For example, advances in wavelength-division multiplexing are pushing core transport capacity forward, eliminating trunk bandwidth bottlenecks. These ultrahigh-bandwidth links increase capacity requirements for core switches, routers and multiplexers. That is particularly true in the optical-switch marketplace, where density, bandwidth and power consumption are all key issues.
Optical switches steer data from one optical port or one individual lambda flow to the next.
If the equipment offers data service, then electronic-based packet processing, switching and monitoring is required. The switch, in turn, moves the data to a separate line card for eventual egress from the system. Board space and connector density limit the deployable link bandwidth. In contrast, parallel optics offer up to a twelvefold increase in density over serial approaches. However, early implementations had difficulty ramping to the needed volume.