Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04J—MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION
  • H04J14/00—Optical multiplex systems
  • H04J14/02—Wavelength-division multiplex systems
  • H04J14/0201—Add-and-drop multiplexing
  • H04J14/0202—Arrangements therefor
  • H04J14/0204—Broadcast and select arrangements, e.g. with an optical splitter at the input before adding or dropping
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04J—MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION
  • H04J14/00—Optical multiplex systems
  • H04J14/02—Wavelength-division multiplex systems
  • H04J14/0201—Add-and-drop multiplexing
  • H04J14/0202—Arrangements therefor
  • H04J14/0205—Select and combine arrangements, e.g. with an optical combiner at the output after adding or dropping
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04J—MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION
  • H04J14/00—Optical multiplex systems
  • H04J14/02—Wavelength-division multiplex systems
  • H04J14/0201—Add-and-drop multiplexing
  • H04J14/0202—Arrangements therefor
  • H04J14/0206—Express channels arrangements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04J—MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION
  • H04J14/00—Optical multiplex systems
  • H04J14/02—Wavelength-division multiplex systems
  • H04J14/0201—Add-and-drop multiplexing
  • H04J14/0202—Arrangements therefor
  • H04J14/0213—Groups of channels or wave bands arrangements

Definitions

• the invention relates to an optical add/drop node for adding and dropping wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) traffic channels.
• WDM wavelength division multiplexed
• Multi-channel WDM systems are used in order to enhance the transmission capability of optical fiber networks, so that channels which previously would have to be transmitted on a plurality of separate fiber pairs now can be forwarded on a single fiber pair.
• Using optical wavelength division multiplexed channels means that a plurality of serial information signals, i.e. a plurality of serial binary signals, are transmitted on the same optical fiber by modulating such a serial signal on a light signal having a definite wavelength and then combining the modulated light signals in an optical coupler or optical multiplexer to a composite light signal on the considered optical fiber.
• the signal primarily modulated on a monochromatic carrier light signal together with the carrier can be called a channel or traffic channel.
• Optical wavelength multiplexing can be used to construct different optical fiber network solutions, e.g. solutions using point to point links, networks using a "full mesh bus” or a hubbed bus, etc. All bus solutions require the possibility to add and drop one or more wavelength channels, see Fig. 1 , at selected places of the fiber optical network, these places being called add/drop nodes.
• a left line cable 1 comprising two optical fibers 3, 5 for transmission of light signals in the two opposite directions are coupled to one side of such an optical add/drop node 7, the other side of the node 7 being connected to the two fibers 9, 11 of a right line cable 13.
• the node 7 is connected to or contains receivers 15 and 5 transmitters 17 for converting optical signals to electrical signals and vice versa, the electrical signals being transferred or received respectively from other devices, links or networks, not shown.
• the line cables 1 , 13 ending at a node 7 have their other ends connected to other, for example identically constructed nodes 7.
• the add and drop operation of such a node can be executed using a blocking or non-blocking drop o operation.
• a blocking drop operation means that all the information of the dropped optical wavelength is filtered out and blocked in the add/drop node.
• a non-blocking drop operation means that only a portion of the power of the dropped optical wavelength is filtered out. The rest of the signal power of the considered wavelength proceeds through the network, through the node and on to the line cable connected to the opposite side of 5 the node.
• the node should add as little noise as possible, e.g. noise produced by amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) in fiber optical amplifiers usually included in the node, and that the node should have a flat frequency transfer function for light transferred from one side to the opposite
• the optical WDM traffic enters the node through an optional optical preamplifier 19, 21.
• Each wavelength is filtered out in a demultiplexing element DEMUX 23, 25 separating the channels so that on each of the plurality of output fibers of the demultiplexer 23, 25 only one channel is transmitted, i.e. information carried by light within a single wavelength interval.
• Dropped channels are fed to receivers 15 through ⁇ o optical fibers 27, 29, each such fiber extending from a demultiplexer 23, 25 to a combining coupler 30 connected to the input terminal of a receiver for the dropped wavelength.
