JP5131760B2 - Optical coupling system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical coupling system for realizing information transmission between nodes via a hub.

  In recent years, the amount of information distributed through networks has increased due to the expansion of broadband networks and the increase in applications that require a large amount of high-speed packet transfer such as moving image transfer. As a result, it is possible to improve the information processing capacity of nodes, which are electrical circuit subsystems that are units for transmitting information in relay device systems such as routers on the Internet, and hubs that are subsystems that mediate communication between nodes. It has been demanded. Generally, electrical signals are used for such interconnection between nodes.

  However, the transmission speed limit due to the electric signal is a barrier to the improvement of the information processing capacity of the entire system. In order to overcome this barrier, it is effective to interconnect the nodes with an optical transmission line. As a specific example of interconnecting nodes with an optical transmission line, it is achieved by inserting and connecting a node and a hub via an optical socket to an optical backplane laid with an optical transmission line such as an optical fiber. A system has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  In this system, nodes and hubs are provided with photoelectric converters. The node is connected to an external network, and a group of LSIs that perform packet processing, elements such as photoelectric converters are arranged on a single printed wiring board, and the elements are formed on the printed wiring board. They are connected by an electric signal transmission line and an optical signal transmission line.

  With reference to FIG. 1, a basic configuration of a conventional optical coupling system using an interconnection technology between nodes and an outline of the operation will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional optical coupling system using a hub having a dynamic network. The dynamic network is a wiring network that selects a transmission line that connects a transmission-side node and a reception-side node based on a switch operation. For example, a dynamic network is realized by an electrically operated crosspoint switch LSI or the like. In FIG. 1, the connection between the elements provided in the block is not shown.

Characteristic structure on the conventional optical coupling system shown in Figure 1, in order to perform communication by connecting to other nodes for each node of the plurality of nodes, the crosspoint switch, the node of the transmitting side The transmission line connecting the receiving side node is selected. That is, the conventional optical coupling system is characterized in that a dynamic network is used to select a transmission path for connecting nodes.

  In the conventional optical coupling system shown in FIG. 1, the node 10 and the node 60 are coupled via a hub 30. The hub 30 includes a dynamic network 30-1 and a photoelectric converter 30-2 realized by a crosspoint switch LSI or the like (not shown). The node includes a packet signal processing circuit that processes a transmission packet signal that is a transmission signal and a reception packet signal that is a reception signal, and a photoelectric converter. The node 10 includes a packet signal processing circuit 10-1 and a photoelectric converter 10-2, and the node 60 includes a packet signal processing circuit 60-1 and a photoelectric converter 60-2.

  In FIG. 1, the node 10 and the node 60 are shown as representatives via the hub 30, but the optical coupling system may include any number of nodes as long as the total is three or more. In addition to the hub 30, another hub may be provided to include a plurality of hubs and a plurality of nodes.

  When a signal is sent from the node 10 to the node 60, the transmission line for outputting the signal transmitted from the node 10 to the node 60 is selected by the dynamic network 30-1 including the hub 30. Output to the node 60 via the optical backplane 80. In this way, communication from the node 10 to the notebook 60 is performed. Even in a configuration including a plurality of hubs, communication between nodes is performed in the same manner from a transmitting node to a receiving node via a single hub or a plurality of hubs.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the conventional optical coupling system, photoelectric conversion is performed in both the node and the hub. The photoelectric conversion at the node is performed from the necessity of converting the received packet signal received in the form of an optical packet signal into an electric packet signal because the processing of the received packet signal at the node is performed by electrical means. With the current technology, it is impossible to optically perform the received packet signal processing executed at the node, and thus photoelectric conversion executed at the node is an essential function. On the other hand, photoelectric conversion in the hub is required due to the use of a crosspoint switch LSI or the like in which means for realizing a dynamic network functions electrically.

That is, when a dynamic network is realized by a crosspoint switch LSI, a photoelectric converter is required. That is, an optical packet signal is converted into an electrical packet signal and input to the crosspoint switch LSI, and a photoelectric converter that converts the electrical packet signal output from the crosspoint switch LSI into an optical packet signal is required. An optical coupling system has been disclosed in which low cost, low power consumption, and high throughput are realized by devising an interface that couples the photoelectric converter and the crosspoint switch LSI (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1). ).
Special table 2003-515785 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-102013 JP 2007-104487 Ichiro Hatakeyama, et al., "A 400 Gbps Backplane Switch with 10 Gbps / port Optical I / O Interfaces", Active and Passive Optical Components for WDM Communications, V. Edited by Dutta, Achyut K .; Ohishi, Yasutake; Dutta, Niloy K .; Moerk, Jesper.Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 6014, pp. 158-164 (2005).

  In the conventional optical coupling system described above, when transmitting information from one node to another node via a hub, a dynamic network is formed in which an information transmission circuit is secured by an electrical switch circuit included in the hub. ing. Since there is no practical optical switch at present in a dynamic network, a photoelectric converter that converts an electrical signal into an optical signal at a hub is required.

  That is, in the dynamic network, an active element such as the above-described photoelectric converter or electrical switch circuit is required, and the reliability of the active element is lower than that of the passive element. For this reason, in order to ensure the reliability of the system, measures such as duplicating the same structure are usually taken, which increases the manufacturing cost of the apparatus. In other words, by duplication, the number of wires, hub and connecting parts are all doubled.

  In addition, the active element is slower in operation speed than a passive element such as an optical circuit element. Therefore, even if a means for interconnecting nodes with optical signals is used to improve the transmission speed of information between nodes, there is an upper limit defined by the operating speed of active elements in the achievable transmission speed. .

  In view of this, it is conceivable to construct a static network using optical means instead of a dynamic network to overcome the rate-determining situation of the transmission rate due to the operating speed of the active element. The static network is a network in which a transmission line connecting a transmission side node and a reception side node is determined. That is, in the static network, all combinations of the transmission side node and the reception side node are always connected by the transmission line, and it is not necessary to switch the transmission line based on the switch operation. Hereinafter, a static network configured using optical means may be referred to as an optical static network.

  When configuring an optical coupling system with an optical static network, simply remove the hub and use optical fibers or optical transmission lines on the optical backplane to connect each node of multiple nodes to other nodes. Thus, if a static network that is independently connected in a one-to-one relationship is formed, the problems in the case of using the dynamic network described above can be solved. However, this method of constructing a static network on the optical backplane requires a very complicated arrangement of optical transmission lines to connect multiple nodes independently in a one-to-one relationship. It is difficult to realize.

  For example, in order to configure a static network on the optical backplane, it is necessary to arrange a complicated optical transmission line while avoiding a large number of electrical connectors or optical connectors installed on the optical backplane. Such a configuration becomes very difficult to implement as the number of nodes increases because the number of optical transmission lines increases in proportion to the number of nodes.

