Centralized software-based control of the optical switching system is possible

We developed a core component for ROADM, an optical switching system, to accommodate large amounts of data and enable intelligent control of optical communication networks.

Until now, optical network equipment varied by manufacturer, requiring separate software management for each piece of equipment, making operation difficult and costly.

Accordingly, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) developed core components controllable by software to create equipment and configure a network for the development of an efficient optical switching system. They explained that this has enabled its utilization in smarter Software Defined Networks (SDN).

ETRI stated that the development of this optical switch enables efficient network operation and management by providing centralized software-based control of the optical switching system. This is also expected to lead to cost savings.

It was announced that with this technology development, the total amount of data that can be processed per existing Rotem device can increase by approximately three times, from the existing 8T (tera)bps to 23Tbps.

In conventional optical communication networks, a fixed bandwidth was allocated per wavelength regardless of transmission speed. Consequently, channels communicating at low speeds relatively wasted resources. However, ETRI technology allows for the free adjustment of wavelength bandwidth according to communication speed, significantly increasing network capacity.

In addition, it was previously impossible to process optical signals of the same wavelength coming from telephone exchanges in multiple directions at a single telephone exchange or base station in a network, but this was made possible, thereby increasing network efficiency.

The research team revealed that the core of this technology is 'SDN-based flexible optical node technology.' In the future, the upgraded optical switch developed by the team will be embedded within the optical node. Once the technology is commercialized, it is expected to be installed in optical communication network base stations that connect transmission networks.

ETRI explained that the components successfully developed this time are a 'multicast switch' and a 'flexible grid optical monitor'.

First, the multicast switch is a key component in optical switch systems that determines the direction of data even for signals entering with the same wavelength. Previously, signal processing was difficult due to collisions when signals of the same wavelength entered, but this effectively resolves that issue.

As a result, the channel width can be freely adjusted, and it is expected that the difficulty of sending large amounts of data due to narrow bandwidth will disappear in the future.

In addition, the flexible grid optical monitor solved the problem of having to determine what kind of data and how much was coming in, as the width of existing data channels was uniformly fixed. This is because the channel width can flexibly shrink and expand as data comes in.

The research team successfully developed the components, and Kowiver Co., Ltd., a domestic optical communication equipment company, manufactured them into line cards to form an optical switch device. Through this joint research, the team also demonstrated that the optical switch system can be controlled and managed via software.

Moving forward, this technology is expected to be integrated into optical switch system equipment manufacturers via domestic optical device manufacturers, followed by full-scale commercialization by telecommunications operators. By utilizing planar waveguide integration technology based on low-cost materials such as silica and polymers, and enabling mass production, this technology possesses price competitiveness, raising expectations for future market entry.

Baek Yong-soon, Head of the Optical and Wireless Convergence Research Division at ETRI, stated, “The successful development of core optical components and optical switching devices to increase network capacity and efficiency has secured the global technological capabilities and competitiveness of domestic optical components in high-capacity transmission networks.”