Optical routing apparatus and method

Abstract

Optical add and drop switch and aggregator apparatus (10) comprising: N first wavelength selective routing apparatus (14) each configured to split a wavelength multiplexed input signal into L sub-signals; demultiplexers (16) each configured to demultiplex a respective sub-signal into K optical signals; output ports (18) each configured to output a respective output optical signal; add ports (20) configured to receive optical signals to be added; M second wavelength selective routing apparatus (22) each having X outputs, each said apparatus being configured to receive optical signals from a respective add port and to route each received optical signal to a respective one of its outputs; drop ports (24) configured to output optical signals to be dropped; and a switch matrix (26) coupled between the demultiplexers, the output ports, the drop ports and the second wavelength selective routing apparatus, the switch matrix comprising a plurality of optical switches arranged in XM columns and KLN rows.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to an optical add / drop switch and an aggregator device, and to an optical multiplexer comprising an optical add / drop switch and an aggregator device. The invention also relates to a method of routing optical signals via an optical switch matrix. Background technique [0002] In current configurable optical add / drop multiplexers ROADMs, flexibility is only provided for handling wavelength channels (bypass wavelengths) originating from the network that can be remotely configured at each node to route from any direction to any direction sex. At endpoints, add / drop wavelengths are strictly assigned to fixed directions, and fixed color / wavelength ports can only be manually reconfigured. [0003] Next-generation ROADMs will need to be more flexible, with colorless, directionless, and contention-free operation in order to extend flexibility and automation to the endpoints where transponders connect to communication network node...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

ADSA 1) has low optical loss, but has the disadvantage of high cost, space occupation and complexity, because the count of WSS in the array increases greatly with the count of transponders

ADSA 2) has the disadvantage of high optical loss, which increases with the count of transponders due to signal distribution and switching

This results in an increase in ROADM cost, pin footprint and power consumption due to the required level of optical amplification

ADSA 3) Disadvantages of high cost and large pin packaging due to the use of 3D MEMS counting, plus the complex control circuitry required for this counting and the need to install an ADSA with a switch matrix of the largest possible size, even if initially using a lower number of The same goes for transponders

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