Optical transmission amplification method, optical amplifier, computer program product and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides an optical transmission amplification method, an optical amplifier, a computer program product and a storage medium. A new working mode is designed in the erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier, and the erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier can enter the working mode when a line fault is monitored. In the working mode, an input optical signal can be blocked on a transmission link in the erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier, so that an output unit which is not influenced by the input optical signal can be isolated in the erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier; on the basis, the output unit can be controlled to generate an output optical signal according to the expected output power during the fault period. Therefore, under the condition that a line fault occurs in an optical transmission system, the erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier can realize decoupling between the output power and the input optical signal based on the working mode, and the output power is not influenced by the input optical signal any more, so that the erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier can still maintain stable output power; therefore, the performance stability of the optical transmission system is ensured.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, and in particular, to an optical transmission amplification method, an optical amplifier, a computer program product and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] An erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is a commonly used amplifier in an optical transmission system, which is used to enhance the intensity of an optical signal and improve the distance and quality of optical signal transmission.

[0003] In an optical transmission system, the EDFA usually works in an automatic gain control (AGC) mode, in which the EDFA can provide a constant amplification gain for an input optical signal within a working range.

[0004] Currently, in the case of a line fault in an optical transmission system, the disposal scheme in the AGC mode is usually to turn off the pump laser in the EDFA, which causes the erbium-doped fiber in the EDFA to lose the excitation source, equivalent to turning off the output of the EDFA, which may affect the transmission performance of part of the optical multiplex section (OMS) or part of the wavelength band in the optical transmission system, and further cause the performance of the optical transmission system to be unstable. SUMMARY

[0005] Aspects of the present application provide an optical transmission amplification method, an optical amplifier, a computer program product and a storage medium to improve the performance stability of an optical transmission system when a line fault occurs.

[0006] Embodiments of the present application provide an optical transmission amplification method applicable to an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, the method comprising:

[0007] If it is monitored that the received input optical signal meets a fault criterion, the input optical signal is blocked on a transmission link in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier to isolate an output unit in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier from the input optical signal;

[0008] A desired output power is determined for the erbium-doped fiber amplifier;

[0009] During the fault, the output unit is controlled to generate an output optical signal according to the desired output power.

[0010] Further, the blocking of the input optical signal on the transmission link in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier comprises:

[0011] The target device pre-selected on the transmission link is adjusted to the target state so as to block the input optical signal through the target device.

[0012] Further, adjusting the pre-selected target device on the transmission link to the target state includes:

[0013] If the target device includes a dimming attenuator, then control the dimming attenuator to switch to an isolated state to block the input optical signal;

[0014] If the target device includes an optical switch, then the optical switch is controlled to switch to a preset position to block the input optical signal.

[0015] Furthermore, a dedicated unit is added to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, and a target optical switch is added to the transmission link as the target device; the target optical switch includes a first position for conducting the transmission link, and also includes a second position for conducting the dedicated unit and the link portion of the transmission link located after the target optical switch; when the target optical switch is switched to the second position, the dedicated unit constitutes the output unit.

[0016] Furthermore, if no new components are added to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, when the target device in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier is adjusted to the target state, the link portion of the transmission link that is still connected to the output end constitutes the output unit.

[0017] Further, the desired output power is determined, including:

[0018] The output power of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier before the fault is detected is obtained as the expected output power; or...

[0019] The output power preset for the output unit is taken as the desired output power; or,

[0020] The desired output power is calculated based on the power spectral density pre-set for the output unit.

[0021] Furthermore, the output unit includes erbium-doped fiber, and controlling the output unit to generate an output optical signal according to the desired output power includes:

[0022] The pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit is adjusted so that the output optical signal generated by the output unit matches the desired output power.

[0023] Further, adjusting the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit includes:

[0024] According to the pump setting parameters recorded for the output unit, a control command is sent to the pump laser used by the output unit to control the pump laser to adjust the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit.

[0025] The pump setting parameters are calculated based on the desired output power.

[0026] Furthermore, the method also includes:

[0027] Based on the difference between the output power detected by the output detector in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier and the desired output power, the pump laser is adjusted by feedback until the output detector detects that the output light signal generated by the output unit matches the desired output power;

[0028] The pump setting parameters obtained after the feedback adjustment are completed are recorded as the pump setting parameters corresponding to the output unit.

[0029] Furthermore, the method also includes:

[0030] If the received input optical signal is detected to no longer meet the fault criteria, the blocking of the input optical signal is lifted.

[0031] The pump laser required for the transmission link is restored to its pre-fault pump power so that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can resume amplification of the input optical signal.

[0032] Furthermore, removing the blockage to the input optical signal includes:

[0033] The target device on the transmission link used to block the input optical signal is restored from the target state to the state before adjustment, so as to release the blockage of the input optical signal;

[0034] In this process, after detecting that the received input optical signal meets the fault criteria, the target device has been adjusted to the target state to block the input optical signal.

[0035] Furthermore, the actions of unblocking the input optical signal and restoring the pump laser required for the transmission link to its pre-fault state are performed simultaneously.

[0036] This application also provides an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, which includes a control component and a transmission link. The control component is used to execute one or more computer instructions to perform the aforementioned optical transmission amplification method.

