Multi-gigabit WDM optical networking for next generation avionics system communications

It is envisaged that pholonic networking will play a significant role in improving performance and reliability in both civil and military avionics systems. Of all the available photonic multiplexing technologies, wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) has been the primary focus of attention within mainstream telecommunications offering increased throughput at a reasonable cost, with scope for enhanced routing flexibility, connectivity and network survivability. A direct mapping of techniques and devices from the maturing telecommunications sector is, however, not possible because of the stringent requirements of systems operating in the hostile aerospace environment. This paper gives an outline of these requirements and discusses, in detail, the design and development of a multi-gigabil, broadband optical WDM network architecture, specilically for use on aerospace platforms. The paper will also discuss a key clement in the system, the arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) wavelength multiplexing component, which has been designed to allow operation over the full military temperature specification without environmental conditioning.