Reliability performance of optical cross-connect switches-requirements and practice

Summary form only given. In the switching systems considered we assumed that each OXC has four input and output links and is capable of switching between 16 wavelength channels (i.e., four wavelength channels per link). In our reliability analysis we assume that the components are defect-free from the beginning. There must be a method of detecting a failure in the systems, and a technique for system recovery from faults. Furthermore, we assume that each component has an exponentially distributed lifetime, that component failure durations are short relative to the times between failures, and that times between failures and the duration of the component failures are independently distributed. Our calculations are based on failure rates and a mean repair time of six h. The reliability performance of suggested OXCs without inherent redundancy are far from that required. To solve this problem we recommend introducing some kind of redundancy for critical components or subsystems to obtain a structure that will be meeting telecommunication standards.