Optical distribution channel: an almost-all optical LAN based on the field-coding technique

Providing a single user with a very high (gigabit per second) bandwidth is a challenge that the research community is trying to address these days. The paper describes a design of an 'almost-all' optical local-area network that is capable of providing Gbps directly to the user. The network design is based on the 802.6 topology, the 'field coding' technique (in which the header and the data fields are encoded in different rates), and the principle of 'almost all' optical switching. Several of the design considerations were: cost, integration, and flexibility. By providing all of these attributes, the optical distribution channel may be an example of future high-speed local area networks, in line with the FDDI-follow on effort.<>