• Channels to be added as well as passing channels are fed to a multiplexing element MUX 31 , 33. Its corresponding input terminals are connected through optical fibers 35, 37, each such fiber extending to a multiplexer 31 , 33 from a splitting coupler
• the WDM traffic at the output of the MUX 31 , 33 is fed to an optional optical power or booster amplifier 43, 45 and
• the drawback of the solution illustrated in Fig. 2 is that it implies a relatively large number of cascaded filters, i.e. the in-line demultiplexers 23 , 25 and in-line multiplexers 31 , 33, if a large number of add/drop nodes 7 exist in the network.
• An additional drawback is that a non-blocking drop operation can not be implemented.
• a branching unit comprises typically two circulators and a Bragg grating filter connected therebetween.
• an optical amplifier is connected amplifying the signal to be added to a suitable power level controlled in accordance with
• a wavelength division multiplexed network system having a plurality of nodes connected to form a ring configuration of the self-healing type.
• the nodes can include couplers, amplifiers and demultiplexers/multiplexers.
• the problem to be solved by the invention is thus to provide a WDM network comprising an add/drop node, the node only little attenuating the power of WDM channels passing through the node and the attenuation being substantially only that which results from the power reduction needed for tapping off a sufficient signal power in order to extract those WDM channels which are terminated in the node.
• the basic idea has been that in order to have a low attenuation of the passing signals, the power per channel in the added signal must have approximately the same level as the power of each passing channel, at the entrance of the add coupler. This is achieved by providing an extra optical amplifier in the input line to the add coupler, on which the light signal carrying the added channels are fed to the add coupler.
• the light signal comprising the added channels are generally produced by electro-optical transmitters and an optical wavelength multiplexer and then the additional optical amplifier is provided on the output of the multiplexer.
• Fig. 1 is a general schematic view of a simple optical fiber network of WDM type having prior art add/drop nodes
• Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a prior art add/drop node for a an optical WDM network allowing only a blocking drop operation
• Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an add/drop node for an optical WDM network allowing both blocking drop and non-blocking drop operations
• Fig. 4 is a block diagram of an add/drop node for a an optical WDM network having a better signal-to-noise for signals passing through the node than the nodes illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.
• FIG. 3 The construction of an add/drop node which can be used in optical WDM networks, for example the simple network illustrated in Fig. 1 , and which can be configured for either a blocking drop operation or a non-blocking drop operation is illustrated by the block diagram of Fig. 3.
• WDM traffic arrives to a node 7 from two opposite directions.
• the node 7 is at a left side connected to a left line cable 1 comprising two optical fibers 3, 5 for transmission of light signals in the two opposite directions whereas the other, right side of the node 7 is connected to two optical fibers 9, 11 of a right line cable 13.
• the node 7 is connected to or contains receivers 15 and transmitters 17 for converting optical signals to electrical signals and vice versa respectively, the electrical signals being transferred or received respectively from other devices, links or networks, not shown.
• the line cables 1 , 13 ending at a node 7 can have their other ends connected to other, for example identically constructed nodes.
• the traffic incoming to the node from one direction is amplified in an optical preamplifier 19, 21 and is then split in a drop coupler 47, 49.
• This coupler is an optical power splitter that feeds a portion of the total signal power of the WDM traffic to an optical demultiplexer 51 , which through a combining coupler 52 receives the tapped-off light signals from both directions and filters out each channel, some channels of which are then forwarded to op to-electrical receivers 15.
• the remaining portion of the total signal power of the WDM traffic passing through the node as split by the splitter 47, 49 is fed to wavelength blocking filters 53, 55, is mixed in an add coupler 57, 59 with the new traffic to be transmitted from the considered node 7 and then fed to an optical power amplifier 43, 45 which on their output terminals provide the signals going out from the node to the respective optical fiber 9, 5 of the line cables 13, 1.
• the blocking filters 53, 55 By arranging/not arranging the blocking filters 53, 55 the node can be made to work in a blocking drop or non-blocking drop operational mode.
• the new traffic to be added in the considered node 7 is obtained from electro-optical transmitters 17, each transmitting signals of a definite wavelength band, through an optical multiplexer 61 and a splitting optical coupler 63, which is connected to the output terminal of the multiplexer 61 and has its two output terminals connected to an input terminal of the add couplers 57, 59.
• a drawback of the node according to Fig. 3 is that it adds a lot of noise to the passing light signals.
