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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/J44728/01
Title: AN OPTICAL SWITCHING TESTBED
Principal Investigator: Crossland, Professor WA
Other Investigators:
Leslie, Professor I Mears, Dr R
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Pre Nexus Migration
Department: Engineering
Organisation: University of Cambridge
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 January 1994 Ends: 31 March 1996 Value (£): 160,528
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Networks & Distributed Systems Optical Communications
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Communications
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The main goals of the work are:1. To assess the performance of the all optical network in a campus environment,2. To ensure that a Phase 2 proposal seeking to build an ATM overlay on an all optical circuit switched network making use of WDM techniques will be well founded, and3. To investigate the effects of different modulation techniques and datarates on error performance through the optical network.Progress:Work is progressing well on the first phase of the central crossbar switch (dual wavelength 1.3-m/1.5-m; 3 node; bi-directional). The passive single-mode optical fibre fan out and fan in stages are in place and single mode/multi mode cable has been installed between the Computer Laboratory (Downing Site) and the Engineering Department. Active polarisation-insensitive switches have been specified; the switch provides an opportunity to compare a commercial opto-mechanical shutter with polarisation insensitive liquid crystal shutters fabricated at CUED. The second phase of using further WDM channels to provide switchable bandwidth for the ATM network has benefited from the development of a new technique for using dynamic liquid crystal holograms to provide wavelength selection and reallocation*. Further experiments in this area are underway. The Computer Laboratory and Olivetti Research are providing the overall network control and interfaces, and suitable laser sources have been acquired. * S.T. Warr, R.J. Mears and M.C. Parker, Electronic Letters, Vol. 31, No.2, pp129-130.
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