In this paper, an architecture and a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol for a multi-wavelength optical communication network, applicable in short range communication systems like System Area Networks (SANs), are proposed. The main focus lies on guaranteed support for hard and soft real-time traffic. The network is based upon a single-hop star topology with an Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) at its center. Traffic scheduling is centralized in one node (residing together with the AWG in a hub), which communicates through a physical control channel. The AWG's property of spatial wavelength reuse and the combination of fixed-tuned and tunable transceivers in the nodes enable simultaneous control and data transmission. A case study with defined real-time communication requirements in the field of Radar Signal Processing (RSP) was carried out and indicates that the proposed system is very suitable for this kind of application.
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