xDM vs. xDMA

We have introduced the term xDM where x = {W, T, C} for wavelength, time, and code, respectively. Sometimes, any one of these techniques may be employed for multiuser communication in a multiple access environment, e.g., for broadcast communication in a local-area network (LAN) (to be examined in Section 1.5.1

Thus, a local optical network that employs wavelength-division multiplexing is referred to as a wavelength-division multiple access (WDMA) network; and TDMA and CDMA networks are defined similarly.

In this book, we will rarely use the term xDMA; instead, we will use the term xDM to refer to the multiplexing strategy, and employ the term xDM network to refer to the corresponding network, either for local-area or for wide-area (switched) applications. (Corresponding example WDM networks will be introduced in Sections 1.5.1 and 1.5.2, respectively.)