Patent ID: 6714701
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: G02B,H04Q

Abstract:
An optical switching system comprising:a plurality of optical switches, each optical switch comprising: a switching array of micromirrors having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, the micromirrors of the switching array each having first and second positions; a first test array of mirrors having a test input and a plurality of outputs, the first test array enabling a test signal to be routed to mirrors of the switching array; and a second test array of mirrors having a test output, the test input of the first test array being routed to the test output when the mirror being tested is in one of the first and second positions; an input micromirror array having a combined test input and a plurality of outputs, each output being aligned optically with an input to the first test array of a respective one of the optical switches, thereby enabling the combined test input to be routed to the first test array of each optical switch; and an output micromirror array having a plurality of inputs from the second test arrays of each optical switch and a combined test output.