JP2012080384A - Communication apparatus and method of optical communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication apparatus capable of achieving microfabrication of optical switching granularity and effective use of a signal light band.SOLUTION: The communication apparatus includes: a wavelength switch for optical-switching multicarrier signal light with a fixed bandwidth; means for exchanging the multicarrier signal light from the wavelength switch; and means for optical-switching the received multicarrier signal light per unit subcarrier; and means for blocking the received multicarrier signal light per unit subcarrier.

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication apparatus for an optical communication network, and more particularly to a communication apparatus and method for switching signal light as it is and enabling efficient use of a signal light band.

  In an optical communication system, an optical transport network (OTN) signal (non-patent document 2) is used in ITU-T as a data container for accommodating client signals (Ethernet (registered trademark) signals and SONET / SDH signals (non-patent document 1)). It has been standardized. In a network using OTN signals, data switching in units of Optical Data Unit k (ODU k: k = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) using electric signal processing is possible according to the OTN hierarchy. By using a switching method in units of ODUs, it becomes possible to efficiently accommodate client signals accommodated in OTN signals.

  Further, Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 3, and Non-Patent Document 4 disclose a wavelength switching device using an optical switch that switches an optical signal as light with a mirror instead of switching by electric signal processing.

JP 2010-124266 A

ITU-T Recommendation G.707 “Network Node Interface for the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)” ITU-T Recommendation G.709 “Interfaces for the Optical Transport Network (OTN)” ITU-T Recommendation G.680 “Physical transfer functions of optical network elements” Thomas Strasser, “ROADM Technologies and Network Applications,” OFC / NFOEC2007 Short Course Notes SC261

  However, in the methods of Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2, since data is switched using electrical signal processing, the power consumption of the electrical circuit increases as the signal processing becomes faster, and the amount of heat generated from the electrical circuit becomes a problem. By using a wavelength switching device using an optical switch instead of switching by electric signal processing, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the device and solve the thermal problem. However, in the optical switching method, there is a problem that the signal light band cannot be efficiently used because the granularity of the signal light band to be switched becomes coarse such as 2.5 Gbps or 10 Gbps.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication apparatus and method that realizes miniaturization of optical switching granularity and enables efficient use of a signal light band.

  To achieve the above object, a communication device of an optical communication network according to the present invention receives a wavelength switch for optically switching multicarrier signal light with a constant bandwidth, means for transmitting and receiving multicarrier signal light from the wavelength switch, and receiving Means for optically switching the multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers, and means for blocking the received multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers.

  In order to achieve the above object, a communication apparatus of an optical communication network according to the present invention optically switches multicarrier signal light input from a transmission line with a certain bandwidth, outputs the light to a transponder or transmission line, and is input from a transponder. A wavelength switch for outputting the multicarrier signal light to the transmission line, means for transmitting and receiving the multicarrier signal light from the wavelength switch, means for optically switching the received multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers, and the received multicarrier A transponder having means for blocking signal light in units of subcarriers and means for transmitting and receiving signals from subcarrier mapping; and a signal input from the transponder is transferred to the client apparatus; and a signal input from the client apparatus The transponder And a sub-carrier mapping to be transferred.

  The transponder includes: a coupler that branches the multicarrier signal light received from the wavelength switch; and a duplexer that demultiplexes a signal light band of a designated subcarrier from one of the branched multicarrier signal lights. A receiver that receives the demultiplexed signal and transfers it to the subcarrier mapping; and a blocker that blocks a signal light band of a designated subcarrier from the other of the branched multicarrier signal lights. It is also preferable to provide.

  The transponder includes a transmitter that transfers a signal from the subcarrier mapping, a multiplexer that combines the transferred signal light, and a multi-channel that outputs the combined signal light from the blocker. It is also preferable to further include a coupler inserted into the carrier signal light.

  It is also preferable that the receiver or the transmitter is turned off when no signal is transferred.