[0037] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the aforementioned optical transmission amplification method.

[0038] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the aforementioned optical transmission amplification method.

[0039] In this embodiment, a novel operating mode is proposed for an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). The EDFA can enter this operating mode when a line fault is detected. In this mode, the input optical signal can be blocked on the transmission link within the EDFA, thereby isolating an output unit unaffected by the input optical signal. Furthermore, during a fault, this output unit can be controlled to generate an output optical signal at the desired output power. Thus, in the event of a line fault in the optical transmission system, the EDFA can decouple the output power from the input optical signal based on this operating mode. The output power is no longer affected by the input optical signal, and therefore, the EDFA can maintain a stable output power, thereby ensuring the performance stability of the optical transmission system. Attached Figure Description

[0040] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic flowchart of an optical transmission amplification method provided for an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the conventional structure of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier is provided;

[0043] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier after hardware modification is provided.

[0044] Figures 4-6 Several schematic diagrams of the internal structure of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers without hardware modifications are provided.

[0045] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier is provided as another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a control device provided for an exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0047] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0048] Before proceeding with a detailed description of the technical solutions provided in the various embodiments of this application, the following explanations are provided for several technical concepts involved in this application.

[0049] Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) are commonly used amplifiers in optical transmission systems to enhance the intensity of optical signals and improve their transmission distance and quality. The working principle of an EDFA is to amplify light through an excitation-emission process. The main component of an EDFA is erbium-doped fiber (EDF), which is an optical fiber made of silica and doped with a small amount of the rare-earth element erbium ions (Er³⁺).

[0050] A pump laser is a device based on the principle of laser amplification used to output laser light. Pump lasers are commonly used components in erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). In EDFAs, the laser light output from the pump laser can be used to provide pump power to the erbium-doped fiber, exciting erbium ions in the fiber and thus enabling the fiber to amplify optical signals.

[0051] Automatic gain control (AGC) is a typical operating mode for erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDBFAs). In this mode, the EDBFA provides a constant amplification gain for the input optical signal within its operating range. EDBFAs typically remain in this operating mode in optical transmission systems.

[0052] As described in the background section, in the event of a line fault in an optical transmission system, the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDBFA) typically shuts down the pump laser in AGC (Automatic Gain Control) mode. Based on the operating principle of the EDBFA, after the pump laser is turned off, the erbium-doped fiber within the amplifier loses its excitation source, which is equivalent to shutting down the EDBFA's output.

[0053] During their research, the inventors discovered that this method of addressing line faults by shutting down the output of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDBFAs) leads to unstable transmission performance in the optical transmission system. In one exemplary fault scenario: if the optical transmission system is a multi-band wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system, shutting down the output of the EDBFA in a certain band (according to AGC mode) will affect the transmission performance of other bands if a line fault occurs in that band. In another exemplary fault scenario: EDBFAs are typically located in the Optical Multiplex Section (OMS). Shutting down the output of an EDBFA in AGC mode may result in the OMS containing the EDBFA being without light. Since optical transmission systems usually contain multiple OMSs, and a downstream OMS may typically connect to multiple upstream OMSs, from the perspective of a downstream OMS, if the output of some of its connected upstream OMSs is without light, it will affect the transmission performance of the downstream OMS to its connected other OMSs.

[0054] The two fault scenarios described above are merely illustrative examples, and further examples will not be provided here. However, it should be understood that the way line faults are handled in AGC mode will affect the performance stability of the optical transmission system.

[0055] Therefore, this application proposes an optical transmission amplification method to improve the performance stability of an optical transmission system in the event of a line fault.

[0056] In the optical transmission amplification method proposed in this embodiment, a new operating mode is introduced for the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. This operating mode ensures that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can maintain stable output power in the event of a line fault in the optical transmission system, thereby avoiding the impact of local line faults on the downstream OMS and ensuring the performance stability of the optical transmission system.

[0057] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of an optical transmission amplification method provided in this application, which can be performed by an erbium-doped fiber amplifier. (Reference) Figure 1 The method may include:

[0059] Step 100: If the received input optical signal is detected to meet the fault criteria, the input optical signal is blocked on the transmission link in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier to isolate an output unit that is not affected by the input optical signal in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier.

[0060] Step 101: For the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, determine the desired output power;

[0061] Step 102: During a fault, the control output unit generates an output optical signal according to the desired output power.

[0062] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a conventional structure for an erbium-doped fiber amplifier is provided. (Reference) Figure 2 Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) may include control components and transmission links. The transmission links may contain erbium-doped fiber, pump lasers, input detectors, and output detectors. These are just a few examples of key components; the transmission links within an EDFA may also include gain-flattening filters (GFFs), variable optical attenuators (VOAs), and optical switches (SWs). Further examples of components in EDFAs will not be provided here. Additionally, EDFAs can have various functional types, including but not limited to variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) and switchable gain amplifiers (SGAs). Further examples of these functional types will not be provided here either. The internal structures of EDFAs differ depending on their functional type; that is, the types of components and the connections between them may vary.

