Feasibility demonstrations of hyper-media photonic information networks using prototype WDM broadcast-and-select local network systems

This paper describes the implementation and demonstration of local networks for the hyper-media photonic information network (HM-PIN), a candidate for the information service platform offering broadcast and telecommunication services. In addition, the feasibility of the HM-PIN is also demonstrated u sing prototype local network systems. This local network adopts architectur e based on wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) and broadcast-and-select (B&S) switching, and supports all HM-PIN services except inter-local-networ k communication. The major issues of this proposed network are the technolo gies that support many broadcast channels and reduce channel selection cost . This paper also considers the combination of WDM technology and three alt ernatives: electrical TDM, subcarrier multiplexing (SCM or electrical FDM), and optical TDM (O-TDM). Three 128 ch (8 wavelengths x 16 channels) WDM B& S prototype systems are built to demonstrate the feasibility of the propose d HM-PIN. In WDM/SCM, 30 and 20 Mb/s channels are realized as 16-QAM and 64 -QAM, and 155 Mb/s channels are realized by WDM/TDM. Moreover, these three prototypes were connected to form a small HM-PIN and applications such as v ideo distribution and IP datagram cut-through are demonstrated. Furthermore , the delay and throughput of the HM-PIN are evaluated by connecting a loca l network to a 200-km WDM-ring backbone network. Our discussions and demons trations confirm the impact and feasibility of the proposed hyper-media pho tonic information network.