  In order to achieve the above object, a communication method of an optical communication network according to the present invention includes a step of optically switching multicarrier signal light with a constant bandwidth, a step of transmitting and receiving multicarrier signal light from the wavelength switch, and a received multicarrier signal light. The method includes optically switching carrier signal light in units of subcarriers and blocking received multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers.

  According to the present invention, it becomes possible to optically switch multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers, improve signal light band utilization efficiency by miniaturization of optical switching granularity, and by using a signal switching method by an optical switch, The effect of reducing device power consumption can be obtained.

The structure of the communication apparatus of this invention is shown. Shows the configuration of one transponder The structure of subcarrier mapping is shown. The operation | movement flow of this invention apparatus is shown. The structure of the communication apparatus of this invention which considered various parameters is shown. The configuration of the wavelength switch considering various parameters is shown. The structure of the transponder considering various parameters is shown.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a communication apparatus according to the present invention. A portion surrounded by a dotted line in the figure shows the device of the present invention. The communication device 1 includes a wavelength switch 11, a transponder 12, a subcarrier mapping 13, and a control unit 14. The functional outline of each part will be described below.

  The wavelength switch 11 has a wavelength selective switching function (Non-Patent Documents 3 and 4) in a certain bandwidth unit, and includes input and output ports of paths 1 to k connected to a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) transmission path, and a transponder 1 to m input and output ports connected to 12.

  The transponder 12 has a function of transmitting and receiving multicarrier signal light and a function of blocking received signal light in units of subcarrier bandwidths. In addition, it has a function of inserting subcarrier signal light into the blocked band. The transponder 12 is connected to the subcarrier mapping 13.

  The subcarrier mapping 13 transfers the signal received from the transponder 12 to the client device 15 specified by the control unit 14 and transfers the signal received from the client device 15 to the transponder 12 specified by the control unit 14. Has the function of

  The control unit 14 has a function of controlling the wavelength switches 11, the transponders 12 of 1 to m, and the subcarrier mapping 13. The control unit 14 has a communication function with an external device, and receives a command via a control network or an operation management network.

  Although not a constituent element of the communication apparatus of the present invention, the client apparatus 15 transmits and receives user data accommodated in an Ethernet (registered trademark) signal, a SONET / SDH signal, or the like. Below, the function of each part is demonstrated.

  The wavelength switch 11 is configured by a wavelength selective switch (Non-Patent Documents 3 and 4). As a wavelength selection function, a signal light switching function of bandwidth A unit is provided. The signal light input from the WDM transmission lines 1 to k is switched to any one of the ports 1 to m by the wavelength switch 11 in units of bandwidth A, and the WDM transmission lines 1 to 1 are connected. It may be output to any port of k.

  The signal light input to the wavelength switch 11 via any one of the ports 1 to m of the output of the transponder 12 is output by the wavelength switch 11 to any one of the routes 1 to k. The wavelength switch 11 can output from any output port regardless of the signal light wavelength input from any input port.

  Each parameter will be described below. The path number k of the wavelength switch is an integer value of 1 or more.

となる。 The number of ports m of the wavelength switch 11 is the total number of WDM wavelengths that can be accommodated in each path. Assuming that the number of wavelengths of WDM signal light that can be accommodated in each path of the WDM transmission path is Num_WDM (a) [a is 1 to k],

It becomes.

  The structure of one transponder is shown in FIG. The transponder 12 includes a signal light transmitter 121 and receiver 122, a multiplexer 123, a demultiplexer 124, a blocker 125, and a coupler 126 for signal light insertion / branching.

  The input from the wavelength switch 11 is branched by the coupler 126 (1). One of the branched signal lights is input to the receiving side, and the other branched signal light is input to the blocker 125. The signal light input to the reception side is demultiplexed into subcarriers by the demultiplexer 124 and then received by the respective receivers 122. The signal received by the receiver 122 is transferred to the subcarrier mapping 13.