[0063] The control component can be implemented as software, hardware, or a combination of both. This embodiment proposes adding functional logic to the control component of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier to enable the control component to execute the optical transmission amplification method provided in this embodiment. It should be understood that the functional logic added to the control component in this embodiment does not interfere with the original functional logic within the control component.

[0064] refer to Figure 1 In step 100, the input optical signal received by the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can be monitored to detect line faults in the optical transmission system in a timely manner based on the input optical signal. Therefore, in step 100, fault criteria can be preset; if the detected input optical signal meets the fault criteria, it indicates that a line fault has occurred in the optical transmission system.

[0065] In one exemplary monitoring scheme: the power of the input optical signal detected by the input detector (or input optical power detector) in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can be tracked. If the tracked power is lower than a preset power threshold, it can be determined that the input optical signal meets the fault criteria. It should be understood that this is merely exemplary; other monitoring schemes can also be used in this embodiment to promptly detect line faults in the optical transmission system. For example, if an abnormal fluctuation in the power of the input optical signal is detected, it can be determined that a line fault has occurred in the optical transmission system, etc. Further examples are not provided here.

[0066] In step 100, if the received input optical signal is detected to meet the fault criteria, the system can switch to the new operating mode introduced for the erbium-doped fiber amplifier in this embodiment. It should be understood that before switching to the new operating mode in this embodiment, the erbium-doped fiber amplifier typically operates in the AGC mode mentioned above. Of course, the original operating mode of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier is not limited to the AGC mode, and this embodiment does not limit it.

[0067] The new working mode introduced in this embodiment will be described in detail below. In this embodiment, the new working mode may include at least two working aspects.

[0068] refer to Figure 1 In step 100, the first aspect of this new operating mode can be achieved: blocking the input optical signal on the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier to isolate an output unit within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier that is unaffected by the input optical signal.

[0069] Here, "blocking" can be understood as intercepting the input optical signal to prevent it from continuing to transmit. In this embodiment, the input optical signal cannot be transmitted to the output end of the transmission link; it is blocked midway. Thus, a link that is connected to the output end but unaffected by the input optical signal can be isolated within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. In this embodiment, this isolated link is described as an output unit. In this embodiment, the output unit may contain one or more segments of erbium-doped fiber. Within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, each segment of erbium-doped fiber is typically associated with a pump laser. Therefore, the isolated output unit in this embodiment also contains the required pump laser. This enables the isolated output unit in this embodiment to provide an output optical signal.

[0070] It is understood that in this embodiment, the input optical signal has been blocked outside the output unit. Therefore, the output unit will no longer be affected by the input optical signal, which makes the output unit obtained in this new working mode independent.

[0071] Continue to refer to Figure 1In steps 101 and 102, the second aspect of the new operating mode can be achieved: regulating the output power of the isolated output unit so that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier maintains a stable output power.

[0072] In this embodiment, the desired output power can be determined in step 101. Here, the desired output power is the output power that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier is expected to provide after detecting a line fault. Various implementation methods can be used to determine the desired output power in this embodiment. Several exemplary implementation methods are provided below.

[0073] In one exemplary implementation, the output power of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier before a fault is detected can be obtained as the desired output power. In this exemplary implementation, the output power detected by the output detector in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can be tracked, thus the output power tracked before the fault is detected can be used as the desired output power. In practical applications, the last output power detected by the output detector before the fault is detected can be used as the desired output power; alternatively, the average, median, or maximum value of multiple output powers detected by the output detector in the last detection cycle before the fault is detected can be used as the desired output power. No limitation is placed on how the tracked output power is selected.

[0074] In this exemplary implementation, the determined desired output power will be consistent with the output power provided by the erbium-doped fiber amplifier before the fault is detected. Therefore, from the output perspective of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, the output power provided before and after the fault is detected is consistent, thus the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can maintain a stable output power.

[0075] In another exemplary implementation, the output power preset for the output unit can be used as the desired output power. During their research, the inventors discovered that the output power of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier remains essentially constant when there is no increase or decrease in the number of channels in the optical transmission system. Therefore, this fixed output power in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can be preset as the desired output power required in step 101. Of course, the desired output power can also be preset to other values, as long as the performance stability of the optical transmission system is ensured; this is not limited here. In practical applications, the output power set by the output unit can be used as a configuration parameter in the control component of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The control component can directly access this output power as the desired output power.

[0076] In another exemplary implementation, the desired output power can be calculated based on a pre-set power spectral density for the output unit. Power spectral density is a function describing the change of signal power with frequency; it represents the power distribution of the signal at different frequencies. In the frequency domain, power can be calculated by integrating the power spectral density over the frequency range; the result of the integration is the signal power. This exemplary implementation is similar to the previous one, but it indirectly characterizes power using power spectral density. In practical applications, the choice between pre-setting the output power or the pre-setting the power spectral density for the output unit can be flexibly determined based on the structure of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier or the type of signal to be processed; no limitation is made here.

[0077] Regardless of the exemplary implementation method used, the expected output power determined in this embodiment should be able to ensure the performance stability of the optical transmission system.

[0078] As mentioned above, the output unit isolated in step 100 is independent and has the ability to provide output optical signals. Therefore, this embodiment proposes that the output unit can be used to provide the desired output power.

