An optical switch is a component that redirects light paths in a network without converting the optical signal into an electrical one first. These devices use micro-mirrors, liquid crystals, or thermal effects to physically or optically steer the beam into the desired output port. They are essential for routing traffic and providing rapid failover in high-capacity transport networks.
We lost the primary link, but the optical switch failed over to the backup route in under fifty milliseconds.
True optical switches are different from standard network switches with optical transceivers, as they do not read or process the data packets, making them protocol and speed agnostic.
Also heard as
- Photonic switch
- all-optical switch
Related terms
WDM
Wavelength Division Multiplexing: sending several signals on different wavelengths over the same fiber.
Cable plant
All the passive fiber infrastructure of a network: cable, splices, connectors, panels and closures.
Patch panel
A rack-mounted enclosure of adapters where permanent cable fibers end and jumpers connect them to equipment.