Technique for reporting parameters of elements in optical transmission systems using high loss loopback (HLLB) data and line monitoring system implementing same

Abstract

SOLUTION: A WDM transmission system 100 provides for automated line monitoring system (LMS) baselining that enables capture and update of operational parameters specific to each repeater and associated undersea elements based on high loss loopback (HLLB) data. The captured operational parameters are then utilized to satisfy queries targeting specific undersea elements in a command-response (CR) fashion. Here in general, the operational parameters include any parameter that may be derived directly or indirectly from HLLB data. Non-limiting examples of the operational parameters include span gain loss, input power, output power, gain, and gain tilt.EFFECT: Command-response functionality may be achieved without additional cost, complexity and lifespan issues relating to deploying undersea elements with on-board CR circuitry.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application relates to communication systems, and more particularly to repeaters in undersea fiber optic networks. High Loss Loopback (HLLB) data that measures and reports the operating parameters of the The present invention relates to a system and method for utilizing the data. [Background technology]

[0002] Subsea optical fiber communication systems are designed to reduce the risk of wet plant failure and possibly invasive Early detection and resolution of threats ensures their performance and reduces the potential Requires routine monitoring to minimize losses. Currently established The monitoring technology is a high-loss loopback (HLLB) technique that monitors each submarine repeater and Line monitoring system (LMS) that detects signal peaks looped back from the termination ) is included.

[0003] If there is a change in performance along the optical path, the amplitude of these loopback signals will The change in the repeaters around the station can be used to identify fault conditions. Such fault conditions show clear patterns in the fiber span loss, for example. , changes in the optical amplifier pump laser output power and fiber breaks. Several approaches to recognizing fault conditions based on signatures include automatic signature analysis (ASA). Existing ASA-based fault analysis is limited to relatively large changes in the transmission system. Although it can detect degradation, it is possible for it to detect small changes that may indicate degraded performance of a particular element over time. There is often a lack of accuracy in reporting

[0004] Some undersea transmission systems have operating parameters such as output power and input power. Command-Response (CR) structure that allows direct queries from each repeater However, the command response is stored in each repeater. Requires specialized hardware that can significantly increase unit costs and shorten operational life ,This is particularly problematic in subsea environments where repairs may be impractical.

[0005] Reference should be made to the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: , identical numbers represent identical parts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of another exemplary embodiment of a system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a simplified block diagram of a line monitoring equipment (LME) system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B illustrates an example workflow for the LME of FIG. 3A performing periodic line monitoring, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a graph illustrating differential gain data values ​​for multiple repeaters in an optical transmission system with no detected fault conditions in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is another graph illustrating differential gain data values ​​corresponding to impairments between repeaters in an optical transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the measured derivative of the differential loop gain (dDLG) mapped to position coefficients ranging from −1 to 1 and associated weighting coefficients for termination T1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A shows example fault signatures for fault conditions that may be detected by an LME according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B illustrates example fault signatures for fault conditions that may be detected by an LME according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C illustrates example fault signatures for fault conditions that may be detected by an LME according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6D] FIG. 6D shows example fault signatures for fault conditions that may be detected by an LME according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6E] FIG. 6E shows example fault signatures for fault conditions that may be detected by an LME according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example automated signature analysis process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates multiple impairment signatures detected along a transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A illustrates the multiple fault signatures of FIG. 8 decomposed into independent fault signatures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B illustrates the multiple fault signatures of FIG. 8 decomposed into independent fault signatures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a graph illustrating loop gain shift after increasing the overall length of an optical transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a repeater amplifier pair suitable for use in the optical transmission system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a reportable parameters table (RPT) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating operations according to a method in accordance with the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] In summary, the system and method according to the present disclosure provides a high loss loopback (HLLB) data Acquire and update operational parameters specific to each repeater and associated subsea elements based on the Provides automated line monitoring system (LMS) baselining that enables The captured operating parameters are then sent to the can be used to satisfy queries targeting available undersea elements. Thus, the command The response function involves the deployment of a subsea element with a CR circuit mounted on board. This can be accomplished without the added cost, complexity, and longevity issues associated with In addition, the operating parameters are any parameters that can be derived directly or indirectly from the HLLB data. In one example, non-limiting examples of operating parameters include span gain loss, input These include input power, output power, gain and gain tilt.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a WDM transmission system 100 according to the present disclosure. In general terms, the system 100 includes a bidirectional transmission path 102, which transmits from both ends of the path 102. The LMS signal is used to calculate the loop gain values ​​associated with each repeater / amplifier. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that for the sake of explanation, a very simplified point-to-point It should be appreciated that the system 100 is illustrated as a distributed system. The disclosed systems and methods may be incorporated into a wide range of network components and configurations. It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments shown are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. is provided only as a convenience.