[0079] During the research process, the inventors discovered that although the output unit no longer receives the input optical signal transmitted to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier in the optical transmission system, it can still generate an output optical signal based on the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit and the pump laser used. Moreover, the output optical signal generated by the output unit is adjustable. Therefore, in this embodiment, the output unit can support providing the desired output power.

[0080] Based on this, in step 102, during a fault, the output unit can be controlled to generate an output optical signal according to the desired output power.

[0081] In this embodiment, the control method of the output unit is not limited, as long as it can ensure that the output unit maintains the expected output power during the fault period.

[0082] In one alternative implementation, the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit can be adjusted so that the output optical signal generated by the output unit matches the desired output power.

[0083] In this optional implementation, as mentioned above, the isolated output unit in this embodiment contains one or more erbium-doped optical fibers. Based on this, the output power of the output unit can be adjusted by adjusting the pump power applied to the erbium-doped optical fibers contained in the output unit.

[0084] Understandably, in this alternative implementation, the output unit can generate an output optical signal without relying on any input optical signal, but through the signal generation principle of the erbium-doped fiber itself. During their research, the inventors discovered that applying pump power to the erbium-doped fiber in the absence of an input optical signal can lead to the generation of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise within the erbium-doped fiber, and the power of this ASE noise can vary with the applied pump power. Therefore, in this reliable implementation, by reasonably controlling the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained within the output unit, the power of the ASE noise generated within the output unit can be made to match the aforementioned desired output power. That is, in this reliable implementation, the output optical signal generated by the output unit is entirely ASE noise, and the power of the generated ASE noise matches the desired output power.

[0085] In this optional implementation, a feedback mechanism can be used to regulate the output unit. This feedback mechanism can be: based on the difference between the output power detected by the output detector in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier and the desired output power, the pump laser used by the output unit is adjusted until the output detector detects that the output unit meets the desired output power. In this feedback mechanism, the pump setting parameters of the pump laser used by the output unit are adjusted. Changes in the pump setting parameters will change the pump power provided by the pump laser. These pump setting parameters may include, but are not limited to, parameters affecting pump power such as bias current values; further examples are not provided here. It should be understood that the output unit may use one or more pump lasers. In this feedback mechanism, each pump laser used by the output unit will be jointly adjusted so that the ASE noise jointly generated by the one or more erbium-doped fibers in the output unit meets the desired output power.

[0086] In this optional implementation, a preferred approach is to record the pump setting parameters obtained after feedback adjustment as the pump setting parameters corresponding to the output unit. Based on this, after determining the desired output power, control commands can be sent to the pump laser used by the output unit according to the recorded pump setting parameters. This controls the pump laser to adjust the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained within the output unit. This eliminates the time-consuming feedback adjustment process and allows the pump laser used by the output unit to be adjusted to the appropriate pump setting parameters in one step. This enables the pump laser to quickly switch to the appropriate pump power, allowing the output unit to achieve the desired output power more efficiently.

[0087] It should be understood that the above-described optional implementations are merely exemplary, and the technical details provided in these optional implementations are also exemplary. Other implementations can be used to implement step 102 in this embodiment, and the implementation is not limited to this. For example, during a fault, a dedicated optical signal with stable input power can be provided to the isolated output unit. By reasonably setting the input power of this dedicated optical signal, it can be ensured that the output optical signal generated after the dedicated optical signal passes through the output unit meets the expected output power. For example, the input power of this dedicated optical signal can be consistent with the input power of the input optical signal before the fault was detected. Of course, this dedicated optical signal can carry dedicated test data or may not carry any data content to avoid affecting the data layer of the optical transmission system. Further examples of implementation methods are not provided here.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, both of the above-mentioned operational aspects are implemented by the control component in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. Therefore, the control component can support the simultaneous completion of the two operational aspects, thereby ensuring a clear boundary between the original operating mode of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier and the new operating mode introduced in this embodiment, and preventing any cross-influence. From the output perspective of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, the output power remains stable during the operating mode switching.

[0089] Since the input optical signal is blocked outside the output unit in this embodiment, the output power of the output unit in this embodiment will not be affected as long as the optical signal on the faulty optical cable changes (the optical signal may change due to events such as optical cable maintenance or fault testing) before the fault is resolved. Therefore, the output unit in this embodiment can stably maintain the desired output power during the fault period.

[0090] Following the two exemplary fault scenarios mentioned earlier, in one exemplary scenario: if the optical transmission system is a multi-band wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system, in the event of a line fault in a certain band, based on the optical transmission amplification method provided in this embodiment, the output power of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier in that band can remain stable, thus no longer affecting the transmission performance of other bands in the optical transmission system. In the other exemplary fault scenario: in the event of a line fault, based on the optical transmission amplification method provided in this embodiment, the output power of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can remain stable, which ensures the stability of the output power of the OMS (Optical Modem) it is located in, thus no longer affecting the transmission performance of the downstream OMS.

