer device having a plurality of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field effect transistors, each transistor having an output coupled to an input of a given detector, said transistors being coupled in common to said bias voltage source, with said multiplexer including selector inputs for selectively energizing a given transistor to thereby couple the bias voltage to the detector thereby activating same, all of the detector outputs being coupled to a node, and each network including a common amplifier means for amplifying the current delivered to the node from the selected detector; wherein only one amplifier means is required for each row of fibers thereby minimizing the number of components required for the switch.

Claim 8

An optoelectric crossbar switch for selectively connecting signals from M optical fiber channels to N output receivers, said switch comprising: splitter means for splitting each optical channel into N optical fibers; said fibers being arranged in an array having a plurality of rows and columns, each row containing fibers from each channel; a summation network for each row of fibers, each network including: M selectively activatable detectors each receiving optical signals from a given fiber, each detector providing an electrical output signal at its output if activated by a given bias signal when illuminated by an incident optical signal from its associated fiber and each detector comprising a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) device, addressing means coupled between a source of said given bias voltage and said detectors for selectively activating a given detector by applying the bias voltage source thereto, said addressing means including a multiplexer device having a plurality of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field effect transistors, each transistor having an output coupled to an input of a given detector, said transistors being coupled in common to said bias voltage source, with said multiplexer including selector inputs for selectively energizing a given transistor to thereby couple the bias voltage to the detector thereby activating same, all of the detector outputs being coupled to a node, and each network including a common amplifier means for amplifying the current delivered to the node from the selected detector; wherein only one amplifier means is required for each row of fibers thereby minimizing the number of components required for the switch.

Claim 9

The switch of claim 6 wherein said amplifying means comprises a preamplifier for converting current delivered to the node to a voltage level, and a voltage amplifier for amplifying said voltage level to an amplitude suitable for transmission to said output receivers.

Claim 10

The switch of claim 7 where there are N×M detectors.

Claim 11

The switch of claim 8 wherein N and M are 8.