  In the signal light input to the blocker 125, the signal light band of the subcarrier designated by the control unit 14 is blocked by the blocker 125. The signal light from the transmitter 121 is inserted into the cut-off band by the coupler 126 (2) as necessary. Each output of the subcarrier mapping 13 is input to each transmitter 121 of 1 to m.

P of the number of transmitters and the number of receivers is defined as b when the signal optical bit rate handled by each transmitter 121 and receiver 122 is B and the bit rate per one WDM signal light is the same for all wavelengths. It becomes as follows.
p = B / b (Formula 2)

When the bit rate per wave of the WDM signal differs depending on the wavelength, if the signal bit rate of the wavelength number x in the transmission path q (q is an integer of 1 to k) is B [q, x], the number of transmitters, and The number of receivers p [q, x] is as follows.
p [q, x] = B [q, x] / b (Formula 3)

  On the receiving side, only the receiver 122 designated by the control unit 14 is used. At this time, the power of the receivers 122 that are not used is turned off.

  On the transmission side, only the transmitter 121 designated by the control unit 14 is used. Similarly to the receiver 122, the transmitter 121 that is not used is turned off.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration of subcarrier mapping. A portion surrounded by a dotted line indicates the configuration of the subcarrier mapping 13. The subcarrier mapping 13 includes a transceiver 131 and a switch 132. The subcarrier mapping 13 has a function of transferring a signal received from each transponder 12 to the client device 15 designated by the control unit 14. Further, it has a function of transferring a signal received from the client device 15 to the transponder 12 designated by the control unit 14.

  The signal input from the transponder 12 is received by the receiver in one of the transceivers 1 to x on the transponder side, and then sent to the switch 132. In order to transfer the signal to the client device 15 designated by the control unit 14, the signal is switched in the switch 132. The switched signal is sent to the client device 15 via a transmitter in the transceiver 132 on the client device side.

  The signal input from the client device 15 is received by the receiver in any one of the transceivers 1 to x on the client device side, and then sent to the switch 132. In order to transfer the signal to the transponder 12 designated by the control unit 14, the signal is switched in the switch 132. The switched signal is sent to the transponder 12 designated by the control unit 14 via the transmitter in the transponder side transceiver 132.

  Here, the number of the transmitters / receivers 131 in the subcarrier mapping 13 and the number x of the switches 132 are determined as follows.

When the bit rate per one WDM signal light is the same over all wavelengths, the following occurs.

When the bit rate per wave of the WDM signal differs depending on the wavelength, it is as follows.

ただし、ｄｒｘは２〜ｋの整数（ｄｒｘ＝１の場合は、式６で

とする。）
指定受信器：ｒ（ｒは１〜ｐの整数）
また、上記で指定した受信器１２２にて受信される信号光を、トランスポンダ内のブロッカ１２５にて遮断する。また、使用しない受信器１２２は、電源をオフする。
（Ｓ７）サブキャリアマッピング１３による信号転送：トランスポンダ１２からサブキャリアマッピング１３に入力された信号を、制御部１４で指定されたクライアント装置１５へ転送する。
制御部１４は、転送先のクライアントポートを以下のように指定する。
指定クライアントポート：ｃｌ（ｃｌは１〜ｘの整数）
（Ｓ８）信号光挿入？：信号光をＷＤＭ伝送路に挿入する場合は、Ｓ１０に進む。信号光の挿入を行わない場合は、Ｓ９に進む。
（Ｓ９）終了？：本通信装置１が動作を終了する場合は、Ｓ１５へ進み、終了しない場合は、Ｓ２へ戻る。
（Ｓ１０）クライアント装置１５からの信号受信：クライアント装置１５からの信号を、サブキャリアマッピング１３において受信する。
（Ｓ１１）サブキャリアマッピング１３による信号転送：クライアント装置１５から受信した信号を、制御部１４が指定するトランスポンダ１２に転送する。
制御部１４は、転送先のトランスポンダ１２を以下のように指定する。
指定トランスポンダの番号：ｔｒｐｄ＿ｔｘ（ｔｒｐｄ＿ｔｘは１〜ｍの整数）
指定方路と指定波長を下記のようにすると、ｔｒｐｄ＿ｔｘは次のようになる。
指定方路：ｄｔｘ（ｄｔｘは１〜ｋの整数）
指定波長：ｗｔｘ（ｗｔｘは１〜Ｎｕｍ＿ＷＤＭ（ｄｔｘ）の整数）
使用トランスポンダの番号：