[0009] As shown, the system 100 is coupled by two unidirectional optical paths 110, 120. a first termination T1 and a second termination T2, which together define a bidirectional optical transmission path 102 The first termination T1 is coupled to the first termination of the transmission path 102, and the second termination T2 is coupled to the first termination of the transmission path 102. is coupled to a second end of the transmission path 102. As used herein, the term "coupled" means Thereby, the signal carried by one system element is presented to the "combined" element. These "coupled" devices must be The signals may not be directly connected to each other, but may include intermediate structures that may manipulate or modify such signals. The components may be separated by a component or device.

[0010] Optical path 110 extends from a transmitter 112 at terminal T1 to a receiver 114 at terminal T2. Optical path 12 can carry optical data in multiple channels (or wavelengths) in one direction. 0 is the path 110 from the transmitter 124 at the end T2 to the receiver 122 at the end T1 It can carry optical data in multiple channels (or wavelengths) in both directions. For termination T1, optical path 110 is the outgoing path and optical path 120 is the ingoing path. For termination T2, optical path 120 is the outgoing path and optical path 110 is the The optical path 110 is an inward path. 18-1 to 118-n, and the optical path 120 may include an alternating connection of optical fibers 12 6-1 to 126-n and optical amplifiers 128-1 to 128-n may be alternately connected. stomach.

[0011] A lightpath pair (e.g., lightpaths 110, 120) is a repeater of associated repeaters R1...Rn. Optical fibers 116-1 to 116-n and The amplifier pairs 118-1 to 118n and 126-1 to 126-n are connected by the amplifier pairs 118-1 to 118n and 12 The optical fibers 116-1 to 116-n and 126 The -1 to 126-n pairs are connected to the fiber optic cable along with the fibers supporting the additional path pairs. Each repeater R1...Rn may include an amplifier 118 for each supported path pair. 118-n and 128-1...128-n. -1···118-n and 128-1···128-n are shown in simplified form, Above EDFA or other rare earth doped fiber The HLLB paths 132-1 to 132-2 may include a semiconductor optical amplifier, a Raman amplifier, or a semiconductor optical amplifier. -n is, for example, a repeater R between the optical paths 110 and 120, as will be described in more detail below. 1...Rn, for example, may be coupled to one or more of the housings 131-1 to 131-n. , may include one or more passive optical coupling components.

[0012] Line monitoring equipment (LME) 140, 142 detects the HLL of the path pairs 110, 120. The LME 140 may be located at both ends T1 and T2 to provide B monitoring. , one or more LME test signals, e.g., at different wavelengths and / or different frequencies; It can be emitted to one light path 110 (e.g., outgoing light path). Each of 32-1 to 132-n is a sample of the LME test signal propagating in the optical path 110. The pull can be coupled to another light path 120 in the forward propagation direction (e.g., the inward light path), and The LME 140 receives and measures the samples as an indication of faults in the system. It is possible to detect the change in loop gain. Here, the received samples of the LME test signal received via 32-1 to 132-n are H This is called LLB loopback data or simply loopback data.

[0013] The LME 142 may transmit one or more LME test signals, e.g., at different wavelengths and / or at different At a frequency, it can be launched into one light path 120 (e.g., the outgoing light path). The HLLB paths 132-1 to 132-n are LME test paths propagating in the optical path 120. The signal samples are coupled to another light path, light path 110, in the forward propagation direction (e.g., the inward light path). The LME 142 then receives and measures the samples (loopback data). It is possible to detect changes in loop gain as an indication of faults in the system. an LME 140 for transmitting ME test signals and receiving and measuring loopback data; A variety of transmitter and receiver configurations are known for 142.

