Add/drop capability for spatial division multiplexed optical systems

An apparatus, comprising:

• an optical add-drop multiplexer configured to optically switch optical communications between near ends of optical fibers or optical cores such that, for selected pairs of the optical fibers, an entire set of optical wavelength channels received at the optical add-drop multiplexer from a first of the optical fibers or a first of the optical cores thereof of each one of the selected pairs of the optical fibers is directed together to a second of the optical fibers or a second of the optical cores thereof of the same one of the selected pairs of the optical fibers, wherein the optical add-drop multiplexer comprises:
• a transport section comprising a first plurality of optical switches and a second plurality of optical switches, wherein the first plurality of optical switches is optically connected to near ends of input optical fibers or optical cores thereof and optically connected to the second plurality of optical switches, wherein the second plurality of optical switches is configured to optically switch optical communications between the first plurality of optical switches and near ends of optical output fibers or optical cores thereof, wherein the first plurality of optical switches and the second plurality of optical switches are configured to optically switch optical communications between near ends of optical fibers or optical cores thereof such that entire sets of optical wavelength channels received from ones of the input optical fibers or the optical cores thereof are directed together to ones of the output optical fibers or the optical cores thereof;
• and
• an add-drop section comprising a third plurality of optical switches configured to drop entire sets of optical wavelength channels from selected ones of the input optical fibers or the optical cores thereof and to add entire sets of optical wavelength channels to selected ones of the output optical fibers or the optical cores thereof, wherein each of the optical switches in the third plurality of optical switches is optically connected to each of the optical switches in the second plurality of optical switches such that any of the sets of optical wavelength channels being dropped is dropped together from one of the input optical fibers or the optical cores thereof and such that any of the sets of optical wavelength channels being added is added together to one of the output optical fibers or the optical cores thereof.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an optical add-drop multiplexer configured to optically switch optical communications between near ends of optical fibers or optical cores such that, for selected pairs of the optical fibers, an entire set of optical wavelength channels received at the optical add-drop multiplexer from a first of the optical fibers or a first of the optical cores thereof of each one of the selected pairs of the optical fibers is directed together to a second of the optical fibers or a second of the optical cores thereof of the same one of the selected pairs of the optical fibers, wherein the optical add-drop multiplexer comprises:
• a transport section comprising a first plurality of optical switches, a second plurality of optical switches, and a third plurality of optical switches;
• wherein the first plurality of optical switches is optically connected to near ends of input optical fibers or optical cores thereof and optically connected to the second plurality of optical switches, wherein the third plurality of optical switches is optically connected to the second plurality of optical switches and near ends of output optical fibers or optical cores thereof, wherein the second plurality of optical switches is optically connected to the first plurality of optical switches and the third plurality of optical switches;
• wherein the first, second, and third pluralities of optical switches are configured to optically switch optical communications between near ends of optical fibers or optical cores thereof such that entire sets of optical wavelength channels received from ones of the input optical fibers or the optical cores thereof are directed together to ones of the output optical fibers or the optical cores thereof;
• and
• wherein the first, second, and third pluralities of optical switches are configured to drop entire sets of optical wavelength channels from selected ones of the input optical fibers or the optical cores thereof and to add entire sets of optical wavelength channels to selected ones of the output optical fibers or the optical cores thereof.