JPH0721582B2 - Optical switch with monitor optical path - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Outline] In an optical communication system in which there is one optical transmission line and the device side is duplicated, an optical signal on the transmission side is transmitted with high accuracy and certainty. Provided is an optical switch with a monitor optical path for enabling confirmation of presence or absence.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an optical switch with a monitor optical path.

In an optical communication system, it is general that the number of optical transmission lines (for example, optical cables) wired over a long distance is one and the important devices on the transmitting side and the receiving side are duplicated.

At this time, there is a demand for an optical switch with a monitor optical path capable of confirming whether the optical signal switched by the optical switch is transmitted to the optical transmission line.

[Prior Art] Two input-side optical transmission lines (optical transmission line that makes outgoing light incident on the optical switch) and one output-side optical transmission line (optical transmission line that carries outgoing light from the optical switch) In a conventional optical switch for switching between and, for example, a mirror is formed on each of the inner surfaces of two orthogonal planes, and an input side optical transmission line is arranged on both sides of the output side optical transmission line to move the mirror. By looking,
There is one that switches an optical path and carries an optical signal to an output side optical transmission path.

In such a conventional optical switch, the optical signal transmitted to the output side optical transmission line cannot be monitored at the optical switch portion.

Therefore, the conventional general means for monitoring is to insert an optical branch circuit on the output side optical transmission line side installed behind the optical switch, provide an optical transmission line for monitoring, and monitor the optical signal by this. There is.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-mentioned conventional means, since a branch circuit for a monitor is provided in addition to the optical switch, there is a problem that the device becomes large and the cost becomes high.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, includes a first switching element 10 and a second switching element formed in a right-angle prism shape. The element 20 and the element 20 are arranged in parallel so that their apex sides are opposite to each other, and an optical switch 30 for switching the optical path by reciprocating in a direction orthogonal to the optical transmission path is provided.

In addition, the second switching element 20 is arranged so that the outgoing light is projected on one of the slopes selected by the first and second switching elements 10 and 20, respectively.
A first input side optical transmission line 1 disposed on the apex side of the
Output optical transmission line 3 disposed on the apex angle side of the first switching element 10 on the optical axis of the input optical transmission line 1 of FIG.
And a second input side optical transmission line 2 arranged on the apex angle side of the first switching element 10 so as to be parallel to.

Further, on the optical axis of the second input-side optical transmission line 2, the monitor-side optical transmission line is provided on the apex angle side of the second switching element 20 in parallel with the first input-side optical transmission line 1. 4 and.

Then, the first switching element 10 includes the first input side optical transmission line 1
It is assumed that the half mirror film 11 is formed on the slope corresponding to the above and the mirror film 12 is formed on the slope corresponding to the second input side optical transmission line 2.

The second switching element 20 has a mirror film 21 formed on the slope of the first input side optical transmission line 1 and a half mirror film 22 on the slope of the second input side optical transmission line 2.

[Operation] According to the means of the present invention, when the first switching element 10 is located at the position corresponding to the output side optical transmission line 3, most of the optical signal emitted from the input side optical transmission line 1 is obtained. Is half mirror film 11
Goes straight through and enters the output side optical transmission line 3 and travels through the output side optical transmission line 3.

Then, the remaining optical signal is reflected by the half mirror film 11 and 90
The optical path is changed, the light is projected onto the mirror film 12, the light is totally reflected by the mirror film 12, the optical path is changed by 90 degrees, and the light is incident on the monitor-side optical transmission path 4. Therefore, it is possible to monitor.

On the other hand, when the optical switch 30 is driven to move the second switching element 20 to the position corresponding to the output side optical transmission line 3, most of the optical signal emitted from the second input side optical transmission line 2 is generated. It is reflected by the half mirror film 22 to change the optical path by 90 degrees and projected on the mirror film 21, and is totally reflected by the mirror film 21 to change the optical path by 90 degrees and enters the optical transmission path 3 on the output side, and the optical transmission path on the output side. Go to 3.

Then, the remaining optical signal is transmitted through the half mirror film 22, goes straight, and is incident on the monitor side optical transmission line 4, so that it can be monitored.

[Examples] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to illustrated examples.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG.
(B) is an optical path diagram.

In FIG. 1, in an optical switch 30, a first switching element 10 and a second switching element 20 are integrated by a supporting frame 6, and the lower part of the supporting frame 6 is in a direction orthogonal to an optical transmission line. It is inserted in the guide groove of the drive unit 5 formed in the above.

Further, an electromagnet (not shown) is attached to the drive unit 5,
In the integrated first switching element 10 and second switching element 20,
It is configured to give a reciprocating motion in a direction orthogonal to the optical transmission line.

The first switching element 10 and the second switching element 20 have a main body made of glass and are formed in a right-angle prism shape having the same shape. The first switching element 10 and the second switching element 20 are The apex angles are opposite to each other, the hypotenuse surfaces are arranged in parallel so that they are vertically parallel, the opposite side surfaces are bonded and integrated, and the outer side surfaces that are not bonded are fixed to the support frame 6. .

Reference numeral 1 is a first input-side optical transmission path of one of the two input-side optical transmission paths (an optical transmission path that allows outgoing light to enter the optical switch), and 2 is two input-side optical transmission paths (output It is a second input side optical transmission line of the other of the optical transmission lines for making incident light incident on the optical switch).

