High-degree reconfigurable add-drop multiplexer
AssigneeHuawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
InventorHamid Mehrvar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to an aspect, a flexible node design for a high-degree ROADM is provided. In an embodiment, this design is implemented as a network node. The network node includes a plurality of optical input and a plurality of optical outputs. The network node further includes a MEMS (or other Optical Cross Connect, OXC) component and a WSS component, where each of the OXC and the WSS component has a set of inputs of the plurality of optical inputs and a set of outputs of the plurality of optical outputs. In some embodiments, the network node has a set of add inputs supported by one or both of the OXC and WSS components. In some embodiments, the network node has a set of drop outputs supported by one or both of the OXC and WSS components.
Claims25
A network node comprising:
- a plurality of optical input ports (OIPs) including a first set (1S) of OIPs and a second set (2S) of OIPs;
- a plurality of optical output ports (OOPs) including a 1S of OOPs and a 2S of OOPs;
- a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) that includes:
- an optical cross-connect (OXC) having:
- a plurality of OXC inputs coupled to the 1S of OIPs;
- a plurality of OXC outputs coupled to the 1S of OOPS;
- one or more ancillary OXC optical inputs;
- and
- one or more ancillary OXC optical outputs;
- a wavelength-selective switch (WSS) having:
- a plurality of WSS inputs coupled directly to the 2S of OIPS;
- a plurality of WSS outputs coupled directly to the 2S of OOPS;
- one or more ancillary WSS optical inputs configured to couple to the one or more ancillary OXC optical outputs;
- and
- one or more ancillary WSS optical outputs configured to couple to the one or more ancillary OXC optical inputs;
- one or more optical add inputs located on the OXC, on the WSS, or on both the OXC and the WSS, each optical add input of the one or more optical add inputs being configured to receive one optical add signal or multiple optical add signals;
- and
- one or more optical drop outputs located on the OXC, on the WSS, or on both the OXC and the WSS, each optical drop output of the one or more optical drop outputs being configured to output one optical drop signal or multiple optical drop signals.
An apparatus for adding or dropping one or more optical signals at a network node, the apparatus comprising:
- a first array of M wavelength-selective switches (WSSs), M being a positive integer, wherein each WSS of the first array of M WSSs is sized 1×N, N being a positive integer, and connected to an optical add input of M optical add inputs of the network node;
- and
- a first array of N optical cross-connects (OXCs), wherein each OXC of the first array of N OXCs is:
- sized M×M;
- connected to each WSS of the first array of M WSSs;
- a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) cross-connect, a liquid crystal optical switch (LCOS), or a solid-state optical switch;
- and
- connected to a first set of transponders from which an optical signal is received for adding.
An apparatus for dropping an optical signal received at a network node, the apparatus comprising:
- a first array of B wavelength-selective switches (WSSs), B being a positive integer, wherein each WSS of the first array of B WSSs is sized 1×Y, Y being a positive integer, and connected to an optical drop input of B optical drop inputs of the network node;
- and
- a first array of Y optical cross-connects (OXCs), wherein each OXC of the first array of Y OXCs is:
- sized B×B;
- connected to each WSS of the first array of B WSSs;
- connected to a first set of transponders at which the optical signal is dropped;
- and
- a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) cross-connect, a liquid crystal optical switch (LCOS), or a solid-state optical switch.
An apparatus for adding or dropping one or more optical signals at a network node, the apparatus comprising:
- a first array of P optical cross-connects (OXCs), P being a positive integer, wherein each OXC of the first array:
- is sized N×N, N being a positive integer;
- is connected to a second array of N OXCs of the network node via P optical add inputs of each OXC of the second array;
- supports N super-channels, each super-channel corresponding to a respective OXC of the second array;
- and
- is a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) cross-connect, a liquid crystal optical switch (LCOS), or a solid-state optical switch;
- a third array of P OXCs, wherein each OXC of the third array is:
- sized N×N;
- connected to each OXC of the first array;
- connected to a first set of transponders from which an optical signal is received for adding;
- and
- a MEMS cross-connect, an LCOS, or a solid-state optical switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.