Packet router architecture with multicasting capability for future optical networking

This paper introduces a design for a high capacity multicasting capable Optical Packet Switched Router (OPSR). It incorporates an Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) as its core switching matrix to manage the ever increasing packet switched traffic within the optical network. The OPSR has the capability to switch optical packet traffic through the AWG with a switching speed of a few nano-seconds (nsec) at a bit rate of 10Gbps and above with multicasting capability. The capabilities offered by this OPSR will speed up all-optical packet switching and reduce packet latency and consequently packet loss.