STARNET: A Multi-gigabit-per-second Optical LAN Utilizing a Passive WDM Star

We propose a new broad-band local area network, STARNET, based on a physical passive star topology. Over a single physical network, STARNET offers all users both a moderate-speed packet network and a high-speed WDM circuit interconnect. Based on these two data transport facilities, several topological and protocol solutions are available to the users. As a result, STARNET supports traffic of widely different speed and continuity characteristics. Each node of the network requires only two lasers and its structure facilitates the achievement of frequency stabilization for the whole network. An effort toward an experimental demonstration of a 3 Gb/s per node, FDDI-compatible (at the packet network level) STARNET is currently in progress at the Optical Communication Research Laboratory of Stanford University.