A performance and implementation comparison of bidirectional and dual bus 2-D WDM multiple-plane optical interconnections with row-column multihop network structures

Bidirectional and dual bus wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) two-dimensional (2-D) multiple-plane optical interconnections with row-column multihop network structures using vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and wavelength-selective detectors are analyzed and compared in terms of the expected number of hops (switching delay) and practical implementation considerations. The bidirectional WDM optical interconnection significantly reduces the necessary implementation hardware while maintaining the performance very closely compared to the dual bus architecture. Both WDM structures show significant performance improvements even when only three to five wavelengths are used. Also, the multihop efficiency is analyzed with the consideration of both electrical hops and optical hops.