  The above problem can be avoided by, for example, the following. In other words, a static network is provided in the hub, and the function of independently connecting each node of the plurality of nodes to the other nodes in a one-to-one relationship by this static network is provided to the hub. And an optical coupling system comprising an optical backplane.

  In the optical coupling system having such a configuration, since the hub has a static network, there is no need to change the form of the optical transmission path installed in the optical backplane. In addition, a plurality of optical fibers or optical transmission paths such as optical transmission paths may be arranged in parallel. That is, it is not necessary to form a complicated optical transmission line on the optical backplane while avoiding a large number of electrical connectors or optical connectors installed on the optical backplane. In addition, the static network may be installed on the printed circuit board that constitutes the hub, and the space necessary for installing the static network on the printed circuit board may be ensured without causing any design problems. Is possible.

However, even in this optical coupling system, if the number of nodes increases, the number of optical terminals that need to be provided in the hub increases. In order to connect N nodes to one hub, if two lines are provided in order to make the transmission line connecting the nodes bidirectional, 2 N (N-1) optical terminals are required as a whole. And That is, the number of optical terminals provided in the hub increases in proportion to the square of the number of nodes. N is an integer of 2 or more. As a result, when N increases, the optical terminal cannot be stored in the connector connection region of the predetermined optical backplane.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to easily form an optical static network in which each node of a plurality of nodes is independently connected to other nodes in a one-to-one relationship, and An object of the present invention is to provide an optical coupling system capable of suppressing an increase in the number of optical terminals in a hub even when the number of nodes increases.

The inventor of the present invention provides an optical static network in the hub, and in the optical coupling system configured to include the hub, the node, and the optical backplane, the number of nodes is increased by including three hubs. It was discovered that the increase in the number of optical terminals provided in the hub can be effectively suppressed even when the number of optical terminals increases. Although details will be described later, in an optical coupling system in which 3N nodes are connected via three hubs, each of these three hubs is required to make the transmission line connecting the nodes bidirectional. It has been found that the number of optical terminals required is 2 × 2N (2N-1) as a whole. By the way, in a similar optical coupling system with only one hub, the number of optical terminals to be provided in the hub is 2 × 3N (3N-1), so 2 × 2N (2N-1) / (2 × 3N (3N-1) ) = 2 (2N-1) / 3 (3N-1) It is possible to suppress an increase in the number of optical terminals.

  According to the gist of the present invention based on the above philosophy, an optical coupling system having the following configuration is provided.

An optical coupling system according to the present invention includes three or more nodes, first to third three hubs, and an optical backplane, and a pair of nodes that form a set of two arbitrarily selected from the nodes. Are commonly connected to any one of the first to third hubs, and each of the nodes is connected to the other nodes via any one of the first to third hubs. They are connected independently in a one-to-one relationship. In the drawings to be referred to in the following description, there is a case where the connection line connecting the node and the hub is shown as one for simplicity, but the hub is connected to the other three nodes independently via the hub. It includes three input lines and three output lines. Each of the first to third hubs has a static net. A node refers to an electric circuit subsystem that is a unit for transmitting information, and a hub refers to a subsystem that mediates communication between nodes.

  Such a connection between the node and the hub is preferably as follows.

  Nodes connected to the first hub belong to the set G (1), nodes connected to the second hub belong to the set G (2), and nodes connected to the third hub belong to the set G (3 ) And the set G (3) is set to a relationship given by the exclusive OR of the set G (1) and the set G (2).

  In addition, when the total number of nodes included in the optical coupling system of the present invention is k, it is preferable to connect the nodes and the hub as follows. Here, k is an integer of 3 or more.

  For convenience of the following description, k nodes included in the optical coupling system of the present invention are numbered 1 to k and set as first to kth nodes. A connection between the i-th node and the j-th node will be described. Here, i and j are integers that satisfy i ≦ j and satisfy 1 ≦ i ≦ k and 1 ≦ j ≦ k.

  When the number of nodes k is k = 3N, the first to second N nodes are elements of the set G (1), and the (N + 1) th to third N nodes are elements of the set G (2). And the first to Nth nodes and the (2N + 1) th to 3Nth nodes are set as elements of the set G (3).

  When the number k of nodes is k = 3N + 1, the first to second N nodes are elements of the set G (1), and the (N + 1) th to third N nodes are the set G (2). The first to Nth nodes and the (2N + 1) th to 3Nth nodes are set to be elements of the set G (3). The (3N + 1) th node is set to be a common element of any two sets of the sets G (1) to G (3).

  When the number of nodes k is k = 3N + 2, the first to second N nodes are elements of the set G (1), and the (N + 1) th to third N nodes are the set G (2). The first to Nth nodes and the (2N + 1) th to 3Nth nodes are set to be elements of the set G (3). Then, the (3N + 1) -th node is set to be a common element of any two of the sets G (1) to G (3), and the (3N + 2) -th node is set to the set G. Set to be a common element of any two sets of (1) to G (3).

  Many types of static networks are known. For example, a general explanation is given in Tomita, "Parallel Computer Engineering" (Shokudo, 1996, ISBN978-4-7856-3100-0). ing. Of the static networks connecting a plurality of nodes, a static network in which an arbitrary transmission-side node is directly connected to all other nodes is called a complete network. On the other hand, ring networks, star networks, and the like are known as static networks other than complete networks.

  There are various types of static networks as described above, and the most powerful static network among them is the complete network. If the complete network is adopted, communication from the transmission side node to the reception side node is directly executed without going through the third node. For this reason, when performing communication from the transmission side node to the reception side node, it is not necessary to perform communication via the third node between the transmission side node and the reception side node. The certainty of communication increases accordingly.

  The static network is preferably constructed using an optical wiring board. The optical wiring board is formed by wiring and fixing optical fibers on a flexible sheet or substrate with a wiring pattern for independently connecting them in a one-to-one relationship, and providing a protective film thereon. A flexible optical fiber wiring board is preferable.

  For example, if a flexible optical fiber wiring board specified by the JPCA (Japan Printed Circuit Association) standard by the Japan Printed Circuit Industry Association is appropriately used, a static network suitable for the optical coupling system of the present invention can be used as a hub. It can be installed on a printed wiring board to be configured. Details of the JPCA standard are described in “Wiring Design Guidance for Flexible Optical Wiring Boards Using Quartz-Based Optical Fibers” (issued in 2005) published by Japan Printed Circuit Industries Association.

  Also, an optical input / output terminal that joins the input / output end of the node and the input / output end of the optical transmission line, and an optical input / output terminal that joins the input / output end of the optical wiring board and the input / output end of the optical transmission line Is preferably an MT connector (Mechanically Transferable Connector). Hereinafter, the input / output terminal is sometimes used to mean a connector having a connection function between an input terminal and an output terminal. When an optical input / output terminal is meant to include a connection function, it is sometimes called an optical connector. Further, when an optical connector is regarded as an element having a specific shape on mounting, it may be called an optical socket. Furthermore, the optical socket may be simply referred to as a socket within a range where no confusion occurs.

