Patent ID: 8923699

Claim:
A switching architecture for a node of a ring fiber optic network having optical fibers carrying wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals to and from said node in two directions, said switching architecture comprising: a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer connected to said fiber optic network, said reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer having a first interface for WDM signals traveling in a first direction and a second interface for signals traveling in a second direction, said first interface having a plurality of output ports for WDM signals dropped from said fiber optic network and a plurality of input ports for WDM signals to be added to said fiber optic network, said second interface having a plurality of output ports for WDM signals dropped from said fiber optic network and a plurality of input ports for WDM signals to be added to said fiber optic network; a first switch matrix having a plurality of interface input ports connected to said first interface output ports, a plurality of interface output ports connected to said first interface input ports, a plurality of port unit input ports, and a plurality of port unit output ports; a second switch matrix having a plurality of network input ports connected to said second interface output ports, a plurality of network output ports connected to said second interface input ports, a plurality of port unit input ports, and a plurality of port unit output ports; a plurality of port units, each port unit having a first splitter/switch having a first output port connected to one of said plurality of port unit input ports of said first switch matrix, a second output port connected to one of said plurality of port unit input ports of said second switch matrix, and an input port; a second splitter/switch having a first input port connected to one of said plurality of port unit output ports of said first switch matrix, a second input port connected to one of said plurality of port unit output ports of said second switch matrix, and an output port; and a transmitter/receiver having a transmitter portion connected to said input port of said first splitter/switch and a receiver portion connected to said output port of said second splitter/switch, wherein each port unit is capable of sending and receiving WDM signals from and to said node in said two directions for protection mechanisms on said fiber optic network.