[0014] Various HLLB routing configurations are known that are useful in systems according to the present disclosure. Each of the data R1...Rn has an associated HLLB path 132-1 to 132-n. Although shown as a single HLLB path, the HLLB paths may be located elsewhere and / or all links may be In some embodiments, the HLLB may be placed on the R1...Rn. The paths 132-1 to 132-n may be symmetric in operation, i.e., HLLB paths Shows the proportion of optical power of each wavelength transmitted from path 110 to path 120 by 132-1 The function is each of the HLLB paths 132-1 transmitted from the path 120 to the path 110. is the same as the function that expresses the ratio of optical power of a wavelength. Alternatively, one or more HLLB paths can be It does not have to be symmetrical and different HLLB paths may have different transfer functions.

[0015] For example, each pair of amplifiers 118-1 to 118-n and 128-1 to 128-n is The present invention includes an excitation scheme that facilitates the process of detecting changes in optical performance in the path being monitored. In this example, each amplifier pair may be configured with an asymmetric pumping configuration, whereby Each amplifier in a given amplifier pair has a different output power than the other. Asymmetric excitation schemes allow the assignment of a direction to a particular measured change and the identification of specific factors that may be associated with the change. For example, a single repeater can be used to amplify the signal in each direction. The two amplifiers A1 and A2 may be , may be pumped by two similarly configured lasers, e.g., L1 and L2. A1 may be excited by 50% L1 and 50% L2. A2 may also be excited by They may be excited in a similar manner by their respective lasers. Conversely, other ratios may be used as described in this disclosure. Although in the range of 40% L1 and 60% L2, asymmetric excitation can be achieved. Similarly, A2 is excited by 60% L1 and 40% L2. Good too.

[0016] FIG. 3A illustrates a line monitoring system (LMS) 30 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. 0. The LMS 300 is the LME 140 and / or LME 142 in FIG. The LME 300 is shown in a highly simplified manner for the sake of clarity. The LMS 300 may be implemented in hardware (e.g., circuitry), software, or In an embodiment, the LMS 300 includes at least A controller (not shown) that executes, to some extent, the LMS processes, such as process 1300 of FIG. The controller may be implemented as a number of instructions that may be executed by a , processors (e.g., x86 processing), field programmable gate arrays (FPG A), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other suitable processing device / circuitry; It can be implemented as:

[0017] As shown in the figure, the LMS300 uses an enhanced automated signature analysis (eASA) processor. 301, reportable parameter table (RPT) updater 302, RPT storage 30 3. Baseline manager component 304 and high loss loopback (HLLB The RPT storage 303 and the HLLB storage 305 include It can be implemented in volatile or non-volatile memory areas. Note that the components of LMS300 are implemented in the same They do not have to be physically located in the system, but are distributed throughout the WDM transmission system 100. For example, the RPT storage 303 and the HLLB storage 305 may each The LMS according to the present disclosure may be located at the terminal stations T1 and T2. The systems can communicate with each other to share data and / or processing components according to their configuration. .

[0018] The LMS300 detects the presence of an LME test signal in the transmission path in response to the LME test signal propagated on the network. Loopback in the form of one or more LMS High Loss Loopback (HLLB) data sets. The loopback data 308 (i.e., LME loopback data 308) may be received. The loop data 308 is also called the HLLB data set or simply the HLLB data. The pop-back data 308 may be stored in the memory providing the HLLB storage 305. As will be described in more detail later, the eASA301 uses differential HLLB data from multiple measurement times. It operates on a single data set and can handle multiple system termination points (also called termination stations or simply stations) and a single Improved accuracy for the ASA approach operating on loopback data sets eASA301 can also provide results if the signature is incomplete. Even if the satellite is not in operation, it can detect changes near the terminal station / landing.

