Colorless, directionless, contentionless optical network using MXN wavelength selective switches

An optical node, comprising:

• a first configuration, comprising:
• D1 (D1≥1) degrees, each degree, of the D1 degrees, including an inbound wavelength selective switch (WSS) and an outbound WSS;
• and
• a first degree expansion including a first inbound expansion WSS and a first outbound expansion WSS,
• wherein the first inbound expansion WSS includes an expansion input that connects to an expansion output of a second outbound expansion WSS included in a second degree expansion of a second configuration, and
• wherein the first outbound expansion WSS includes an expansion output that connects to an expansion input of a second inbound expansion WSS included in the second degree expansion of the second configuration;
• and
• the second configuration, comprising:
• D2 (D2≥1) degrees, each degree, of the D2 degrees, including an inbound WSS and an outbound WSS;
• the second degree expansion including the second expansion inbound WSS and the second expansion outbound WSS,
• wherein the second inbound expansion WSS includes the expansion input that connects to the expansion output of the first outbound expansion WSS,
• wherein the second outbound expansion WSS includes the expansion output that connects to the expansion input of the first inbound expansion WSS,
• wherein a signal input to an inbound WSS of a given one of the D1 degrees can be routed, via the first degree expansion and the second degree expansion, to any drop port included in the second configuration, and
• wherein a signal input to an inbound WSS of a given one of the D2 degrees can be routed, via the second degree expansion and the first degree expansion, to any drop port included in the first configuration.

An optical node, comprising:

• a first configuration, comprising:
• a set of degrees, each including an inbound wavelength selective switch (WSS) and an outbound WSS;
• and
• a first degree expansion including a first inbound expansion WSS and a first outbound expansion WSS,
• wherein an expansion input of the first inbound expansion WSS connects to an expansion output of a second outbound expansion WSS included in a second degree expansion of a second configuration of the optical node, and
• wherein an expansion output of the first outbound expansion WSS connects to an expansion input of a second inbound expansion WSS included in the second degree expansion of the second configuration,
• wherein a signal input to an inbound WSS of a given one of the set of degrees can be routed, via the first degree expansion and the second degree expansion, to any drop port included in the second configuration, and
• wherein a signal input to an inbound WSS of a given one of the other set of degrees can be routed, via the second degree expansion and the first degree expansion, to any drop port included in the first configuration.