  The hub is coupled to all nodes by electrical signals, and preferably has a management system that performs initial setting at power-on, system failure processing, and temperature control processing of the hub.

  The optical coupling system of the present invention includes first to third three hubs, and a node pair that constitutes one set of two arbitrarily selected from the nodes is one of the first to third hubs. It is commonly connected to one hub, and each of the nodes is independently connected in a one-to-one relationship with the other nodes via any one of the first to third hubs. Yes.

  In order to construct an optical coupling system in this way, the following may be specifically performed. That is, the set of nodes connected to the first hub is G (1), the set of nodes connected to the second hub is G (2), and the set of nodes connected to the third hub is Let G (3). Also, the complement of the set G (1) is G ′ (1), and the complement of the set G (2) is G ′ (2). And so that G (3) = G '(1) ∪G' (2) = [G (1) ∩G '(2)] ∪ [G' (1) ∩G (2)] If the k nodes included in the optical coupling system of the invention are distributed to the sets G (1), G (2) and G (3), respectively, each of the k nodes becomes the set G (1), G It is a common element of any two sets of (2) and G (3).

  A relation satisfying G (3) = G ′ (1) ∪G ′ (2) = [G (1) ∩G ′ (2)] ∪ [G ′ (1) ∩G (2)] is a set G (3) means that the relationship is given by exclusive OR of the set G (1) and the set G (2). That is, if the set G (3) is set to have a relationship given by the exclusive OR of the set G (1) and the set G (2), each of the k nodes is set to the set G (1), It is a common element of any two sets of G (2) and G (3).

  If the i-th node and the j-th node belong to the same set, the i-th node and the j-th node share the hub connected to the set. For example, if the i-th node and the j-th node belong to the set G (1), the first hub is shared. If the i-th node and the j-th node belong to the set G (2) or the set G (3), they share the second or third hub, respectively.

  In addition, when the i-th node and the j-th node do not belong to the same set, that is, the i-th node belongs to the set G (1), and the j-th node belongs to the set G (1). If not, the j-th node belongs to the set G ′ (1) ∩G (2). In this case, since G (3) = G ′ (1) ∪G ′ (2), the i-th node and the j-th node share the third hub. If the i-th node belongs to the set G (2) and the j-th node does not belong to the set G (2), the j-th node belongs to the set G '(2) ∩G (1) Will be. Also in this case, the i-th node and the j-th node share the third hub.

  In any case, if a node and a hub are connected according to the above-mentioned rules, a node pair that constitutes one set of two arbitrarily selected from the nodes is one of the first to third hubs. It is commonly connected to the hub, and each of the nodes is independently connected in a one-to-one relationship with the other nodes via any one of the first to third hubs. It is possible to realize.

  In order to connect the same number of nodes to the first to third hubs, when k = 3N, the following may be performed. The first to second N nodes are elements of the set G (1), the (N + 1) th to third N nodes are elements of the set G (2), and the first to Nth nodes and (2N +) 1) to 3N nodes are set to be elements of set G (3). When 3N nodes are distributed in this way, each of the 3N nodes becomes a common element of any two sets of the sets G (1), G (2), and G (3), and the above-described condition G (3) = G ′ (1) ∪G ′ (2) is satisfied.

In this case, since each of the first to third hubs independently connects each of 2N nodes in a one-to-one relationship, each of the first to third hubs connects between the nodes. If two transmission lines are provided so as to be connected in two directions, a total of 2 × 2N (2N−1) optical terminals may be provided. That is, the number of node pairs constituting one set with two arbitrarily selected from 2N nodes is _2N C ₂ , and two transmission paths are provided between each pair of nodes. The number is 2 x 2N (2N-1).

In general, if each of the first to third hubs is provided with S transmission lines connecting the nodes, it is sufficient to provide S times as many optical terminals as a whole. In a practical optical coupling system, as will be described later, it is desirable to use a large number of transmission paths such as six transmission paths for connecting the nodes to each of the first to third hubs.

As described above, in a similar optical coupling system including only one hub, the number of optical terminals to be provided on the hub is 2 × 3N (3N-1). For example, 2 × 2N (2N-1) / 2 × [3N (3N-1)] = 2 (2N-1) / [3 (3N-1)] can suppress the increase in the number of optical terminals. is there. As described above, even if each of the first to third hubs is provided with S transmission lines connecting the nodes, according to the optical coupling system of the present invention, 2 × 2N ( 2N-1) / (2 × 3N (3N-1) ) = 2 (2N-1) / ( 3 (3N-1) ) It is possible to suppress the increase in the number of optical terminals. .

  When the number of nodes k is (3N + 1), the same number of nodes cannot be connected to the first to third hubs, but one node is set to the set G (1) to What is necessary is just to set so that it may become a common element of any two sets of G (3). Similarly, when the number of nodes k is (3N + 2), two nodes are similarly set to be a common element of any two sets G (1) to G (3). That's fine. In any case, the number of nodes connected to the first to third hubs only increases by one or two, and the increase in the number of optical terminals provided on the first to third hubs is negligible. is there.

  In order to install the static network on the printed circuit board constituting the hub, a space necessary for installing the static network on the printed circuit board may be secured. It is possible to secure a space necessary for installing the static network on the printed wiring board constituting the hub without causing any trouble in design. In other words, a static wiring network that has a function of independently connecting each node of a plurality of nodes to other nodes in a one-to-one relationship, which is required in an optical coupling system, is a printed wiring board constituting a hub. It can be easily formed on top.

  A flexible optical fiber wiring board can be used as the optical wiring board. If a flexible optical fiber wiring board specified by the JPCA standard is used as appropriate, an optical coupling system can be realized using standard components. Is possible. As a result, it is possible to easily unify the components of the optical coupling system, thereby contributing to a reduction in manufacturing cost, and the industrial utility value of the optical coupling system is increased.

  An optical input / output terminal that joins the input / output end of the node and the input / output end of the optical transmission line, and an optical input / output terminal that joins the input / output end of the optical wiring board and the input / output end of the optical transmission line, By using the MT connector that has already become a unified standard in this industry, it is possible to enjoy the benefits of unifying the components of the optical coupling system, like the above-mentioned flexible optical fiber wiring board.

  In addition, since the hub has the above-described management system, it is possible to realize an excellent optical coupling system that can perform initial setting at power-on, system failure processing, and temperature control processing of the hub. Become.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Each drawing schematically shows each component so that the present invention can be understood, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. In addition, in the drawings including FIG. 1 described above, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of these functions may be omitted. In FIGS. 2 to 8 below, the path of the optical signal is indicated by a bold line, and the path of the electrical signal is indicated by a thin line. In addition, in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the connection between the hub and the node is shown by a single line, but actually, in order to connect independently in a one-to-one relationship, for example, as shown in FIG. Connected with multiple lines.