[0091] In summary, this embodiment proposes a new operating mode for the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDBFA). The EDBFA can enter this operating mode when a line fault is detected. In this mode, the input optical signal can be blocked on the transmission link within the EDBFA, thereby isolating an output unit unaffected by the input optical signal. Furthermore, during a fault, this output unit can be controlled to generate an output optical signal at the desired output power. Thus, in the event of a line fault in the optical transmission system, the EDBFA can decouple the output power from the input optical signal based on this operating mode. The output power is no longer affected by the input optical signal, and therefore, the EDBFA can maintain a stable output power, thereby ensuring the performance stability of the optical transmission system.

[0092] In the above or following embodiments, various methods can be used to block the input optical signal on the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. A preferred implementation is provided below:

[0093] The target device, which is pre-selected on the transmission link, is adjusted to the target state so as to block the input optical signal through the target device.

[0094] In this implementation, the target device can be any device on the transmission link that has signal blocking capability. The target device may include, but is not limited to, a dimming attenuator (VOA) or an optical switch (SW), etc., without further examples.

[0095] Taking the above two exemplary target devices as examples, in this implementation, it is further proposed that: if the target device includes a dimming attenuator, the dimming attenuator is controlled to switch to the isolation state (i.e., the target state) to block the input optical signal; if the target device includes an optical switch, the optical switch is controlled to switch to a preset position (i.e., the target state) to block the input optical signal.

[0096] In this implementation, the selection scheme for the target device can be adaptively set according to the internal structure of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The selection scheme for the target device will be explained in detail below in two cases.

[0097] In the first case, the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can be modified in terms of hardware.

[0098] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier with hardware modifications is provided. (Reference) Figure 3An exemplary hardware modification scheme could be: adding a dedicated unit to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, the dedicated unit may contain at least one or more segments of erbium-doped fiber, and the dedicated unit may also use a pump laser (either reuse the original pump laser in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier or add a dedicated pump laser); adding a target optical switch to the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, the target optical switch may include a first position for conducting the transmission link, and may also include a second position for conducting the dedicated unit and the link portion of the transmission link located after the target optical switch.

[0099] Therefore, in this case, the target optical switch can be pre-selected as the target device. (Reference) Figure 3 When the target optical switch is switched to the second position, the dedicated unit constitutes the output unit.

[0100] It should be understood that in this case, the dedicated unit is independent of the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier; that is, the dedicated unit is specialized. Based on this specialization and the path isolation capability between the first and second gears in the target light switch, in a preferred implementation, the default pump settings of the pump laser dedicated to the dedicated unit are set to pump settings adapted to the desired output power. This allows the dedicated unit to generate the desired output power by default upon startup. Thus, the dedicated unit can be started before or simultaneously with the target light development switching to the second gear, ensuring that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can generate the desired output power.

[0101] In the second case, no hardware modification is required for the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, that is, no new components such as the aforementioned dedicated unit and target optical switch are added to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier.

[0102] Figures 4-6 Several schematic diagrams of the internal structures of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers without hardware modifications are provided. During the research process, the inventors discovered differences in the internal structures of different models of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers. Therefore, a selection scheme for the target device can be adaptively set for different models of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers.

[0103] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary internal structure of a gain-tunable erbium-doped fiber amplifier is provided. (Reference) Figure 4 The erbium-doped fiber amplifier's transmission link includes a modulation attenuator (VOA). For example, the VOA on the transmission link can be selected as the target device, and the isolation state can be used as the target state of the VOA. Based on this, for the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, after adjusting the modulation attenuator on the transmission link to the isolation state, the transmission link is divided into two parts. After the division, the link portion still connected to the output (…) Figure 4The part within the dashed box (as shown in the image) becomes the output unit. It can be seen that the input optical signal will be blocked at the dimming attenuator.

[0104] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an exemplary internal structure of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier with tunable gain range is provided. (Reference) Figure 5 The erbium-doped fiber amplifier's transmission link includes a modulation attenuator (VOA) and an optical switch. For example, the modulation attenuator (VOA) can be selected as the target device, and the isolation state can be used as the target state of the VOA. Based on this, for this erbium-doped fiber amplifier, after adjusting the modulation attenuator on the transmission link to the isolation state, the transmission link is divided into two parts. After the division, the link portion still connected to the output end (…) Figure 5 The dashed box portion (as shown in the image) constitutes the output unit. It can be seen that the input optical signal will be blocked at the dimming attenuator.

[0105] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another exemplary internal structure of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier with tunable gain range is provided. (Reference) Figure 6 The erbium-doped fiber amplifier's transmission link includes an optical switch. Exemplarily, the optical switch on the transmission link can be selected as the target device, and the selected optical switch can be switched to a preset position to achieve the segmentation of the transmission link, thereby blocking the input optical signal. One blocking method is to place optical switch 1 in an unused position (i.e., neither position 1 nor position 2, but simply left unused), thus using optical switch 1 as the segmentation point to achieve the segmentation of the transmission link. Optical switch 2 can be placed in any position; if placed in position 1, the output optical signal will be generated by erbium-doped fiber 1; if placed in position 2, the output optical signal will be generated by erbium-doped fiber 2. (Reference) Figure 6 Another blocking method is to stagger the positions of optical switch 1 and optical switch 2, that is, to connect their respective positions to different erbium-doped fibers to prevent them from conducting. For example... Figure 6 As shown, for example, optical development 1 can be set to position 1, and optical switch 2 can be set to position 2, so that the output optical signal will be generated by erbium-doped fiber 2.