[0019] The RPT updater 302 (or RPT update model) receives the output from the eASA 301. 1. Mapping the output of the eASA301 to the operating parameters corresponding to the repeater / element being As will be further described below, the RPT updater 302 may be configured to update the baseline RPT value and The delta can be determined by comparing the value output by the ASA301. It can also be used to calculate changes to operating parameters. The updater 302 accesses the RPT storage 303 to update the operating parameters and the eASA Any updated RPT baseline value based on the output of 301 may be stored. An example RPT table (i.e., The RPT lookup table (RPT lookup table) is shown in Figure 12. Also known as the current baseline RPT.

[0020] The baseline manager 304 transmits the HLLB baseline data (L The HLLB base station may be configured to provide ME baseline data. The line data is stored in the HLLB storage 305 as the current HLLB baseline. During operation, the baseline manager 304 may include a current HLLB baseline without modification. Line data can be maintained and a first fault / condition detected that exceeds a predetermined threshold can be The baseline data can be locally corrected based on the HLLB baseline The entire data set can be replaced.

[0021] The baseline manager 304 also processes the baselines recorded in the RPT storage 303. During operation, the baseline management The meter 304 can maintain the current RPT baseline data without modification and the first Locally correct baseline data based on detected faults / conditions that exceed a given threshold Alternatively, the entire RPT baseline data set may be replaced.

[0022] In an embodiment, the LMS 300 periodically performs monitoring and data reporting processes. During each monitoring cycle, the LMS 300 (e.g., with respect to FIG. 2) Based on an LME test signal propagating along the WDM transmission system 100 as described above A new HLLB loopback data set 308 may be received from the station, and The eASA 301 may be used to perform automated signature analysis of received data sets. The RPT updater 302 then receives the eASA 301 output from the baseline manager 304. The RP stored in the RPT storage 303 using the current HLLB baseline and the The user can also update the T table values. The L is monitored in a command-response manner to monitor results such as loss and tilt. Similarly, the LMS 300 can query the RPT storage 3 The RPT data stored in 03 can be used to satisfy the query.

[0023] An example workflow 350 for the LMS 300 is shown in FIG. During time (T)0, the eASA 301 retrieves one or more HLLs from the HLLB storage 305. It receives as input the B dataset and the current HLLB baseline data. At 0, the RPT updater 302 updates the RPT table from the RPT storage. Receive RPT baseline data. Convert HLLB data set to loopback data set. The HLLB baseline data is also called the LMS baseline data. , eASA 301 analyzes the received HLLB data set and, for example, determines whether a first predetermined threshold (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10%, or other appropriate threshold) and then compare it to the current HLL. B Baseline data (HLLB current ) to detect a change of 1 or more. Any change beyond a first predetermined threshold is taken to be a change to the current HLLB baseline in memory. Data (HLLB current ) and the new HLLB baseline data Ta(HLLBnew ) may generate old HLLB baseline data (HLLB cur rent ) and the received HLLB data set also affect the operational parameters of the RPT table. The first RPT delta value (RPTΔ) may be used to generate a first RPT delta value (RPTΔ) for varying the meter. New HLLB baseline data (HLLB new ) and the old HLLB baseline Data (HLLB current ) is the change in the RPT baseline data ( Before the changes are applied, the previous A copy of the RPT baseline data may be stored in memory (RPTBaselin e old ) The new RPT baseline data is then compared to the previous RPT baseline data. RPTBaseline old ) values ​​changed in the RPT baseline data (RPT The corresponding value from the baseline Δ can then be summed with the corresponding value from the baseline Δ. The updated RPT parameters are calculated by dividing the corresponding values ​​from the first RPT delta value (RPTΔ) and Previous RPT Baseline DataRPTBaseline old By adding up the value of Therefore, it may be calculated.

[0024] Then, eASA301 will update the RPT baseline data before storing the RPT data. and storing it back into the memory 303 to replace or adjust one or more operating parameters. Some such example operating parameters are input power, output power, gain, speed, etc. Pan loss, spectral tilt and / or received HLLB data for each amplifier and one or more Contains the span lengths of the contiguous spans represented in the set.

