n-dimensional processor arrays with optical dBuses

dBus-array(k,n) is an n-dimensional processor array of k/sup n/ nodes connected via k/sup n-1/ dBuses. A dBus is a unidirectional bus which receives signals from a set of n nodes (input set), and transmits signals to a different set of n nodes (output set). Two optical implementations of the dBus-array(k,n) are discussed. One implementation uses the wavelength division multiplexing as in the wavelength division multiple access channel hypercube WMCH (P.W. Dowd, 1992). WMCH(k,n) and dBus-array(k,n) have the same diameter and about the same average internode distance, while the dBus-array requires only one tunable transmitter/receiver per node. Compared to n tunable transmitters/receivers per node for the WMCH. The other implementation uses one fixed wavelength transmitter/receiver per node and the dilated slipped banyan switching network (DSB) (R.A. Thompson, 1991) to combine the time division and wavelength division multiplexing (G. Lin et al., 1994).