[0106] The internal structures of the above-described erbium-doped fiber amplifiers are merely illustrative, and the target device selection schemes used in these internal structures are also exemplary; this embodiment is not limited thereto. For different models of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, selection schemes adapted to their internal structures can be set in the control components, thereby enabling the control components within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier to select target devices without hindrance and in a reasonable manner.

[0107] Understandably, in the second scenario described above, after adjusting the selected target device on the transmission link to the target state, the transmission link can be segmented, thereby blocking the input optical signal. In this case, the portion of the transmission link that remains connected to the output end after segmentation becomes the output unit. It is worth noting that by rationally designing the selection scheme for the target device, it can be ensured that the output unit obtained after segmentation can contain erbium-doped fiber and can be used with a pump laser.

[0108] Accordingly, in this implementation, a target device can be selected on the transmission link and adjusted to a target state to block the input optical signal. By appropriately selecting the target device, it can be ensured that the isolated output unit has the ability to generate an output optical signal.

[0109] It is worth noting that, in addition to the above implementation, other implementation methods can also be used in this embodiment to block the input optical signal on the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. For example, the pump power on a certain segment of the erbium-doped fiber (e.g., the first segment) on the transmission link can be turned off, so that the output of that segment of the erbium-doped fiber is lightless. In this way, the input optical signal can be blocked through that segment of the erbium-doped fiber, and the link section after that segment of the erbium-doped fiber becomes the output unit. Further examples of implementation methods will not be provided here.

[0110] In the above or below embodiments, when the erbium-doped fiber amplifier is in the aforementioned new operating mode, if the fault is detected to have been cleared, it can switch back from the new operating mode to the original operating mode in which the erbium-doped fiber amplifier was before the fault was detected (e.g., the AGC mode mentioned above).

[0111] In this embodiment, the process of switching back from the new operating mode to the original operating mode of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier before the fault was detected can be understood as restoring the changes implemented during the switch from the original operating mode to the new operating mode. To this end, this embodiment proposes: if the received input optical signal is detected to no longer meet the fault criteria, the blocking of the input optical signal is lifted; the pump laser required for the transmission link is restored to its pre-fault state (including restoring pump power, etc.), so that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can resume amplifying the input optical signal.

[0112] Echoing the optional implementation methods for blocking the input optical signal mentioned earlier, here, the target device on the transmission link used to block the input optical signal can be restored to its state (i.e., restored from the aforementioned target state to the state before adjustment) to release the blocking of the input optical signal. Considering that some of the pump lasers used on the transmission link may have been modulated in the output unit, it is also proposed to restore the pump lasers required for the transmission link to their state before the fault. In this way, the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can be restored to the state before the fault was detected, thus restoring the operational capability before the fault was detected, that is, restoring the amplification processing of the input optical signal.

[0113] In addition, as mentioned earlier, the switching of the operating mode is implemented by the control component in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. Therefore, when switching back from the new operating mode to the original operating mode in which the erbium-doped fiber amplifier was before the fault was detected, the control component can also support the aforementioned "unblocking of the input optical signal" and "restoring the pump laser used by the transmission link to the state before the fault". These two operations are completed simultaneously, thereby avoiding cross-influence between the two operating modes and ensuring that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can maintain stable output power when switching operating modes.

[0114] It should be noted that some processes described in the above embodiments and accompanying drawings include multiple operations that appear in a specific order. However, it should be clearly understood that these operations may not be executed in the order they appear in this document, or they may be executed in parallel. The operation numbers, such as 101, 102, etc., are merely used to distinguish different operations and do not represent any execution order. Furthermore, these processes may include more or fewer operations, and these operations may be executed sequentially or in parallel. It should also be noted that the descriptions such as "first" and "second" in this document are used to distinguish different gears, work aspects, or situations, and do not represent a chronological order, nor do they limit "first" and "second" to different types.

[0115] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, provided as another exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 7 As shown, the erbium-doped fiber amplifier may include a control component 70 and a transmission link 80.

[0116] The control component 70 is used to execute one or more computer program instructions for:

[0117] If the received input optical signal is detected to meet the fault criteria, the input optical signal is blocked on the transmission link 80 in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, so as to isolate the output unit 90 that is not affected by the input optical signal in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier.

[0118] For an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, determine the desired output power;

[0119] During a fault, the output unit 90 is controlled to generate an output optical signal according to the desired output power.

[0120] In an optional embodiment, when the control component 70 blocks the input optical signal on the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, it can specifically be used to:

[0121] The target device pre-selected on the transmission link 80 is adjusted to the target state so as to block the input optical signal through the target device.

[0122] In an optional embodiment, when the control component 70 adjusts a pre-selected target device on the transmission link to a target state, it may specifically be used to:

[0123] If the target device includes a dimming attenuator, then control the dimming attenuator to switch to an isolated state to block the input optical signal;

[0124] If the target device includes an optical switch, then the optical switch is controlled to switch to a preset position to block the input optical signal.