ただし、ｄｔｘは２〜ｋの整数（ｄｔｘが１の場合、式７で

とする。）
（Ｓ１２）トランスポンダ１２による信号光送信：サブキャリアマッピング１３から受信した信号を、トランスポンダ１２においてマルチキャリア信号光に変換し、波長スイッチ１１へ送る。
制御部１４は、トランスポンダにおいて使用する送信器を以下のように指定する。
指定送信器：ｓ（ｓは１〜ｐの整数）
なお、使用しない送信器１２１は、電源をオフする。
（Ｓ１３）波長スイッチ１１による信号光挿入：トランスポンダ１２からの信号光を、波長スイッチ１１を用いてＷＤＭ信号に挿入する。
制御部１４は、挿入する指定方路を以下のように指定する。
指定方路：ｄｔｘ（ｄｔｘは１〜ｋの整数）
（Ｓ１４）終了？：本通信装置１が動作を終了する場合は、Ｓ１５へ進み、終了しない場合は、Ｓ２へ戻る。
（Ｓ１５）終了：終了する。 FIG. 4 shows an operation flow of the device of the present invention. The operation flow of this device is described below.
(S1) Start: The operation starts.
(S2) Signal insertion branch cut-through? : The control unit 14 checks whether or not there is a signal light insertion / branching instruction or a cut-through instruction. If there is no command, wait for the command. If there is a cut-through command, the process proceeds to S3. If there is an insertion / branch instruction, the process proceeds to S4. The “cut-through” means that a part or all of the signal light wavelength input from the input side WDM transmission line of the path 1 to k of the wavelength switch 11 is the output side WDM transmission line of the path 1 to k. It is output to.
(S3) Wavelength cut-through in the wavelength switch 11: The wavelength designated by the control unit 14 is cut through to the output designated by the wavelength switch 11.
(S4) Signal insertion branch? The control unit 14 confirms whether the signal light is inserted into the WDM signal light or the signal light is branched from the WDM signal light. When branching, the process proceeds to S5. When inserting, it progresses to S10.
(S5) Wavelength switching by the wavelength switch 11: In the wavelength switch 11, the wavelength branched from the WDM signal light is switched and input to the transponder 12.
The control unit 14 specifies the wavelength to be branched as follows.
Designated route: drx (where drx is an integer from 1 to k)
Designated wavelength: wrx (wrx is an integer from 1 to Num_WDM (drx))
(S6) Reception of signal light by the transponder 12: The signal light input from the wavelength switch 11 to the transponder 12 is received.
The control unit 14 designates the receiver 122 of the transponder 12 used for reception as follows.
Designated route: drx (where drx is an integer from 1 to k)
Designated wavelength: wrx (wrx is an integer from 1 to Num_WDM (drx))
Transponder number used:

