ABSTRACT
In Chap. 1 the overall present status and historical progression of the fundamentals of telecommunications switching were outlined. In this chapter we focus on the fundamentals of electronic switching and the development of optoelectronic switching at the device and microcircuit levels. Concentration is placed on that part of electronics and optoelectronics that carries over into optoelectronic switching designs of the present, and perhaps the next two decades — in other words, useful engineering technical and historical guidelines for innovating further development at the device and integrated optical circuit levels.