[0125] In an optional embodiment, a dedicated unit is added to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, and a target optical switch is added to the transmission link 80 as the target device; the target optical switch includes a first position for conducting the transmission link 80, and a second position for conducting the dedicated unit and the link portion of the transmission link 80 located after the target optical switch; when the target optical switch is switched to the second position, the dedicated unit constitutes the output unit 90.

[0126] In an optional embodiment, if no new component is added to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, the portion of the transmission link 80 that is still connected to the output end when the target device in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier is adjusted to the target state constitutes the output unit 90.

[0127] In an alternative embodiment, the control component 70, when determining the desired output power, may specifically be used to:

[0128] The output power of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier before the fault is detected is obtained as the expected output power; or...

[0129] The output power preset for the output unit is taken as the desired output power; or,

[0130] The desired output power is calculated based on the power spectral density pre-set for the output unit.

[0131] In an optional embodiment, the output unit 90 includes an erbium-doped fiber 91, and the control component 70, when controlling the output unit 90 to generate an output optical signal according to the desired output power, can specifically be used to:

[0132] The pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber 91 contained in the output unit 90 is adjusted so that the output optical signal generated by the output unit 90 matches the desired output power.

[0133] In an optional embodiment, the control component 70, when adjusting the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber 91 contained within the output unit 90, may specifically be used to:

[0134] According to the pump setting parameters recorded for the output unit 90, a control command is sent to the pump laser 92 used by the output unit 90 to control the pump laser to adjust the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit.

[0135] The pump setting parameters are calculated based on the desired output power.

[0136] In an alternative embodiment, the control component 70 may also be used for:

[0137] Based on the difference between the output power detected by the output detector in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier and the desired output power, the pump laser 92 is adjusted by feedback until the output detector detects that the output light signal generated by the output unit 90 matches the desired output power;

[0138] The pump setting parameters obtained after the feedback adjustment are completed are recorded as the pump setting parameters corresponding to the output unit 90.

[0139] In an alternative embodiment, the control component 70 may also be used for:

[0140] If the received input optical signal is detected to no longer meet the fault criteria, the blocking of the input optical signal is lifted.

[0141] The pump laser required for the transmission link 80 is restored to its pre-fault pump power so that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can resume amplification of the input optical signal.

[0142] In an optional embodiment, when the control component 70 releases the blockage on the input optical signal, it may specifically be used to:

[0143] The target device on the transmission link 80 used to block the input optical signal is restored from the target state to the state before adjustment, so as to release the blockage of the input optical signal;

[0144] In this process, after detecting that the received input optical signal meets the fault criteria, the target device has been adjusted to the target state to block the input optical signal.

[0145] In one alternative embodiment, the actions of unblocking the input optical signal and restoring the pump laser required for the transmission link to its pre-fault state are performed simultaneously.

[0146] Furthermore, such as Figure 7 As shown, the transmission link 80 of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier may also include other devices such as a dimming attenuator 81, an optical switch 82, and an erbium-doped fiber 83. Figure 7 The diagram only shows some of the components and does not mean that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier only includes... Figure 7 The device shown.

[0147] It is worth noting that the technical details of the above-mentioned embodiments of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the foregoing method embodiments. To save space, they will not be repeated here, but this should not cause any loss to the scope of protection of this application.

[0148] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a control device provided for an exemplary embodiment of this application. The control device can be integrated into the control components of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, and the control device may include:

[0149] The mode switching module 10 is configured to trigger the isolation module 20 if the input optical signal received by the erbium-doped fiber amplifier meets the fault criteria.

[0150] The isolation module 20 is configured to block the input optical signal on the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, thereby isolating an output unit within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier that is unaffected by the input optical signal.

[0151] The output configuration module 30 is set to be an erbium-doped fiber amplifier to determine the desired output power.

[0152] The output control module 40 is configured to control the output unit to generate an output optical signal according to the desired output power during a fault.

[0153] In an optional embodiment, the isolation module 20 may be specifically configured as follows:

[0154] The target device pre-selected on the transmission link is adjusted to the target state so as to block the input optical signal through the target device.

[0155] In an optional embodiment, the isolation module 20 may be specifically configured as follows:

[0156] If the target device includes a dimming attenuator, then control the dimming attenuator to switch to an isolated state to block the input optical signal;

[0157] If the target device includes an optical switch, then the optical switch is controlled to switch to a preset position to block the input optical signal.

[0158] In an optional embodiment, a dedicated unit is added to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, and a target optical switch is added to the transmission link as the target device; the target optical switch includes a first position for conducting the transmission link, and also includes a second position for conducting the dedicated unit and the link portion of the transmission link located after the target optical switch; when the target optical switch is switched to the second position, the dedicated unit constitutes the output unit.

[0159] In an optional embodiment, if no new component is added to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, when the target device in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier is adjusted to the target state, the link portion of the transmission link that is still connected to the output end constitutes the output unit.

[0160] In an optional embodiment, the output configuration module 30 may be specifically configured as follows:

[0161] The output power of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier before the fault is detected is obtained as the expected output power; or...

[0162] The output power preset for the output unit is taken as the desired output power; or,

[0163] The desired output power is calculated based on the power spectral density pre-set for the output unit.