However, drx is an integer of 2 to k (when drx = 1,

And )
Designated receiver: r (r is an integer from 1 to p)
Further, the signal light received by the receiver 122 specified above is blocked by the blocker 125 in the transponder. In addition, the unused receivers 122 are turned off.
(S7) Signal transfer by subcarrier mapping 13: A signal input from the transponder 12 to the subcarrier mapping 13 is transferred to the client device 15 designated by the control unit 14.
The control unit 14 designates the transfer destination client port as follows.
Designated client port: cl (cl is an integer from 1 to x)
(S8) Signal light insertion? When the signal light is inserted into the WDM transmission line, the process proceeds to S10. If no signal light is inserted, the process proceeds to S9.
(S9) End? : If the communication device 1 ends the operation, the process proceeds to S15, and if not, the process returns to S2.
(S10) Signal reception from client device 15: A signal from client device 15 is received by subcarrier mapping 13.
(S11) Signal transfer by subcarrier mapping 13: The signal received from the client device 15 is transferred to the transponder 12 specified by the control unit 14.
The control unit 14 designates the transfer destination transponder 12 as follows.
Designated transponder number: trpd_tx (trpd_tx is an integer from 1 to m)
When the designated route and the designated wavelength are as follows, trpd_tx is as follows.
Designated route: dtx (dtx is an integer from 1 to k)
Designated wavelength: wtx (wtx is an integer from 1 to Num_WDM (dtx))
Transponder number used:

Where dtx is an integer of 2 to k (when dtx is 1,

And )
(S12) Signal light transmission by the transponder 12: The signal received from the subcarrier mapping 13 is converted into multicarrier signal light by the transponder 12, and sent to the wavelength switch 11.
The control unit 14 designates a transmitter to be used in the transponder as follows.
Designated transmitter: s (s is an integer from 1 to p)
The transmitter 121 that is not used is turned off.
(S13) Signal light insertion by the wavelength switch 11: The signal light from the transponder 12 is inserted into the WDM signal by using the wavelength switch 11.
The control unit 14 designates the designated route to be inserted as follows.
Designated route: dtx (dtx is an integer from 1 to k)
(S14) End? : If the communication device 1 ends the operation, the process proceeds to S15, and if not, the process returns to S2.
(S15) End: End.

In the following, examples will be described. Here, the device of the present invention based on the following design values will be described.
-Number of wavelengths of WDM signal accommodated in one-way optical transmission line: 40
-Signal bit rate per wave: 10 Gbps
-Number of paths of wavelength switch 11: 3
-Bit rate of transmitter 121 and receiver 122: 1 Gbps
-Client signal bit rate: 1 Gbps
Under this condition, the number m of connection ports between the wavelength switch 11 and the transponder 12 is 120 as follows.

となる。 The number of connection ports between the wavelength switch 11 and the transponder 12 is from (Equation 1).

It becomes.

  Since the number of connection ports of the wavelength switch 11 and the transponder 12 and the number of the transponders 12 are the same, the number of transponders is also 120.

Next, the number p of the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 becomes 10 as follows from (Equation 2) from the relationship between the signal bit rate per wave and the bit rate of the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122: The number of connection ports x between the subcarrier mapping 13 and the transponder 12 is 1200 as follows from (Equation 4).
Number of transmitters and receivers: p = B / b = 10 Gbps / 1 Gbps = 10
Number of subcarrier mapping and transponder connection ports:
x = m × p = 120 × 10 = 1200

  FIG. 5 shows an outline of a communication apparatus taking into account the various parameters described above, and FIG. 6 shows a configuration diagram of the wavelength switch.

  Each wavelength selective switch has the number of ports into which the number of wavelengths of the WDM signal in each path can be inserted or branched, and the number of ports into which the signal light can be inserted or branched into each path. Here, since the number of wavelengths of the WDM signal is 40, the number of signal light is inserted or branched, the number of ports is 40, and the number of ports for inserting or branching signal light from one path to the other two paths is A wavelength selective switch having two ports and a total of 42 ports is used. FIG. 6 shows an example in which a wavelength switch 11 having three paths is configured by using six wavelength selective switches having 42 ports.

  FIG. 7 shows a configuration example of the transponder. In this example, the number of transceivers in the transponder 12 is ten. The transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 use a Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) signal as signal light. In this example, the signal bit rate of one transmitter 121 and receiver 122 is 1 Gbps. An optical coupler or an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) is used as the signal light multiplexer 123. The signal light demultiplexer 124 demultiplexes each subcarrier using AWG. Here, since the bit rate of the subcarrier handled by one transceiver is 1 Gbps, the wavelength interval of the subcarrier is 2 GHz.

