US Patent 12028660 Cascaded optical switch

An example cascaded optical switch includes: a fast optical switch and a slow optical switch both having input ports and output ports. A switching time of the slow switch is longer than a switching time of the fast optical switch. The cascaded optical switch includes a first pre-cabled optical fiber connecting an output port of the slow optical switch to an input ports of the fast optical switch, and a second pre-cabled optical fiber connecting an output ports of the fast optical switch to an input ports of the slow optical switch. The fast optical switch or the slow optical switch is configured to receive configuration data to modify a switching configuration to configure a fiber cross-connect in the optical switch fabric that includes at least one of the first pre-cabled optical fiber or the second pre-cabled optical fiber.