eight columns forming an 8 by 8 cross connect switch 10 the pin pitch or spacing between adjacent pins 18 in a row or column is 1 1 mm the pathlength through the switch 10 equals the sum of the distances over which the incident beams 25 and the reflective beams 27 propagate the incident beam 25 propagates the distance x between a lens 26r of a row fiber for example r6 and a selected reflective surface 20 in the row corresponding to the row fiber r6 the reflected beam 27 propagates the distance y between the reflective surface 20 and the lens 26c of the column fiber for example c2 corresponding to the column of the selected reflective surfaces one such pathlength equal to the sum of the distances x and y is shown pathlengths in the optical switch 10 are equalized by staggering the lenses 26r 26c of the row fibers r1 r8 and column fibers c1 c8 along axis r and axis c respectively the axes r and c are parallel to the alignment axis a which is centered along the diagonal of the square matrix and offset equal distances on either side of the alignment axis a the reflective surfaces 20 which are orthogonal to axis a are at a 45 degree angle to the incident beam 25 and at a 45 degree angle to the reflected beam 27 thus the pathlength is independent of which optical elements 21 in the array are selected to intercept and direct incident beams 25 the lenses 26r 26c are.