Experimental demonstration of an optoelectronic switch matrix for satellite-switched TDMA signals in the 0.3-4.0 GHz band

An optoelectronic switch matrix has been built and tested to explore the potential of this technology for signal routing in TDMA satellites. GaAs photoconductive detector arrays, an optical fiber signal distribution network, and current modulated injection laser optical sources weere employed to construct the 3x3 matrix. Crosspoint isolation greater than 45 dB was achieved at signal frequencies up to 4 GHz, while path-to-path crosstalk was too small to be detected. These results support the concept of optoelectronic switching for on-board TDMA in communications satellites. The experiment has pointed out areas, notably in optical distribution and detector fabrication technology, where further work can be expected to improve significantly the performance of such a switching matrix.