[0025] Following FIG. 3B, after a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week), the LMS3 00 may receive one or more additional HLLB data sets during subsequent LMS cycles. eASA301 is capable of performing analysis of the HLLB dataset and A fault condition may be detected based on one or more measured operating parameters exceeding a certain threshold. In the event of a detected failure, the baseline manager 304 One or more operational parameters in the HLLB storage 303 and the HLL B baseline data set may be updated. For example, an amplifier with reduced output power may The operating parameter values ​​in the RPT table corresponding to the amplifier may be detected by the SA. may be updated (see FIG. 12). Similarly, the HLLB baseline data may be updated These re-baselines can then be updated to reflect the current operating conditions. Whether this occurs for loopback data or for faulty or latent RPT storage 303 The information may include operational parameters that may be indicative of a potential fault.

[0026] As described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, the WDM transmission system 100 includes an undersea repeater body. The bidirectional amplifier pair in the 100 MHz band and the high-loss loopback optical path in the terminating amplifier are included. Regarding the description and formula, i is the termination, j is the loopback route, and HLLB route 1 in Figure 1 Each of 32-1 to 132-n is HLLB i,j This can be referenced using the notation These optical paths are then passed from one-way optical fibers carrying a small amount of light at a specified test channel wavelength. These reflected round trip signals are routed from the optical fiber to the terminal station in the opposite direction of transmission. are detected by the LMS 300 and are converted to the LMS 300 as loopback data 308. exchanged or supplied.

[0027] This loopback data 308 is at least one optical frequency / frequency within the transmission band of the optical path. The wavelength may be measured, possibly at two or more wavelengths. In the form, the high and low channel wavelengths for a given bandwidth (e.g., The minimum and maximum wavelengths (respectively) can be selected as the test signal channel wavelengths. The generation of data 308 may include measurements from each termination site, e.g., T1 and T2. Thus, the loopback data 308 may include multiple HLLB data sets. In this case, the loopback data 308 is a single data set for each branch fiber pair. For example, at least two data sets from a trunk fiber pair representing each direction of propagation Additionally, the loopback data 308 may include one or more one or more data sets from a portion of a WDM transmission system being monitored Note that for C+L fiber pairs, the HLLB data set may include C-band It can be measured in both the HF and L-bands.

[0028] In an embodiment, the cumulative noise along the transmission line represented in the loopback data 308 is , can be reduced or minimized. For this purpose, the differential loop gain is DLG j =HLLB T1,j -HLLB T1,j-1 =HLLB T2,j-1 -HLL B T2,j ...Equation (1) It can be given by:

[0029] The differential loop gain is the amplification between the two repeaters, as described above with respect to Figures 1 and 2. The differential loop gain data represents the optical gain of the device, as described above with respect to Figures 3A and 3B. As described above, the baseline stored in the HLLB storage 305 is used to detect a fault. The comparison can be made with the differential loop gain data obtained from Eq. (1). The differential loop gain is calculated by subtracting the baseline differential loop gain data from the input data. Thus, the derivative of the differential loop gain can be expressed as: dDLG j =(DLG j ) Data -(DLG j ) Baseline ...Equation (2) It can be given by:

[0030] In a scenario where there are no faults in the WDM transmission system 100, the derivative of the differential loop gain value is approximately For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the differential loop gain data value 404 varies with the actual The data points in Figure 4A are based on a composite data set of multiple sites. The following non-limiting examples are presented after weighting to improve the accuracy of the calculations, as described in more detail below. For purposes of presentation, a threshold value of 0.25 or greater is preferred, although other threshold values ​​may be utilized depending on the desired level of sensitivity. Differential loop gain data values ​​having absolute amplitude values ​​below may be considered substantially zero.

[0031] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4B, due to fault conditions, the differential loop gain data has a unique signature. In FIG. 4B, the excitation in the amplifier located between R3 and R5 is low. The LMS300 is a joint venture between the eASA301 and It may include a number of predefined signatures to enable detection and classification of error conditions. Alternatively, or in addition to a predefined signature, the LMS 300 may be It can be trained over time with signatures provided by a rule manager. do.

