Patent ID: 6700896
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
A smearing distributor for a wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) data network, comprising:a) a demultiplexer for demultiplexing signals received from a WDM link in the data network; b) a plurality of smearing units each having an input port and an output port, the smearing units receiving the demultiplexed signals at the input port; a plurality of data segment queues associated with each input port; and, a process for selecting a data segment from one of the data segment queues and transferring the data segment to the output port so that data segments transferred from any given data segment queue are transferred to the output port in a predetermined order; and c) a passive rotator having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, each input port being adapted for connection to a respective output port of a smearing unit, and each output port being connected by a communications channel to a respective input port of a plane of a parallel-plane switch, the passive rotator transferring data segments from the smearing units to the parallel-plane space switch in accordance with a predefined cyclic schedule.