Abstract: An upgrade arrangement wherein the switching functions of an in-service switch or cross-connect system are transferred or "re-homed" onto a new, larger capacity switch via the existing input and output ports of the original system. The re-homing can be performed without loss of service, even if the original system is operating at full-capacity. By exploiting the protection redundancy engineered into existing telecommunication switching systems, all of the signals being routed through the original switch are temporarily consolidated onto only one-half of the switching fabric normally required to accommodate such connectivity. This signal consolidation allows half of the original switch ports to be brought off-line (without a service disruption), and linked to the new, higher capacity switching fabric.

Abstract: This invention relates to an optical cross-connect switch which is substantially loss-less and is transparent to signal bit rate, format and modulation scheme. The optical cross-connect switch can be comprised of at least two stages of chips coupled in tandem via optical fibers. Each chip can be of lithium niobate having a plurality of digital switch elements or directional couplers which, by means of an electric field, can selectively switch optical energy from one waveguide to another. The chips are coupled together via optical fiber amplifiers and the optical fiber amplifiers are pumped by optical pumps, e.g., 1.48 .mu.m CW, laser pumps, coupled to appropriate nodes within either one or both of the chips. In operation, the pump energy is switched through the chips along with the optical data signals to pump only those optical fiber amplifiers which are in the optical data signal path.