Apparatus for managing an optical signal

A system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a card-holding chassis;
• a drop filter supported by the substrate and having
• a light distributor configured to (a) receive a multiplexed signal, including a network channel identified as destined for a client device and received from a network via an optical transport link and (b) demultiplex the multiplexed signal into a plurality of different network channels,
• a plurality of variable optical attenuators, each configured to attenuate a different network channel demultiplexed by the light distributor,
• a plurality of light combiners at least one of which is connected to an optical converter card configured to communicate with the client device and receives the identified network channel, and
• a plurality of optical switches, each configured to receive at least one corresponding attenuated, different network channel and to assign that channel to at least one corresponding light combiner;
• an add filter supported by the substrate and having a first light combiner configured to combine channels from add input ports, at least one of which is connected to the optical converter card, and to transmit the combined channels to a second light combiner configured to combine the combined client channels with channels from an express input port and to transmit all the combined channels to the network;
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having the express input port;
• and
• a power supply supported by the substrate.

A system optics card configured to transport information over a first optical transport link to a network, the system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a card-holding chassis;
• at least one express input port supported by the substrate and configured to receive channels from a plurality of other system optics cards;
• add input ports supported by the substrate, at least one of the add input ports being connected to an optical converter card configured to communicate with a client device;
• an add filter supported by the substrate and configured to receive client channels from the client device via the optical converter card and including a first light combiner configured to combine client channels from the add input ports and transmit the combined client channels to a second light combiner configured to combine the combined client channels with channels received from the express input port and transmit all the combined channels to the network over the first optical transport link;
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having at least the express input port;
• and
• a power supply supported by the substrate.

A system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a card-holding chassis;
• a drop filter supported by the substrate and configured to demultiplex network channels from a network, identify at least one of the network channels destined for a client device communicating with an optical converter card and to direct the identified channel to a drop output port connected to the optical converter card, and direct network channels destined for another system optics card to an express output port;
• an add filter supported by the substrate and having a first light combiner, configured to deliver client channels of any wavelength from each add input port of the system optics card, one of which is connected to the optical converter card, to the network via a first optical transport link and to prevent the transmission of client channels of the same wavelength from different add input ports, and a second light combiner configured to receive the client channels from the add input ports, to combine the received client channels into a combined client-channel signal, and to transmit the combined client-channel signal to the first light combiner;
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having the express output port;
• and
• a power supply supported by the substrate.

A system optics card connectable to a network and an optical converter card configured to communicate with a client device, the system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a chassis for housing the system optics card, other system optics cards, and/or other optics cards;
• a drop filter supported by the substrate and configured to demultiplex network channels from the network, identify at least one of the network channels and to direct the identified channel to a drop output port connected to the optical converter card, and direct other network channels to an express output port;
• an add filter supported by the substrate and configured to combine channels from add input ports, at least one of which is connected to the optical converter card, combine the combined client channels with channels received from an express input port, and transmit all of the combined channels to the network;
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having at least one of the express input and output ports;
• and
• a power supply supported by the substrate.

A system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a chassis for housing the system optics card, other system optics cards, and/or other optics cards;
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having at least one express output port configured to provide channels to a plurality of other system optics cards, at least one express input port configured to receive channels from a plurality of other system optics cards, a drop output port connected to an optical converter card configured to communicate with a client device, add input ports, at least one of which is connected to the optical converter card, and at least one port through which one or more channels are added from an expansion optical card, dropped to the expansion optical drop card, output to a network, input from the network, input from a dispersion module, output to the dispersion module, or output to a test port;
• a drop filter supported by the substrate and configured to demultiplex network channels from the network, identify at least one of the network channels and to direct the identified channel to the drop output port, and direct other network channels to the express output port;
• an add filter supported by the substrate and configured to combine channels from the add input ports, combine the combined client channels with channels from the express input port, and transmit all of the combined channels to the network;
• and
• a power supply supported by the substrate.

A system optics card comprising:

• a drop filter configured to demultiplex a plurality of network channels from a network, to direct at least one of the network channels destined for a client device configured to communicate with an optical converter card to a drop output port connected to the optical converter card, and to direct network channels destined for another system optics card to an express output port, the drop filter including
• a demultiplexer configured to receive the plurality of network channels and to demultiplex the received network channels into a plurality of single network channels,
• at least two multiplexers, one connected to the drop output port and one connected to the express output port, and
• at least two optical switches, each configured to receive one of the single network channels output by the demultiplexer and to assign and direct each received single network channel to one of the multiplexers.

A system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a card-holding chassis;
• a drop filter supported by the substrate and configured to demultiplex network channels from a network, identify at least one of the network channels and to direct the identified channel to a drop output port connected to an optical converter card configured to communicate with a client device, and direct other network channels to an express output port connectable to another system optics card;
• an add filter supported by the substrate and configured to combine channels from add input ports, at least one of which is connected to the optical converter card, combine the combined client channels with channels from an express input port, and transmit all of the combined channels to the network;
• a power supply supported by the substrate;
• at least one expansion output port supported by the substrate and connectable to at least one expansion circuit pack comprising a plurality of drop ports;
• and
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having at least one of the express input and output ports,
• the drop filter also being configured to drop one or more network channels received from the network to the drop ports of the expansion circuit pack via the expansion output port.

