Photonic technologies for an integrated optical node for avionic networks

Increasingly sophisticated aerospace sensors and weapons systems are driving the demand for bandwidth in avionics backbone networks. Aerospace communication system platforms pose stringent requirements on the size, weight, power consumption and operating environment of network components. Fiber optics provide incomparable performance advantages relative to other technologies, with Terabit information capacity, enormous weight and space reduction, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and reduction in power consumption of the link, thereby significantly reducing the costs per bit of information carrying capacity on board of an avionic platform. Multi-node Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (DWDM) optical networks are emerging as a leading solution for data communication links in avionic systems. These DWDM networks provide the promise of upgrade capability to hundreds of independent wavelengths.