<Optical coupling system>
In order to help understand the configuration and operation of the optical coupling system according to the embodiment of the present invention, an optical coupling system including one hub will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an optical coupling system having one hub. In FIG. 2, the connection between the elements provided in the block is not shown.

  The optical coupling system includes a plurality of nodes such as a node 110 and a node 112, a hub 130, and an optical backplane 80. The hub 130 includes a static network 132 that connects each node of a plurality of nodes independently to each other in a one-to-one relationship. The optical backplane 80 has an optical transmission path that connects a plurality of nodes such as the nodes 110 and 112 and the hub 130.

  In other words, the node 110 and the node 112 of the optical coupling system will be described. The node 110 and the node 112 are coupled via the hub 130. The static network 132 is configured by an optical wiring board such as a flexible optical fiber wiring board. Further, similarly to the conventional optical coupling system described with reference to FIG. 1, the node includes a packet signal processing circuit that processes a transmission packet signal that is a transmission signal and a reception packet signal that is a reception signal, and a photoelectric converter. It has. That is, the node 110 includes a packet signal processing circuit 110-1 and a photoelectric converter 110-2, and the node 112 includes a packet signal processing circuit 112-1 and a photoelectric converter 112-2. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 2, the node 110 and the node 112 are shown as representatives via the hub 130. However, if there are three or more nodes, it is only necessary to provide the necessary number according to the design. This is the same as the conventional optical coupling system described with reference to FIG.

  A signal transmitted from the node 110 to the node 112 is output to the transmission line output to the node 112 via the static network 132 included in the hub 130, and input to the node 112 via the optical backplane 80. Is done. In this way, communication from the node 110 to the node 112 is performed.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a more specific example of the optical coupling system will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the optical coupling system.

  The optical coupling system includes a plurality of nodes such as a node 110, a node 112, and a node 114, a hub 130, and a backplane 100. The hub 130 is configured so that each node of the plurality of nodes is set to one node with respect to other nodes. A static network 132 and a management system 134 are connected independently in a one-to-one relationship.

  The backplane 100 includes a power supply wiring backplane 102, an electrical backplane 104, and an optical backplane 106.

  The management system 134 provided with the hub 130 is electrically connected to a plurality of nodes such as the node 110, the node 112, and the node 114 via the electric backplane 104, and the initial setting at the time of power-on and the system failure Processing and temperature control processing of the hub are performed. The static network 132 has a function of independently connecting a plurality of nodes such as the node 110, the node 112, and the node 114 in a one-to-one relationship. The static network 132 and a plurality of nodes such as the node 110, the node 112, and the node 114 are individually optically connected via the optical backplane 106.

For example, 10 gigabit Ethernet packets are input / output from / to the plurality of nodes such as the node 110, the node 112, and the node 114 from the external network 200. Ethernet is a registered trademark of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., and is one of computer network standards standardized by the IEEE 802.3 committee.

  In a plurality of nodes such as the node 110, the node 112, and the node 114, the optical packet signal in the form of an optical signal is converted into an electrical packet signal in the form of an electrical signal, and is indicated in the header of the electrical packet signal. Depending on the destination address, a packet to be processed by the node is subjected to predetermined processing by an information processing circuit (not shown) included in the node and received. When the destination address indicated in the header of the electrical signal is another node, an output port to the node specified by the address is selected and transmitted to the node. In this case, the electrical packet signal is converted into an optical packet signal and then transmitted to the node via the optical backplane 106.

  The power supply 120 shown in FIG. 3 supplies power to a plurality of nodes such as the node 110, the node 112, and the node 114 via the power supply wiring backplane 102. The power supplied from the power source 120 is directly supplied to the management system 134 provided in the hub 130, and is used for initial setting when the power is turned on, system failure processing, and temperature control processing of the hub.

  As described above, the power supply wiring backplane 102 and the electrical backplane 104 included in the backplane 100 of the optical coupling system shown in FIG. 3 are the same as those in the conventional optical coupling system.

<Connection between optical backplane and node>
The connection between the optical backplane and the node will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the connection between the optical backplane and the node. In FIG. 4, the node 110 is shown as an example, but the other nodes have the same configuration. In FIG. 4, for the sake of convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the number of nodes connected to the optical backplane is four. Therefore, three optical transmission lines are required for sending optical packet signals from the node 110 to the optical backplane 106, and there are optical transmission paths for sending optical packet signals from the optical backplane 106 to the node 110. Since three are required, a total of six optical transmission lines are required between the optical backplane 106 and the node 110. As shown in FIG. 6, each node is actually connected to two hubs, so two optical sockets 146 and 156 in FIG. 4 are required, and a total of 12 optical transmission lines are required. Is required.

  In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the photoelectric converter that converts an electrical signal into an optical signal and the photoelectric converter that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal are indicated as O / E without distinction from each other. When it is necessary to explain separately, the photoelectric converter that converts an electrical signal into an optical signal is hereinafter referred to as an E / O converter, and the photoelectric converter that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal is referred to as an O / E converter. is there.

The node 110 receives an optical packet signal from the external network 200, processes the packet signal, generates an optical packet signal output from the node 110, and outputs the optical packet signal toward the backplane 100. A processing unit 140, a parallel / serial converter (P / S converter) 142, and an E / O converter 144 are provided. Hereinafter, an example of the case where there are three input / output lines from the external network will be described. The P / S converter 142 converts the parallelized parallel signal output from the received packet signal processing unit 140 into a serial signal. The E / O converter 144 converts the serial signal output from the P / S converter 142 into an optical packet signal. Electrical transmission path for transmitting the electrical packet signal from the received packet signal processing unit 140 to the P / S converter 142 is shown six, but it is not a name that is limited to six.

  That is, the number of serial signals output from the P / S converter 142 is equal to (k−1), where k is the number of nodes of the optical coupling system. If the ratio of the number of parallel signals input to the P / S converter 142 and the number of serial signals output from the P / S converter 142 is called the parallel number, the parallel number is one serial signal. Indicates how many parallel signals are generated by P / S conversion.

  The P / S converter 142 outputs a serial signal to the E / O converter 144, and the E / O converter generates an optical packet signal to be transmitted to three nodes other than the node 110. Is output. In FIG. 4, this is shown by three upward straight lines with an arrow from the node 110 to the tip.

  In addition, the node 110 processes the optical packet signal received from the backplane 100 and transmits it to the external network 200, so that the transmission packet signal processing unit 150, a serial / parallel converter (S / P converter) 152 and an O / E converter 154. The O / E converter 154 converts the optical packet signal that is propagated through the optical backplane 106 and input to the node 110 into an electrical packet signal and outputs the electrical packet signal. The S / P converter 152 converts the electric packet signal (serial signal) output from the O / E converter 154 into an electric packet signal (parallel signal). The electric packet signal output from the S / P converter 152 is input to the transmission packet signal processing unit 150, and the packet to be processed by the node 110 according to the destination address indicated in the header of the electric packet signal And electrical packet signals to be transmitted to other nodes are identified and processed.

