SBIR-STTR Award

The goal of this program is to develop a terabit/sec photonic interconnect network based on multi-wavelength vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser arrays. We will develop the architectures, designs and components for such a system. This system will solve the problems associated with the limited bandwidth of electronic-based computer interconnects in large-scale, wide-area multiprocessor computing environments. For example, pressing demands are being made by strategic defense systems for significantly increased data flow and capacity over the interconnection network. The system proposed here would connect hundreds of users/nodes in a photonic interconnect network with individual user/node access of 64 gigabits/sec and a network throughput of 4 terabits/sec. The system will be robust, compact and fault-tolerant. The most significant result of phase i will be a throughly designed high-speed, high-capacity terabit/sec photonic interconnect network supported by feasibility studies of the major components. Based on the results of phase i, we intend in phase ii to construct and demontrate the system. Interconnects are demanding an ever increasing portion of the resources of advanced computers and implementation of the proposed program goals will have a major impact on the competitiveness of future computer systems. This program will also further the emerging vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser technology, which promises to impact numerous commercial markets.

Keywords:
photonic computer network multiwavelength

Phase II will demonstrate and test scalable Gb/s optical inter connection link to address near-and far-term fiber optic network needs by developing innovative optoelectronicimplementation of key transmitter and receiver modules. Phase II objectives form a focused plan to demonstrate a low-cost Gb/sec optical data linkwhich is scalable to serveral 10s of Gb/s. Theultimate demonstration of the program is thetransfer of a 100 Gbit/s video file from an, elg., SPARC processor to a peripheral device in lessthan one minute. This activity will culminate in aparallel optical link product for which severallarge computer firms have expressed strong andimmediate interest. Specifically identified customers are vendorsof PC's, workstations, super-mini computers andparallel processors, all of whom requirehigh-bandwidth, low-latency fiberinterconnections. Vixel Corporation'scommercialization plan targets a baseline productintroduction in 1997 and annual revenues fromsales of approximately $100M by the year 2000.

Keywords:
Vcsel Local Area Network Optical Interconnect Optical Communications Atm Fibre Channe