A system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a card-holding chassis;
• a drop filter supported by the substrate and configured to demultiplex network channels from a network, identify at least one of the network channels and to direct the identified channel to a drop output port connected to an optical converter card configured to communicate with a client device, and direct other network channels to an express output port connectable to another system optics card;
• an add filter supported by the substrate and configured to combine channels from add input ports, at least one of which is connected to the optical converter card, combine the combined client channels with channels received from an express input port, and transmit all of the combined channels to the network;
• a power supply supported by the substrate;
• dispersion compensation input and output ports supported by the substrate and connectable to a dispersion compensator that receives one or more network channels from a line input port via the dispersion compensation output port, processes the one or more network channels from the line input port to compensate for the chromatic dispersion thereof, and transmits the chromatic-dispersion-compensated network channels through the dispersion compensation input port to the drop filter;
• and
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having at least one of the express output and input ports,
• the chromatic-dispersion-compensated network channel destined for the client device being transmitted from the drop filter to the drop output port connected to the optical converter card.

A system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a card-holding chassis;
• a drop filter supported by the substrate and configured to demultiplex network channels from a network, identify at least one of the network channels and to direct the identified channel to a drop output port connected to an optical converter card configured to communicate with a client device, and direct other network channels to an express output port connectable to another system optics card;
• at least one expansion input port supported by the substrate and connectable to at least one expansion circuit pack comprising a plurality of add ports;
• an add filter supported by the substrate and connected to the expansion input port, the add filter being configured to combine one or more channels received from add ports of the system optics card, at least one of which is connected to the optical converter card, and one or more channels received from the add ports of the expansion circuit pack via the expansion input port, and to transmit the combined channels to the network via a line output port;
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having the express output port;
• and
• a power supply supported by the substrate.

A system optics card comprising:

• a drop filter including
• at least one express output port configured to provide channels to a plurality of other system optics cards,
• at least one express input port configured to receive channels from a plurality of other system optics cards,
• a light distributor configured to (i) receive a multiplexed signal, including a network channel identified as destined for a client device configured to provide information to and receive information from an optical converter card, and received from a network via a first optical transport link and (ii) demultiplex the multiplexed signal into a plurality of different network channels,
• a plurality of variable optical attenuators, each configured to attenuate a different network channel demultiplexed by the light distributor,
• a plurality of light combiners at least one of which is connected to the optical converter card, and
• a plurality of optical switches, each configured to receive at least one corresponding attenuated, different network channel and to assign that channel to at least one corresponding light combiner,
• the system optics card being configured to transport information over a second optical transport link, and to identify at least one network channel on the first optical transport link destined for the client device,
• the drop filter being configured to deliver the identified network channel to the optical converter card for delivery to the client device, and
• the system optics card being configured to receive client channels from the optical converter card generated by the client device, and to transport the client channels of the client device over the second optical transport link.

A system optics card comprising:

• at least one express output port configured to provide channels to a plurality of other system optics cards;
• a plurality of input ports including at least one express input port configured to receive channels from a plurality of other system optics cards, and at least two add input ports, at least one of which is connected to an optical converter card configured to provide information to and receive information from a client device;
• and
• an add filter having a first light combiner, configured to deliver client channels of any wavelength from each add input port to a network via a first optical transport link and to prevent the transmission of client channels of the same wavelength from different add input ports to the network, and a second light combiner configured to receive the client channels from the add input ports, to combine the received client channels into a combined client-channel signal, and to transmit the combined client-channel signal to the first light combiner,
• the system optics card being configured to transport information over the first optical transport link to the network, to receive information over a second optical transport link, to identify at least one network channel on the second optical transport link destined for the client device, and to provide the identified network channel to the optical converter card for delivery to the client device,
• the add filter being configured to receive client channels from the optical converter card generated by the client device, and
• the system optics card also being configured to transport the client channels of the client device received by the add filter over the first optical transport link.

A system optics card configured to receive information over a first optical transport link from a network and to identify at least one network channel on the first optical transport link destined for a client device, the system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a card-holding chassis;
• at least one express output port supported by the substrate and configured to provide channels to a plurality of other system optics cards;
• a drop filter supported by the substrate and configured to deliver the identified network channel to an optical converter card, configured to provide information to the client device, for delivery to the client device by demultiplexing all network channels received by the drop filter from the first optical transport link from the network, and thereafter directing at least one of the network channels destined for the client device to a drop output port connected to the optical converter card and directing the network channels destined for one of the other system optics card to the express output port;
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having the express output port;
• and
• a power supply supported by the substrate.

A system optics card, connectable to a network and an optical converter card configured to provide information to and receive information from a client device, and configured to receive information over a first optical transport link from the network and to identify at least one network channel on the first optical transport link destined for the client device, the system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having express input and output ports configured to, respectively, receive channels from and provide channels to from a plurality of other system optics cards;
• a drop filter supported by the substrate and configured to demultiplex network channels from the network and deliver the identified network channel to the optical converter card for delivery to the client device;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a chassis for housing the system optics card, other system optics cards, and/or other optics cards;
• and
• a power supply supported by the substrate.

A system optics card, connectable to a network and an optical converter card, configured to receive client channels from the optical converter card generated by a client device and to transport the client channels of the client device over a first optical transport link to the network, the system optics card comprising:

• a substrate;
• a mechanical front panel supported by the substrate and having express input and output ports configured to, respectively, receive channels from and provide channels to a plurality of other system optics cards;
• an add filter supported by the substrate and configured to combine channels from add input ports, at least one of which is connected to the optical converter card, combine the combined client channels with channels from the express input port, and transmit all of the combined channels to the network over the first optical transport link;
• an electrical backplane connector supported by the substrate and connectable to a chassis for housing the system optics card, other system optics cards, and/or other optics cards;
• and
• a power supply supported by the substrate.