Protection switching arrangement for an optical switching system
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsAlan Graves, Dallas Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A protection arrangement for an optical switching system includes protection switching for switch planes in the optical core and for ports in the tributary cards. For a multiple layer switch core protection is also provided between layers. A first layer is for switching optical channels. The protection switches used may be 1×N, 2×N or 3×N MEMS optical switches. The 1×N MEMS provides for protection switching. The 2×N MEMS provides protection switching and testing capability. The 3×N MEMS provides for protection switching, testing and backup of the protection switching. Application of these protection switches is shown in lambda plane switch cores, multiple layer switch cores and combined switch cores.
Claims2
A protection switching arrangement comprising:
- a first logical layer for switching optical channels;
- a second logical layer for switching a group of optical channels;
- a first coupler for grouping together optical channels of the first logical layer and coupling them to the second logical layer;
- a second coupler for ungrouping grouped optical channels of the second logical layer and coupling them to the first logical layer;
- and
- a first protection switch providing an alternative switch path for at least one of the grouped optical channels from the first logical layer in the second logical layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.