Although six electric transmission paths for transmitting electric packet signals input from the S / P converter 152 to the transmission packet signal processing unit 150 are shown, it is described above that the number is not limited to six. This is the same as that the number of electrical transmission lines for transmitting electrical packet signals to the P / S converter 142 is not limited to six. Since one byte is 8 bits, in many cases, when the number of nodes is four, for example, there are 24 lines (== any one node connecting to the other three nodes except this node) 8 × 3) .

  From the external network 200, independent optical packet signals respectively transmitted from three nodes other than the node 110 are input to the O / E converters 164, 172, and 180, respectively, and are converted into electric packet signals. The signals are converted into parallel signals by the / P converters 162, 170 and 178 and output. The parallel signals output from the S / P converters 162, 170, and 178 are input to the received packet signal processing unit 140.

  Further, the transmission packet signal processing unit 150 outputs three independent electric parallel signals to be transmitted to three nodes other than the node 110. The three independent electric parallel signals output from the transmission packet signal processing unit 150 are input to the P / S converters 166, 174, and 182 respectively, converted into electric serial signals, and output. The electrical serial signals output from the P / S converters 166, 174, and 182 are input to the E / O converters 168, 176, and 184, respectively, and are converted into optical serial signals, that is, optical packet signals. Is input.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the connection between the node 110 and the backplane 100 and the specific configuration of the node 110, but the same applies to the nodes 112 and 114 shown in FIG.

  An electrical signal for electrically controlling the reception packet signal processing unit 140 and the transmission packet signal processing unit 150 is supplied via an electrical backplane 104 included in the backplane 100. The packet signal processing circuit 110-1 provided in the node 110 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes the reception packet signal processing unit 140, the transmission packet signal processing unit 150, the plurality of P / S converters, and the plurality of S / S illustrated in FIG. It corresponds to a packet signal processing circuit that integrates elements such as a P converter. The photoelectric converter 110-2 illustrated in FIG. 2 corresponds to a plurality of photoelectric converters such as the E / O converter 144 and the O / E converter 154.

  The node 110 and the backplane 100 are optically and electrically connected by optical sockets 146 and 156 and electrical sockets 158 and 160. In FIG. 4, these sockets are simplified and illustrated as being provided only in the node 110, but the same kind of sockets are also provided on the backplane 100 side so as to be engaged with and joined to these sockets. ing.

  The power for driving the reception packet signal processing unit 140, the transmission packet signal processing unit 150, the plurality of P / S converters, and the plurality of S / P converters is supplied from the power source 120 illustrated in FIG. 100 is supplied via a power wiring backplane 102 and an electrical socket 160. In FIG. 4, the electrical wiring connected from the electrical socket 160 to the inside of the node 110 is not an essential part of the present invention, and is not shown.

  In FIG. 4, the optical transmission line for transmitting the optical packet signal output from the node 110 is conceptually indicated by a straight line with an arrow at the tip of the thick line. In the mounting, the optical packet signal output from the node 110 is connected by the optical socket provided in the node 110 and the backplane 100, and is input to the optical transmission line wired to the optical backplane 106. ing. Since the configuration on this part is the same as that of the conventional optical coupling system, it is obvious to those skilled in the art.

The optical socket 146 is an optical socket for connecting an optical transmission line for outputting the optical packet signal output from the node 110 to the optical backplane 106 toward one hub . In FIG. 4, there are three optical transmission lines, but the number is not essential and belongs to the design matter of the optical coupling system. That is, in FIG. 4, since the number of nodes connected via the backplane 100 is set to four, there are three optical transmission lines connected to the other three nodes excluding the node 110. It just shows that it is necessary. In general, when the number of nodes connected to one hub via the backplane 100 is k, the number of optical transmission lines is (k−1).

<Optical Coupling System of Embodiment of the Invention>
With reference to FIG. 5, an outline of the basic configuration and operation of the optical coupling system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of the optical coupling system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The optical coupling system shown in FIG. 5 is assumed to include the node 110 shown in FIG. That is, the hub has a total of six optical sockets, three optical sockets for output and three optical sockets for input. The hub and the node are connected by six transmission lines for input and output so that bidirectional communication is possible between the hub and the node.

This optical coupling system includes three or more nodes, first to third hubs, and an optical backplane that connects the nodes to the first to third hubs. And a plurality of nodes, the node pair which constitutes the 2 Tsude pair chosen arbitrarily, Ru Tei is connected in common to any one of the hubs of the first to third hub.

In FIG. 5, the first to sixth nodes included in the optical coupling system according to the embodiment of the present invention are indicated as nodes N1 to N6, respectively, and the first to third hubs are indicated as Hub-1 to Hub- It is shown as 3. That is, the optical coupling system shown in FIG. 5 shows a case where k = 3N = 6 and N = 2. Hereinafter, the first to sixth nodes may be referred to as nodes N1 to N6, respectively, and the first to third hubs may be referred to as Hub-1 to Hub-3, respectively. In FIG. 5, the connection between the hub and the node is shown by a single line for the sake of simplicity, but in reality, as shown in FIG. 8, a pair of four nodes connected to the same hub is connected. In order to connect independently with 1, it is connected to one hub with three input lines and three output lines.

  In FIG. 5, the nodes N1 to N4 are elements of the set G (1), the nodes N3 to N6 are elements of the set G (2), and the nodes N1 to N2 and the nodes N5 to N6 are the elements of the set G (3). Is an element. Nodes connected to Hub-1 belong to set G (1), nodes connected to Hub-2 belong to set G (2), and nodes connected to Hub-3 belong to set G (3) ing. The elements of set G ′ (1), which is the complement of set G (1), are nodes N5 and N6, and the elements of set G ′ (2), which is the complement of set G (2), are nodes N1 and N2.

Therefore,
G (1) = {N1, N2, N3, N4} (1)
G (2) = {N3, N4, N5, N6} (2)
G (3) = {N1, N2, N5, N6} (3)
G '(1) ＝ {N5, N6} (4)
G '(2) ＝ {N1, N2} (5)
Therefore, from Equation (1) and Equation (5)
G (1) ∩G '(2) ＝ {N1, N2} ＝ G' (2) (6)
From Equation (2) and Equation (4)
G '(1) ∩G (2) = {N5, N6} = G' (1) (7)
It becomes.

From Equation (4) and Equation (5)
G '(1) ∪G' (2) ＝ {N1, N2, N5, N6} (8)
Therefore, from the equations (3) and (6) to (8), G (3) satisfies the following equation (9).
G (3) ＝ G '(1) ∪G' (2) ＝ [G (1) ∩G '(2)] ∪ [G' (1) ∩G (2)] (9)
That is, the set G (3) is set to a relationship given by the exclusive OR of the set G (1) and the set G (2).