An output side optical transmission line 3 receives the optical signal from the first input side optical transmission line 1 or the second input side optical transmission line 2 switched by the optical switch 30 and conveys it to the receiving device side. is there.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a monitor side optical transmission line in which one terminal is connected to a monitor device.

The first input-side optical transmission line 1 is arranged on the apex angle side of the second switching element 20 so that the outgoing light is projected on the selected slope of the first and second switching elements 10 and 20, respectively. It is set up.

The output side optical transmission line 3 is arranged on the optical axis of the first input side optical transmission line 1 on the apex angle side of the first switching element 10.

The second input side optical transmission line 2 is arranged on the apex angle side of the first switching element 10 so as to be parallel to the output side optical transmission line 3.

The monitor-side optical transmission line 4 is arranged on the optical axis of the second input-side optical transmission line 2 on the apex angle side of the second switching element 20 in parallel with the first input-side optical transmission line 1. There is.

The first switching element 10 has a half mirror film 11 formed on the slope corresponding to the first input side optical transmission line 1, and a mirror film that totally reflects on the slope corresponding to the second input side optical transmission line 2. 12 is formed.

On the other hand, the second switching element 20 has a mirror film 21 for total reflection formed on the slope with respect to the first input side optical transmission line 1.
The half mirror film 22 is provided on the slope with respect to the second input side optical transmission line 2.
Has been formed.

Since it is configured as described above, as shown in the optical path diagram of FIG. 2 (a), the first position is set at the position corresponding to the output side optical transmission path 3.
When the optical switch 30 is switched so as to have the switching element 10 of FIG. 1, most of the optical signal emitted from the input side optical transmission line 1 passes through the half mirror film 11 and goes straight, and the output side optical transmission line 3
Incident on the output side optical transmission line 3.

Then, the remaining optical signal is reflected by the half mirror film 11 and 90
The optical path is changed, the light is projected on the inner surface side of the mirror film 12, is totally reflected by the mirror film 12, the optical path is changed by 90 degrees and enters the monitor-side optical transmission path 4, and travels through the monitor-side optical transmission path 4. .

At this time, even if light is emitted from the second input-side optical transmission line 2, this light is totally reflected by the mirror film 12 and is reflected by the optical switch 30.
Since it is discharged to the outside, it does not enter the output side optical transmission line 3 and also does not enter the monitor side optical transmission line 4.

On the other hand, when the optical switch 30 is driven to move the second switching element 20 to the position corresponding to the output side optical transmission line 3, as shown in the optical path diagram of FIG. Most of the optical signal emitted from the optical transmission line 2 is reflected by the half mirror film 22.
The optical path is changed by 90 degrees and projected on the mirror film 21,
Then, the light is totally reflected at 90 degrees to change the optical path by 90 degrees and is incident on the output side optical transmission path 3 to travel through the output side optical transmission path 3.

Then, the remaining optical signal passes through the half mirror film 22, goes straight, enters the monitor-side optical transmission line 4, and advances through the monitor-side optical transmission line 4.

At this time, even if the light is emitted from the first input side optical transmission line 1, the light is totally reflected by the mirror film 21 and discharged to the outside of the optical switch 30, so that it is incident on the output side optical transmission line 3. Do not
Also, it does not enter the monitor side optical transmission line 4.

As described above, since the optical switch 30 always transmits a part of the optical signal transmitted to the output side optical transmission line 3 to the monitor side optical transmission line 4, it is separately monitored on the output side optical transmission line 3 side. It is not necessary to provide a branch circuit for.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to extract an optical signal for monitoring in the optical switch portion, and it is not necessary to separately provide a branch circuit for monitoring. There is a practically excellent effect that the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

 FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are optical path diagrams. In the figure, 1 is a first input side optical transmission line, 2 is a second input side optical transmission line, 3 is an output side optical transmission line, 4 is a monitor side optical transmission line, 10 is a first switching element, 11 Is a half mirror film, 12 is a mirror film, 20 is a second switching element, 21 is a mirror film, 22 is a half mirror film, and 30 is an optical switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A right-angled prism-shaped first switching element (10) and a second switching element (20) are arranged in parallel so that their apex sides are opposite to each other. The emitted light is projected on one of the slopes of the optical switch (30) that switches the optical path by reciprocating in the direction orthogonal to the transmission path and the selected first and second switching elements (10, 20). As described above, on the optical axis of the first input side optical transmission line (1) arranged on the apex side of the second switching element (20), , The output side optical transmission line (3) disposed on the apex side of the first switching element (10) and the first switching element (3) so as to be parallel to the output side optical transmission line (3). A second input side optical transmission line (2) arranged on the apex side of 10) and the first input side optical transmission line on the optical axis of the second input side optical transmission line (2). Parallel to the road (1) Of the switching element (20)
And a monitor-side optical transmission line (4) arranged on the apex side of the first switching element (10), and the first switching element (10) has a half mirror on the slope corresponding to the first input-side optical transmission line (1). The film (11) has a mirror film (12) formed on an inclined surface corresponding to the second input side optical transmission line (2), and the second switching element (20) is the first switching device (20). Is characterized in that a mirror film (21) is formed on the slope with respect to the input side optical transmission line (1) and a half mirror film (22) is formed on the slope with respect to the second input side optical transmission line (2). Optical switch with monitor optical path.