Evaluating Buffer-Based Optical Switch Architectures: Feedback vs. Re-Circulating Designs for Enhanced Network Performance

This paper presents a performance evaluation of optical switches utilizing feedback and re-circulating type buffer architectures, emphasizing their implications for next-generation optical networks. As data traffic continues to escalate due to advancements in digital applications, traditional electronic switching methods struggle to meet increasing demands for speed and capacity. Optical switches offer a compelling alternative by directly routing optical signals, thereby reducing latency and enhancing bandwidth. This paper presents the simulation analysis of feed backward and re-circulating type buffers in terms of throughput and scalability of both feedback and re-circulating buffer-based optical switches under varying traffic conditions. Simulation results confirm that while feedback buffers have low delay due to short storage duration while re-circulating switches demonstrate superior throughput capabilities during peak demand. The findings provide critical insights for network designers in selecting appropriate switching configurations to optimize performance in future optical networks.