Method and apparatus for automatic signal gain setting

An optical amplifier module comprising an optical amplifier configured to amplify an optical input signal with a gain to generate an optical output signal, and

• a gain setting apparatus configured to set automatically the gain of said optical amplifier,
• said gain setting apparatus comprising:
• an optical channel counter, OCC, unit configured to detect a number of channels present in an optical transmission spectrum using a tunable wide bandwidth optical filter,
• a determination unit configured to determine an average power per channel calculated by dividing a measured total power of a signal input and/or signal output of the optical amplifier by the number of channels detected by the optical channel counter, OCC, unit and
• a gain adjustment unit configured to adjust the amplifier gain of said optical amplifier automatically depending on a calculated power difference between a predetermined desired power per channel and the determined average power per channel provided by the determination unit.

A method for performing automatic setting of an amplifier gain of an optical amplifier,

• the method comprising the steps of:
• detecting a number of channels present in an optical transmission spectrum using a tunable wide bandwidth optical filter;
• measuring a total power at a signal input and/or at a signal output of the optical amplifier;
• dividing the measured total power by the detected number of channels present in the optical transmission spectrum to calculate an average power per channel;
• calculating a power difference between a predetermined desired power per channel and the calculated average power per channel;
• and
• adjusting the amplifier gain of the optical amplifier depending on the calculated power difference.

A method for automatic adjustment of signal power at one or more ports of a wavelength selective apparatus,

• the method comprising the steps of:
• detecting a number of channels present in an optical transmission spectrum by an optical channel counter, OCC, unit using a tunable wide bandwidth optical filter;
• determining whether an average signal power at the ports of the wavelength selective apparatus does meet predetermined power thresholds on the basis of the detected number of channels within the optical transmission spectrum and a measured total signal power within the optical transmission spectrum;
• and
• adjusting the signal power at the ports of the wavelength selective apparatus until the signal power of the signal at the ports does meet the predetermined power thresholds.