  In FIG. 5, the nodes belonging to the set G (1) connected to Hub-1 and Hub-1 are surrounded by broken lines and indicated as G1, and the nodes belonging to the set G (2) connected to Hub-2 And Hub-2 are surrounded by a broken line and indicated as G2, and a node belonging to the set G (3) connected to Hub-3 and Hub-1 are surrounded by a broken line and indicated as G3.

  Nodes N1 and N2 are connected to Hub-1, Nodes N2 and N3 are connected to Hub-1, Nodes N3 and N4 are connected to Hub-1, and Nodes N4 and N5 are Hub-2 Nodes N5 and N6 are connected to Hub-2. A node pair that constitutes a set of two arbitrarily selected nodes, such as the node pair of the nodes N1 and N3, is commonly connected to any one hub of Hub-1 to Hub-3.

  The node N1 is connected to the nodes N2, N3, and N4 in a one-to-one relationship via Hub-1, and is connected to the nodes N5 and N6 in a one-to-one relationship via Hub-3. Similarly, the nodes N2 to N6 are independently connected in a one-to-one relationship to other nodes via any one hub of Hub-1 to Hub-3.

  When the number k of nodes is k = 3 × 2 + 1 = 7, the nodes N1 to N6 are connected as shown in FIG. 5 above, and the node N7 is any one of Hub-1 to Hub-3 Connect to the two. For example, the node N7 may be selected to connect to Hub-1 and Hub-2, connect to Hub-1 and Hub-3, or connect to Hub-2 and Hub-3. There are three options for connecting the node N7 as described above, and there is no room for misunderstanding about these options, so illustration is omitted in FIG.

  When the number k of nodes is k = 3 × 2 + 2 = 8, the nodes N1 to N6 are connected as shown in FIG. 5 and the nodes N7 and N8 are connected to Hub-1 to Hub−. Connect to any two of 3. As for the connection of the nodes N7 and N8, the node N7 may be connected to any two of Hub-1 to Hub-3. For example, the node N7 may be selected to connect to Hub-1 and Hub-2, connect to Hub-1 and Hub-3, or connect to Hub-2 and Hub-3.

  Further, the node N8 may be selected from either connecting to Hub-1 and Hub-2, connecting to Hub-1 and Hub-3, or connecting to Hub-2 and Hub-3. In this case, if node N7 is connected to Hub-1 and Hub-2, node N8 selects either Hub-1 and Hub-3 or Hub-2 and Hub-3. It is good. That is, it is preferable to select a hub that connects the node N8 while avoiding a set of hubs that connect the node N7. By doing so, the variation in the number of nodes connected to each hub can be reduced, and as a result, the number of optical terminals included in each hub can be minimized.

  The case where the number k of nodes is k = 3N, k = 3N + 1, and k = 3N + 2 and N = 2 is described as an example, but even if N is 3 or more, Only the number increases, and it is possible to connect the hub and the node in the same way.

<Connection by optical backplane>
A description will be given of how the terminals of Hub-1 to Hub-3 and nodes N1 to N6 are connected via an optical transmission line provided in the optical backplane with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows an optical coupling system according to an embodiment of the present invention described with reference to FIG. 5, three hubs (Hub-1 to 3) including an optical static network, and six nodes ( It is a figure which shows the relationship between the optical socket which each of N1-N6) provides, and the optical transmission path formed in the optical backplane which connects these optical sockets.

  For the optical transmission line formed on the optical backplane, it is preferable to use a normal flat optical fiber cable configured by arranging a plurality of optical fibers in parallel. Hereinafter, a flat optical fiber cable configured by arranging a plurality of optical fibers in parallel may be referred to as an optical fiber plate. The optical fiber plate can be used by appropriately selecting from optical wiring boards manufactured according to JPCA-PE02, which is a JPCA standard.

  In FIG. 6, the nodes belonging to the set G (1) and Hub-1 are surrounded by broken lines and indicated as G1, and the nodes belonging to the set G (2) and Hub-2 are surrounded by broken lines and indicated as G2. Yes, a node belonging to the set G (3) and Hub-3 are surrounded by a broken line and indicated as G3. In FIG. 6, the optical transmission line formed on the optical backplane is indicated by a thick line, and the signal transmission direction is indicated by a thick line with an arrow attached to the end of the optical transmission line. An arrow attached to the tip of the optical transmission line indicates the signal transmission direction.

  FIG. 6 is created on the assumption that the node described with reference to FIG. 4 is used. That is, an example is shown in which each of Hub-1 to Hub-3 is provided with a total of six optical transmission paths connecting three nodes, three for transmission and three for reception. Each of the nodes N1 to N6 has (1, 2, 3) and (7, 8, 9) as transmission sockets, and (4, 5, 6) and (10, 11, 12) as reception sockets. ). Hereinafter, the socket identification number (1, 2, 3) or the like may be referred to as a port number. A socket specified by a port number (1, 2, 3) or the like may be simply referred to as a port.

  In FIG. 6, for the sake of simplicity, it is shown that one optical transmission line is connected to each of the sockets of the nodes N1 to N6. However, it is assumed that the node described with reference to FIG. 4 is used. Assuming that three optical transmission lines are connected.

  Hubs 1 to 3 each have four optical connectors, optical connectors HUA, HDA, HUB, and HDB. The optical connector HUA is an optical connector having an input end having a port number of 1 to 3 and an output end having a port number of 4 to 6, and the optical connector HDA is an input end and a port number having a port number of 1 to 3. The optical connector HUB is an optical connector having an input end with a port number of 7-9 and an output end with a port number of 10-12. The connector HDB is an optical connector having an input end with a port number of 7-9 and an output end with a port number of 10-12.

  With reference to FIG. 7, the connection between the nodes N1 to N4 belonging to G (1) and Hub-1 will be described in more detail. FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing details of a connection form between the first hub (Hub-1) belonging to G (1) and the connection terminals of the first to fourth nodes (N1 to N4). . The same applies to the connection between the nodes N3 to N6 belonging to G (2) and Hub-2 and the connection between the nodes N1, N2, N5, N6 belonging to G (3) and Hub-3.

  In FIG. 7, an example in which Hub-1 has six optical transmission lines connecting three nodes, three for transmission and three for reception, is shown without omitting the number of optical transmission lines. is there. Each of the nodes N1 to N6 has (1, 2, 3) and (7, 8, 9) as transmission sockets, and (4, 5, 6) and (10, 11, 12) as reception sockets. ). An optical transmission line is connected to all the sockets. An arrow attached to the tip of the optical transmission line indicates the signal transmission direction.

