ATM and Optics

Abstract

The contribute reviews aspects of the interaction between the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology and the optical technologies. ATM for broadband networks presents some issues which result appealing for an optical approach. Some of them consist in the possibility of implementing ultra-high velocity ATM protocol functionality, in the development of freespace packet switching networks, in the solution of the access contentions to a shared transmission resource by deploying the wavelength resource. On the other hand, the development of the optical layer gives the transmission bandwidth availability which forecasts a larger penetration of A TM even at the network edge.In the communication some examples of the ATMJoptics interaction will be given. In particular it will be shown how to implement optically two basic functions of the ATM protocol, that is the Header Error Control and the Traffic Policing. Also, the interaction between a remote A TM network and the access network will be object of the presentation.