Optical cross-connect switch using programmable multiplexers/demultiplexers

An optical cross connect switch includes a programmable demultiplexer placed on every input transmission port, a programmable multiplexer placed on every output transmission port, and a linking fiber between every programmable demultiplexer and multiplexer in the system. The programmable demultiplexers and multiplexers handle internally all the optical communication channels, and can route any specified optical channel from an input port to the desired output port. Advantageously, the arrangement can send several input channels to the same output port, and can efficiently handle a large optical communication channel count, offer a scalable cost-effective solution for expanding switching capacity, and reduce the fiber interconnection count between switch modules. When a new optical communication system is added to the node, it requires only that a programmable multiplexer and demultiplexer be placed on its output and input fibers, respectively, and fibers connected to its neighboring programmable multiplexers and demultiplexers. The arrangement thus scales proportionally with the number of input line systems to the switch, regardless of the number of optical channels, and thus provides a pay as you grow solution. The cross connect can be modified to provide add-drop functionality, and some of the programmable multiplexers/demultiplexers can be replaced with passive or conventional devices.