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AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsRichard W. Heath, Peter J. Anslow
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A WDM optical network comprising a plurality of nodes has a first apparatus for optical analysis at the site of a first optical amplifier upstream of the first node, a second apparatus for optical analysis at the site of a second optical amplifier at the downstream output of the first node, and a third apparatus for optical analysis at the site of a third optical amplifier further downstream of the first node, where knowledge of the optical sin to noise ratio (OSNR) is desired. The first, second and third apparatus are for measuring the signal level at frequencies both at and in-between the channel frequencies. The signal levels at the channel frequencies and between the channel frequencies at the first, second and third apparatus are used to derive the OSNR at the third apparatus. This enables the OSNR to be measured accurately at any site in the network, using calculations in which noise shaping of the nodes can be factored in to the calculation of OSNR.
A WDM optical network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node comprising an optical device at which multiplexing and/or demultiplexing operations are carried out, one or more optical amplifiers being provided between adjacent pairs of nodes, wherein a first apparatus for optical analysis is provided at the site of a first optical amplifier upstream of the first node, a second apparatus for optical analysis is provided at the site of a second optical amplifier at the downstream output of the first node, and a third apparatus for optical analysis is provided at the site of a third optical amplifier further downstream of the first node, where knowledge of the optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) is desired, wherein the first, second and third apparatus are for measuring the signal level at frequencies both at and in-between the channel frequencies, and wherein signal levels at the channel frequencies and between the channel frequencies at the first, second and third apparatus are used to derive the OSNR at the third apparatus.
A method of determining the optical signal to noise ratio at a location in a WDM optical network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes comprising an optical switching arrangement for the routing or forwarding of channels or groups of channels, the method comprising:
An optical node for use in a WDM optical network comprising a multiplexing and/or demultiplexing device, the node including a first optical amplifier at an input to the node and a second optical amplifier at an output of the node, wherein a first apparatus for optical analysis is provided at the site of the first optical amplifier and a second apparatus for optical analysis is provided at the site of the second optical amplifier, wherein the first and second apparatus are for measuring the signal level at frequencies both at and in-between the channel frequencies, and wherein outputs of the first and second apparatus are provided as outputs of the node for enabling the OSNR to be determined at a location downstream of the node, taking into account the noise shaping of the multiplexing and/or demultiplexing device of the node.
An apparatus for measuring the optical signal to noise ratio at a location in a WDM optical network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node comprising a multiplexing and/or demultiplexing device, the apparatus comprising:
A network management system for determining the optical signal to noise ratio at locations in a WDM optical network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node comprising a multiplexing and/or demultiplexing device, the system comprising:
A computer program for carrying out a method of determining the optical signal to noise ratio at a location in a WDM optical network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes comprising an optical switching arrangement for the routing or forwarding of channels or groups of channels, the method comprising;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.