Transmission and Switching of High-Rate Data with Cryogenic Implications

For an applications requiring transmission and switching of an aggregate 100 gigabytes per second with individual channel rates of 1 gigabit per second, several technologies are possible. Foe transmission, ILDs, single-mode fiber, and p-i-ns(in view of an expected short span length) suggest themselves. For switching, bipolar ECL (possibly with freon cooling), CMOS with cryogenic cooling, and photonic switching (e.g., lithium niobate in view of the leisurely reconfiguration time) are candidates. The relative merits of these alternatives, and enhancements possible in an environment having cryogenic utility potential will be discussed.