As a control example of the device of the present invention, an operation under the following conditions will be described.
Signal light branching: The wavelength 10 of the path 3 is branched.
The transponder 12 receives the subcarrier 3 with the wavelength 10.
Signal light insertion: A subcarrier 5 with a wavelength of 15 in the path 2 is inserted.

となり、トランスポンダ１２（９０）を用いて信号光を受信することになる。 Under the above conditions, the apparatus is controlled according to the operation flow of the apparatus of FIG. Here, since it is necessary to branch the signal light, first, the wavelength 10 of the path 3 is branched by the wavelength switching by the wavelength switch 11. At this time, the transponder 12 that receives the above wavelength uses (Equation 6):

Thus, signal light is received using the transponder 12 (90).

  The signal light is received using the receiver 3 of the transponder 12 (90). Further, the power supply of the receivers other than the receiver 3 of the transponder 12 (90) is turned off. At this time, the blocker 125 in the transponder 12 blocks the subcarrier band received by the receiver 3. A wavelength blocker is used as the blocker 125.

となり、トランスポンダ１２（５５）のサブキャリア５を用いて信号光を挿入することになる。 Next, a case where signal light is inserted will be described. First, a signal from the client device 15 is received by the subcarrier mapping 13. Next, the signal received from the client device 15 is transferred to the transponder 12 designated by the control unit 14. At this time, the transponder 12 to be used uses (Equation 7):

Thus, signal light is inserted using the subcarrier 5 of the transponder 12 (55).

  Moreover, all the embodiments described above are illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention, and the present invention can be implemented in other various modifications and changes. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims and their equivalents.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication apparatus 11 Wavelength switch 12 Transponder 13 Subcarrier mapping 14 Control part 15 Client apparatus 121 Transmitter 122 Receiver 123 Multiplexer 124 Demultiplexer 125 Blocker 126 Coupler 131 Transmitter / receiver 132 Switcher

Claims (6)

A wavelength switch that optically switches multicarrier signal light with a fixed bandwidth; and
Means for transmitting and receiving multi-carrier signal light from the wavelength switch;
Means for optically switching received multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers;
Means for blocking received multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers;
An optical communication network communication apparatus comprising: A wavelength switch that optically switches multicarrier signal light input from a transmission line with a certain bandwidth, outputs the light to a transponder or transmission line, and outputs multicarrier signal light input from the transponder to the transmission line;
Means for transmitting / receiving multicarrier signal light from the wavelength switch; means for optically switching received multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers; means for blocking received multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers; and subcarrier mapping. A transponder having means for transmitting and receiving signals from
Subcarrier mapping for transferring a signal input from the transponder to a client device, and transferring a signal input from the client device to the transponder;
An optical communication network communication apparatus comprising: The transponder is
A coupler for branching the multicarrier signal light received from the wavelength switch;
A demultiplexer for demultiplexing a signal light band of a designated subcarrier from one of the branched multicarrier signal lights;
A receiver for receiving the demultiplexed signal and transferring it to the subcarrier mapping;
A blocker that blocks a signal light band of a designated subcarrier from the other of the branched multicarrier signal light;
The optical communication network communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: The transponder is
A transmitter for transferring a signal from the subcarrier mapping;
A multiplexer for multiplexing the transferred signal light;
A coupler for inserting the combined signal light into the multicarrier signal light output from the blocker;
The communication device of the optical communication network according to claim 3, further comprising:   5. The optical communication network communication device according to claim 3, wherein the receiver or the transmitter is powered off when no signal is transferred. 6. Optically switching multicarrier signal light with a constant bandwidth;
Transmitting and receiving multi-carrier signal light from the wavelength switch;
Optically switching received multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers;
Blocking received multicarrier signal light in units of subcarriers;
A communication method for an optical communication network, comprising:

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