Patent ID: 6934438

Claim:
In an optical cross-connect switch coupling optical signals of a first set of wavelengths from the ends of optical fibers in a first fiber optic array to the ends of optical fibers in an array second fiber optic array, the cross-connect switch having at least one first mirror array which comprises at least one individually controllable, tiltable mirror positioned to direct the signal beams emitted from the end of one optical fiber in one array to the end of another optical fiber in the other array, an alignment system comprising: a source of an alignment light beam having a second wavelength different from the first set of wavelengths; a detector array having output signals; a first selectively semi-transparent optical component configured and positioned to inject the alignment light beam into the signal beams; and a second selectively semi-transparent optical component configured and positioned to reflect the combined images of the ends of the fibers in the first fiber optic array superimposed on the ends of the fibers in die second fiber optic array onto said detector array, the output signals of said detector array being indicative of the degree of overlap coincidence of the images of the ends of the fibers from both the first and second fiber optic arrays.