  Node N1 and Hub-1 are optically coupled by an optical fiber plate 190, Node N2 and Hub-1 are optically coupled by an optical fiber plate 192, and Node N3 and Hub-1 are optically coupled. The node N4 and Hub-1 are optically coupled by an optical fiber plate 196. The optical fiber plates 190, 192, 194 and 196 are installed on the optical backplane 106.

  Similarly, an optical fiber plate used for optical coupling between Hub-2 and nodes N3 to N6 and between Hub-3 and nodes N1, N2, N5, and N6 is also installed on the optical backplane 106. . Used for optical coupling between Hub-1 and nodes N1-N4, Hub-2 and nodes N3-N6, and Hub-3 with nodes N1, N2, N5, and N6, respectively. The optical wiring board constituting the optical fiber plate may be configured to be layered on the optical backplane.

  Although FIG. 6 shows a case where each of Hubs 1 to 3 includes four connectors of optical connectors HUA, HDA, HUB, and HDB for convenience of explanation, it is not limited to this. For example, an optical connector HA (an optical connector in which HUA and HDA are integrated) having an input end having a port number of 1 to 6 and an output end having a port number of 7 to 12, and a port number of 1 to 6 An optical connector HB (an optical connector in which HUB and HDB are integrated) having an input terminal and an output terminal having a port number of 7 to 12 can also be provided. It is a matter of design to determine the number of optical connectors having input / output terminals.

  As the four optical connectors HUA, HDA, HUB, and HDB included in each of Hubs 1 to 3 shown in FIG. 6, MT connectors can be used as appropriate. In addition, it is possible to appropriately select and use the optical connector manufactured according to JPCA-PE03-01, which is the JPCA standard.

  In FIGS. 6 and 7, Hubs 1 to 3 are shown surrounded by a broken rectangle, and the optical connector identification symbols HUA, HDA, HUB, and HDB are port numbers in the broken rectangle. Only shown. An optical static network that is an optical transmission line connecting the ports of HUA, HDA, HUB, and HDB is not shown. An embodiment of this optical static network will be described next.

<Optical static network>
With reference to FIG. 8, an embodiment of an optical static network suitable for use in the optical coupling system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a static network suitable for use in the optical coupling system according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 8, regarding the connection between the nodes N1 to N4 belonging to G (1) and Hub-1, the optical static network provided by Hub-1 is shown, but the optical static provided by Hub-2 is shown. The same applies to the net and the optical static net included in Hub-3. For the optical static networks that Hub-2 and Hub-3 have, respectively, HUA, HDA, HUB, and HDB so that the port numbers of HUA, HDA, HUB, and HDB correspond to the port numbers shown in Fig. 6. 8 and the socket numbers provided in the nodes N1 to N6 can be replaced with each other, the configuration similar to that shown in FIG. 8 can be obtained.

  In FIG. 8, the presence of the Hub-1 (130) and the static network 132 is indicated by broken-line rectangles. As described above, Hub-1 includes four optical connectors, optical connectors HUA, HDA, HUB, and HDB. Each optical connector includes three input ports and three output ports. In FIG. 8, the optical connectors of the nodes N1 to N4 having three input ports and three output ports are indicated as N1 to N4 for simplicity.

  As described above, ports 1 to 3 of N1 are output ports, and ports 4 to 6 are input ports. Similarly, ports 1 to 3 of N2 are output ports, and ports 4 to 6 are input ports. Ports 1 to 3 of N3 are output ports, and ports 4 to 6 are input ports. Ports 1 to 3 of N4 are output ports, and ports 4 to 6 are input ports.

  Also, each of the four optical connectors, optical connectors HUA, HDA, HUB, and HDB, is coupled to an optical connector including nodes N2, N1, N3, and N4 via an optical transmission line. Ports 1 to 3 of the optical connector HUA are input ports, and ports 4 to 6 are output ports. Ports 1 to 3 of the optical connector HDA are input ports, and ports 4 to 6 are output ports. Ports 7-9 of the optical connector HUB are input ports, and ports 10-12 are output ports. Ports 7 to 9 of the optical connector HDB are input ports, and ports 10 to 12 are output ports.

  In FIG. 8, the input ports of the optical connectors HUA, HUB, HDA, and HDB are indicated by solid squares and the output ports are indicated by squares by broken lines. Further, between the optical connector N1 and the optical connector HDA, between the optical connector N2 and the optical connector HUA, between the optical connector N3 and the optical connector HUB, between the optical connector N4 and the optical connector HDB, FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, they are coupled by optical transmission lines each composed of an optical fiber plate having an optical pack plane, but for the sake of simplicity, these optical transmission lines are not shown in FIG. .

  In FIG. 8, the optical transmission line is indicated by a thick line, and the signal transmission direction is indicated by an arrow at the end of the optical transmission line indicated by the bold line. The connection pattern shown in FIG. 8 is merely an example, and is not limited to this connection pattern. When the total number of nodes connected via the static network is n, (n-1) output ports and input ports are required for each node. Any connection pattern can be used as long as all output ports included in each node satisfy the condition that they are independently connected in a one-to-one relationship to any one of the nodes other than the node. It may be formed.

In general, when the number of nodes connected to one hub is n (n is an integer of 3 or more), when these nodes are N1 to Nn, the node N1 is provided (n−1 ) Output ports, except for node N1, one input port of (n−1) input ports provided by node N2 and (n−1) inputs provided by node N3 It is connected to one input port of the ports and one input port of the (n−1) input ports provided by the node Nn. The (n−1) output ports included in the node N2 include one input port among the (n−1) input ports included in the node N1 and the node N3 except for the node N2. It is connected to one input port of the (n−1) input ports, and one input port of the (n−1) input ports provided with the node Nn. The same applies to the (n−1) output ports provided by the nodes N3 to Nn.

Accordingly, each of the four nodes shown in FIG. 8 has optical terminals (three input ports, three input ports for connecting a total of six optical transmission lines, three for transmission and three for reception to be connected to one hub . And three output ports). Specifically, Hub-1 and nodes N1 to N4 are connected as follows.

In the above example, transmission / reception between nodes in units of 1 bit has been described. However, in order to perform transmission / reception in units of M bits, the number of connection lines and the number of connection terminals may be increased M times.

  Since the nodes connected to Hub-1 shown in FIG. 8 are the four nodes N1 to N4, the three output ports (1, 2, 3) provided by the node N1 are excluded except for the node N1. One of the three input ports (4, 5, 6) provided by node N2 and one of the three input ports (4, 5, 6) provided by node N3 The input port is connected to one of the three input ports (4, 5, 6) included in the node N4. The three output ports (1, 2, 3) provided by the node N2 are one input port among the three input ports (4, 5, 6) provided by the node N1, except for the node N2. And one of the three input ports (4, 5, 6) provided by the node N3 and one of the three input ports (4, 5, 6) provided by the node N4. Connected to one input port. The same applies to the three output ports provided by the node N3 and the node N4, respectively.

