Request based channel access protocol on folded bus topology

Multichannel optical networks promise bandwidth in the gigabits/sec domain. This current trend in optical device technology demands a simple yet scalable protocol for future high speed networks. The Request Based Channel Access (RBCA) protocol provides solution based on folded bus topology. RBCA protocol communication consists of two steps, namely, bandwidth request and data transmission. The communication is slot based and supports variable packet lengths. A dedicated monitor node in the network performs all protocol processing and error detection/correction functions, and minimizes all protocol overheads in nodes. The protocol provides fair channel access to all nodes, irrespective of their relative position from the fold of the network. In a multichannel network, the communication of each channel is independent of all other channels. Thus multichannel networks can be implemented as better optical communication devices, supporting large number of parallel channels, become available