• the reason therefor is that the optical output power per channel from the multiplexer 61 is very low compared to the output power of the optical preamplifier 19, 21 , and hence the attenuation in the drop couplers 47, 49 and the add couplers 53, 55 has to be high for the passing signals in order to keep them at the same power level as that of the added channels after the respective add coupler 57, 59.
• FIG. 4 Another construction of an add/drop node to be used in fiber optical networks using wavelength division multiplexing, for example also of the basic type illustrated in Fig. 1 , and having a high signal-to-noise-ratio compared to the node illustrated for example in Fig. 3 is illustrated by the block diagram of Fig. 4.
• the optical add/drop node 7 can thus add and dropp wavelength division multiplexed traffic channels.
• the optical power amplifier 43, 45 of the node construction according to Fig. 3 is replaced by a two stage configuration, including an optional second stage.
• the node of Fig. 4 can be configured for either a blocking drop operation or a non-blocking drop mode of operation.
• Figs. 4 Like the nodes depicted in Figs.
• a left line cable 1 comprising two optical fibers 3, 5 for transmission of light signals in both directions are coupled to one side of the optical add/drop node 7, the other side of the node 7 being connected to the two fibers 9, 11 of a right line cable 13.
• the node 7 comprises or is connected to receivers 15 and transmitters 17 for converting optical signals to electrical signals and vice versa, the electrical signals being transferred or received respectively from other devices, links or networks, not shown.
• the optical WDM traffic enters the node from both sides thereof on the input lines 3, 11 and is amplified in optical preamplifiers 19, 21.
• the WDM traffic on each line is then split in drop couplers 47, 49 connected to the output terminal of the preamplifiers.
• Such a drop coupler is an optical power splitter that feeds a part of the total amplified signal power of the WDM traffic to an optical demultiplexer 51.
• the network is suitably constructed so that never the same channel arrives from both sides of the node only one demultiplexer 51 can be used having an optical combining coupler 52 on its inputs side.
• Each wavelength interval is filtered out in the demultiplexing element 51 which thus separates the optical channels so that on each of the plurality of output fibers of the demultiplexer 51 only one channel is transmitted, i.e. information carried by light within a single wavelength interval.
• Some channels of the WDM traffic are then forwarded to opto-electrical receivers 15.
• the other part of the split total signal incoming on one side of the node 7 can then be fed to optional wavelength blocking filters 53, 55, which are arranged to block light of those wavelength intervals which from the demultiplexer 51 are transmitted to the receivers 15.
• optional wavelength blocking filters 53, 55 By arranging/not arranging the blocking filters 53, 55 the node is made to work in a blocking drop or non-blocking drop operational mode.
• the other part is, thus either directly or through the filter 53, 55, forwarded to one input of an add coupler 57, 59.
• the add coupler 57, 59 it is mixed with the new traffic channels to be transmitted originating from the considered node.
• These optical channels to be added are created in electro-optical transmitters 17 and are made to one light signal in a multiplexer 61 connected to the outputs of the transmitters 17.
• the composite signal thus obtained is split into equal shares in a splitting coupler 3 connected to the output terminal of the multiplexer 53 and amplified to a suitable power level in an optical amplifier 65, 67.
• the power level is adapted, so that the individual power levels of the channels to be added are as equal as possible to those of the channels continuing substantially uninterruptedly through the node 7 from one line cable 1 , 13 to the opposite one 13, 1.
• the amplified signal output from the amplifiers 65, 67 is provided to the other input terminal of the add coupler 57, 59 and thus the new traffic channels are added to or combined with those proceeding through the node.
• the resulting light signal is then fed to the input end of the respective optical fiber 9, 5 of the line cable 13, 1 on the opposite side of the node.
• the tight signal resulting from the add coupler 57, 59 is amplified in an optical power or booster amplifier 43, 45, which thus is optional. From the output terminal of the power amplifier 43, 45 the amplified light signal is in that case fed to the input end of the optical fiber 9, 5 of the line cable 13, 1 on the opposite side of the node 7.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Optical Communication System (AREA)

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• 1997
  • 1997-04-30 SE SE9701668A patent/SE519255C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1998
  • 1998-04-30 EP EP98920810A patent/EP0979564A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-04-30 WO PCT/SE1998/000801 patent/WO1998049794A2/en active Application Filing
  • 1998-04-30 AU AU73562/98A patent/AU7356298A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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