  In determining the connection pattern, it is preferable to arrange the optical transmission lines so that three or more optical transmission lines do not intersect at the same position at the point where the optical transmission lines intersect each other.

  This is because when three or more optical transmission lines intersect at the same position, the laminated thickness for overlapping the optical transmission lines increases at this intersection, and the bending radius of curvature of the optical transmission line is increased in the vicinity of this intersection. Need to be reduced. It is desirable to bend the optical transmission line so that the radius of curvature is as large as possible in order to keep the magnitude of optical loss small and to reduce the magnitude of stress applied to the optical transmission line. Therefore, it is desirable not to adopt a wiring configuration in which three or more optical transmission paths intersect at one point, so that the optical transmission path must be bent with a reduced radius of curvature.

  In order to form a static net provided with a hub, it is possible to use an optical wiring board formed in a laminated structure with a flexible sheet such as a polymer film or an optical fiber on a substrate interposed therebetween. As the optical wiring board, it is possible to appropriately select and use an optical wiring board manufactured according to JPCA-PE02-01 which is a JPCA standard. In the optical wiring board manufactured as defined in JPCA-PE02-01, the optical fiber is wired and fixed on a flexible sheet or substrate in a one-to-one relationship independently, and fixed. There is a flexible optical fiber wiring board formed by providing a protective film thereon. By sticking this flexible optical fiber wiring board to the wiring board of the hub 130, a suitable static network can be formed using the optical coupling system of the present invention.

1 is a schematic block configuration diagram of a conventional optical coupling system using a hub configured by a dynamic network. FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of an optical coupling system having one hub having a static net. It is a schematic block diagram of an optical coupling system. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the connection between an optical backplane and a node with respect to one hub . 1 is a schematic block diagram of an optical coupling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the relationship between the optical socket which each of Hub-1 ~ 3 which comprises an optical static network, and the nodes N1 ~ N6 comprise, and the optical transmission line formed in the optical backplane which connects these optical sockets is there. It is a block diagram which shows the detail of the connection form of Hub-1 and each connection terminal of nodes N1-N4. It is a schematic block diagram of a static network suitable for use in the optical coupling system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10, 60, 110, 112, 114: Node
10-1, 60-1, 110-1, 112-1: Packet signal processing circuit
10-2, 30-2, 60-2, 110-2, 112-2: Photoelectric converter
30, 130: Hub
30-1: Dynamic network
80, 106: Optical backplane
100: Backplane
102: Power supply wiring backplane
104: Electric backplane
120: Power supply
132: Static network
134: Management system
140: Received packet signal processor
142, 166, 174, 182: P / S converter
144, 168, 176, 184: E / O converter
146, 156: Optical socket
150: Transmission packet signal processor
152, 162, 170, 178: S / P converter
154, 164, 172, 180: O / E converter
158, 160: Electrical socket
190, 192, 194, 196: Optical fiber plate
200: External network

Claims (10)

Three or more nodes (Nodes), which are electrical circuit subsystems that are units of information transmission,
First to third three hubs (Hub) that are subsystems that mediate communication between the nodes;
Comprising an optical backplane having an optical transmission line connecting the plurality of nodes and the first to third hubs;
A node pair constituting one set of two arbitrarily selected from the plurality of nodes is commonly connected to any one of the first to third hubs,
Each of the first to third hubs includes a static network, and each of the plurality of nodes is connected to another one through one of the first to third hubs. Connected to the nodes independently in a one-to-one relationship,
At least one pair of different node pairs is connected to each of the first to third hubs . Three or more nodes (Nodes), which are electrical circuit subsystems that are units of information transmission,
First to third three hubs (Hub) that are subsystems that mediate communication between the nodes;
Comprising an optical backplane having an optical transmission line connecting the plurality of nodes and the first to third hubs;
Nodes connected to the first hub belong to the set G (1), nodes connected to the second hub belong to the set G (2), and nodes connected to the third hub are set Belonging to G (3),
The set G (3) is set to a relationship given by an exclusive OR of the set G (1) and the set G (2);
As a result, an arbitrary node is set to belong to any two of the three node sets G (1), G (2), G (3),
As a result, an arbitrary node pair of the entire set of nodes has a relationship included in the same set of the three node sets G (1), G (2), G (3),
The first to third hubs each have a complete network , and each of the plurality of nodes is connected to another node via any one of the first to third hubs. optical coupling system characterized in that it is connected in a one-to-one relationship with. K pieces of said nodes is an electric circuit subsystem as a unit of information transmission and (Node),
The node first to third three hub communications between each other a subsystem that mediates the (Hub),
The optical backplane comprising having a light transmission path connecting the k number the node between said first to third hub,
And the number k of the node is a k = 3N, the nodes of the first to 2N and the element of the set G (1), of the (N + 1) ~ node the set G of the 3N (2) as an element, exclusively a logical sum of the node of the first to N and the (2N + 1) ~ a 3N node the set G (3) of the group G (1) and G (2) optical coupling system of claim 2, wherein the Ruco be between.
Here, N is an integer of 2 or more. K pieces of said nodes is an electric circuit subsystem as a unit of information transmission and (Node),
The node first to third three hub communications between each other a subsystem that mediates the (Hub),
The optical backplane comprising having a light transmission path connecting the k number the node between said first to third hub,
The number k of nodes is k = 3N + 1,
The first to third N nodes are distributed to the sets G (1) and G (2), and the (3N + 1) th node is added to the elements of the set G (1) or the set G (2) < The optical coupling system according to claim 2, wherein:
Here, N is an integer of 2 or more. K pieces of said nodes is an electric circuit subsystem as a unit of information transmission and (Node),
The node first to third three hub communications between each other a subsystem that mediates the (Hub),
The optical backplane comprising having a light transmission path connecting the k number the node between said first to third hub,
The number k of nodes is k = 3N + 2 where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2 ,
The first to third N nodes are distributed to the sets G (1) and G (2), the (3N + 1) th node is added to the elements of the set G (1), and the (3N + 2) th node The optical coupling system according to claim 2, wherein a node is added to an element of the set G (2) . 2. The optical coupling system according to claim 1 , wherein the static network is a complete network. The static network, optical coupling system of any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is constructed using the optical wiring board. The optical wiring board is a flexible sheet or on a substrate and wiring the optical fiber wiring pattern connected by the relationship of the one-to-one with and fixed, flexible light formed by a protective film provided thereon 8. The optical coupling system according to claim 7, wherein the optical coupling system is a fiber wiring board.   An optical input / output terminal that joins the input / output end of the node and the input / output end of the optical transmission line, and an optical input that joins the input / output end of the optical wiring board and the input / output end of the optical transmission line. 9. The optical coupling system according to claim 8, wherein the output terminal is an MT connector (Mechanically Transferable Connector).   The hub has a management system, and the management system is coupled to all of the nodes by electric signals, and performs initial setting at power-on, system failure processing, and temperature control processing of the hub. The optical coupling system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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