[0164] In an optional embodiment, the output unit includes erbium-doped fiber, and the output control module 40 may be specifically configured as follows:

[0165] The pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit is adjusted so that the output optical signal generated by the output unit matches the desired output power.

[0166] In an optional embodiment, the output control module 40 may be specifically configured as follows:

[0167] According to the pump setting parameters recorded for the output unit, a control command is sent to the pump laser used by the output unit to control the pump laser to adjust the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit.

[0168] The pump setting parameters are calculated based on the desired output power.

[0169] In an optional embodiment, the output control module 40 may also be configured as follows:

[0170] Based on the difference between the output power detected by the output detector in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier and the desired output power, the pump laser is adjusted by feedback until the output detector detects that the output light signal generated by the output unit matches the desired output power;

[0171] The pump setting parameters obtained after the feedback adjustment are completed are recorded as the pump setting parameters corresponding to the output unit.

[0172] In an optional embodiment, the mode switching module 10 may also be configured to trigger the isolation module 20 to release the blocking of the input optical signal if it is detected that the received input optical signal no longer meets the fault criteria;

[0173] The output control module 40 can also be configured to restore the pump laser required by the transmission link to the pump power before the fault, so that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can resume amplification of the input optical signal.

[0174] In an optional embodiment, the isolation module 20 may be configured to, during the process of releasing the blockage of the input optical signal, be:

[0175] For the target device on the transmission link used to block the input optical signal, restore it from the target state to the state before adjustment, so as to release the blockage of the input optical signal;

[0176] In this process, after detecting that the received input optical signal meets the fault criteria, the target device has been adjusted to the target state to block the input optical signal.

[0177] In one alternative embodiment, the actions of unblocking the input optical signal and restoring the pump laser required for the transmission link to its pre-fault state are performed simultaneously.

[0178] Accordingly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed, can implement the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0179] Accordingly, this application also provides a computer program product, which, when executed, can implement the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0180] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0181] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0182] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0183] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0184] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0185] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for optical transmission amplification, characterized in that, Applicable to erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, the method includes: If the received input optical signal is detected to meet the fault criteria, the input optical signal is blocked on the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, so as to isolate an output unit within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier that is not affected by the input optical signal. For the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, determine the desired output power; During a fault, the output unit is controlled to generate an output optical signal according to the desired output power.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Blocking the input optical signal on the transmission link within the erbium-doped fiber amplifier includes: The target device pre-selected on the transmission link is adjusted to the target state so as to block the input optical signal through the target device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Adjusting a pre-selected target device on the transmission link to a target state includes: If the target device includes a dimming attenuator, then control the dimming attenuator to switch to an isolated state to block the input optical signal; If the target device includes an optical switch, then the optical switch is controlled to switch to a preset position to block the input optical signal.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The erbium-doped fiber amplifier is equipped with a dedicated unit, and a target optical switch is added to the transmission link as the target device. The target optical switch includes a first position for conducting the transmission link and a second position for conducting the dedicated unit and the link portion of the transmission link located after the target optical switch. When the target optical switch is switched to the second position, the dedicated unit constitutes the output unit.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, If no new component is added to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, when the target device in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier is adjusted to the target state, the link portion of the transmission link that is still connected to the output end constitutes the output unit.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determine the desired output power, including: The output power of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier before the fault is detected is obtained as the expected output power; or... The output power preset for the output unit is taken as the desired output power; or, The desired output power is calculated based on the power spectral density pre-set for the output unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output unit includes erbium-doped fiber, and controlling the output unit to generate an output optical signal according to the desired output power includes: The pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit is adjusted so that the output optical signal generated by the output unit matches the desired output power.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Adjusting the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit includes: According to the pump setting parameters recorded for the output unit, a control command is sent to the pump laser used by the output unit to control the pump laser to adjust the pump power applied to the erbium-doped fiber contained in the output unit. The pump setting parameters are calculated based on the desired output power.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: Based on the difference between the output power detected by the output detector in the erbium-doped fiber amplifier and the desired output power, the pump laser is adjusted by feedback until the output detector detects that the output light signal generated by the output unit matches the desired output power; The pump setting parameters obtained after the feedback adjustment are completed are recorded as the pump setting parameters corresponding to the output unit.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: If the received input optical signal is detected to no longer meet the fault criteria, the blocking of the input optical signal is lifted. The pump laser required for the transmission link is restored to its pre-fault pump power so that the erbium-doped fiber amplifier can resume amplification of the input optical signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, Releasing the blockage on the input optical signal includes: The target device on the transmission link used to block the input optical signal is restored from the target state to the state before adjustment, so as to release the blockage of the input optical signal; In this process, after detecting that the received input optical signal meets the fault criteria, the target device has been adjusted to the target state to block the input optical signal.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The two operations—unblocking the input optical signal and restoring the pump laser required for the transmission link to its pre-fault state—are performed simultaneously.

13. An erbium-doped fiber amplifier, characterized in that, It includes a control component and a transmission link, wherein the control component is configured to execute one or more computer instructions for performing the optical transmission amplification method according to any one of claims 1-12.

14. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors perform the optical transmission amplification method according to any one of claims 1-12.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the optical transmission amplification method according to any one of claims 1-12.

Images