Method and arrangement for combining time-division multiplex signals

A method for combining a plurality of incoming optical time-division multiplex signals to form a resulting time-division multiplex signal, the incoming signals and the resulting signal each have a maximum number of periodic time-division multiplexed channels, the method comprising:

• identifying an occupancy of the channels for the incoming signals, the occupancy including a commonly occupied channel of the incoming signals and a commonly unoccupied channel of the incoming signals;
• identifying a time correspondence of the identified occupancy;
• and
• reassigning of a content of an occupied channel to an unoccupied channel via a reciprocal time displacement of the content,
• whereby the content of the incoming signals are reordered and combined to form the resulting signal such that the combining is collision-free.

An arrangement for combining a plurality of incoming optical time-division multiplex signals to form a resulting time-division multiplex signal, each signal having the same maximum number of periodic time-division multiplexed channels, the arrangement comprising:

• a controller;
• a detection unit identifying an occupancy of channels and channel time correspondence of the incoming signals, the detection unit operatively connected to the controller via a control signal, the occupancy including a commonly occupied channel of the incoming signals and a commonly unoccupied channel of the incoming signals;
• a time delay element for the reciprocal time displacement of a content from the occupied channel in one of the incoming signals, the time delay element operatively connected to the controller;
• and
• an optical coupler connected downstream from the time delay element to reassign the content to the unoccupied channel of the incoming signals,
• wherein combining into the resulting signal occurs in a collision-free manner.