Patent ID: 8792787

Claim:
A packet switch comprising: an interface receiving an optical signal and converting the optical signal to an electrical signal; a non-transitory input buffer receiving and storing the electrical signal from the interface; a first stage switch fabric receiving the electrical signal from the input buffer; a mid-stage buffer receiving and storing the electrical signal from the first stage switch fabric; a second stage switch fabric receiving the electrical signal from the mid-stage buffer; wherein each switch fabric comprises: N layers of N×N arrayed waveguide gratings, each arrayed waveguide grating having ingress ports and egress ports; a wavelength tunable device in communication with a source ingress port of an arrayed waveguide grating, the wavelength tunable device converting the received electrical signal to an optical signal having a wavelength selected for routing a packet from the source ingress port to a target egress port of the arrayed waveguide grating; and a photoreceiver receiving the propagated optical signal from the target egress port and converting the optical signal to the electrical signal; and a scheduler in communication with the interface, the input buffer, the mid-stage buffer, and wavelength tunable devices, the scheduler receiving notification from the interface of a received packet on the electronic signal and issuing steering instructions to the wavelength tunable devices for routing the packet from a source ingress port to a target egress port on each switch fabric.