RHiNET-2/SW: High-speed network switch implemented with parallel optical interconnection for parallel computing system

We developed the RHiNET‐2/SW high‐speed network switch for a high‐throughput parallel computing system consisting of optically interconnected distributed personal computers (PCs). RHiNET‐2/SW enables high‐throughput network switching (64 Gbit/s) by means of a switching LSI and eight pairs of synchronized parallel optical interconnection modules. To confirm the reliability of RHiNET‐2/SW, we measured its bit error rate (BER), which was less than 10−11 (estimated value: 10−20). Five RHiNET‐2/SWs and sixteen PC nodes can perform parallel computing. This result demonstrates the feasibility of optical interconnection in a high‐speed, flexible network in a parallel computing system. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 85(6): 1–10, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10022