[0032] Delta band gain (BDG) may be defined as the difference between the high and low frequency dDLGs. . BGD j =(dDLG j ) LF -(dDLG j ) HF ...Equation (3)

[0033] The differential loop gain minimizes or reduces the effect of noise in long-distance transmission, The error rate of the data increases with the measurement distance. For transmission systems with long transmission paths, the error accumulation can be large. The introduction can be countered by combining HLLB data from multiple terminations. For example, measurements from LME 140 of T1 may be combined with measurements from LME 142 of T2. Therefore, the HLLB data from the first and second terminal stations are dDLG j =r j (dDLG j ) T1 +(1-r j )(dDLG j ) T2 ···formula( 4) where (dDLG j ) T1 is the differential loop gain from T1. minutes, (dDLG j ) T2 is the derivative of the differential loop gain from T2, and r j is T1 dDLG from j is a weighting factor for

[0034] And each HLLB loopback position ranges between -1 and 1 using the following formula: The position coefficients (see FIG. 5) can be used to map the position coefficients.

number

[0035] In an embodiment, the weighting factor is used to scale the data depending on the configuration of the system. The weighting factor can be applied as follows:

number

[0036] Also, since the mid-span constant s is defined, r j is outside [s, 1-s] and (dD LG j ) T1 and (dDLG j ) T2 If the difference between is too large, max{|(dDLG j ) T1 |,|(dDLG j ) T2 |}>>min{|(dDL G j ) T1 |,|(dDLG j ) T2 |} ···Equation (7) It becomes

[0037] And, as shown in FIG. 5, r j is either 1 (when r j > 1 - s) or 0 (when r j < s case).

[0038] In an embodiment, the fault signature analysis may be performed by an LMS, such as LMS3 00, to identify and locate one or more fault types from HLLB data such as excitation drop, span loss, etc. Such a fault signature analysis may be performed on the fault signatures of multiple spans surrounding a specific physical fault location. As described above, a predetermined fault signature may be stored in the memory of the LMS for comparison purposes during processing performed by, for example, eASA301. The fault signature may be based on, for example, simulation, or may be generated (trained) based on measurement events occurring in the WDM transmission system 100 during operation. The derivative of the differential loop gain data computable based on the per - channel HLLB dataset for each measurement frequency may also be stored in the memory of each LMS, such as the HLLB storage 305, for use, for example, during ASA analysis.

[0039] An example of a fault event / state type that eASA301 may detect includes a decrease in the output power of the optical excitation laser, which enables the operation of the optical amplifier. The decrease may range from a slight decrease in output power to a total failure of one or more excitation lasers. Other examples of fault event types include a decrease in fiber span attenuation. The fiber span attenuation is a slight decrease in attenuation. measurement events occurring in the WDM transmission system 100 during operation. The derivative of the differential loop gain data computable based on the per - channel HLLB dataset for each measurement frequency may also be stored in the memory of each LMS, such as the HLLB storage 305, for use, for example, during ASA analysis. measurement events occurring in the WDM transmission system 100 during operation. The derivative of the differential loop gain data computable based on the per - channel HLLB dataset for each measurement frequency may also be stored in the memory of each LMS, such as the HLLB storage 305, for use, for example, during ASA analysis.

[0040] An example of a fault event / state type that eASA301 may detect includes a decrease in the output power of the optical excitation laser, which enables the operation of the optical amplifier. The decrease may range from a slight decrease in output power to a total failure of one or more excitation lasers. Other examples of fault event types include a decrease in fiber span attenuation. The fiber span attenuation is a slight decrease in attenuation. event types include a decrease in fiber span attenuation. The fiber span attenuation is a slight Small increases to large increases that can adversely affect optical performance through the span / segment in question. These may range from a wide increase in attenuation.

[0041] An example ASA process flow 700 that may be performed by eASA 301 is shown in FIG. During the process flow 700, the system may perform a number of calculations based on known impairment shapes, e.g., excitation drop, span loss, etc. Multi-dimensional digital filters of the same length and shape are used to give preliminary results. This may be applied to the dDLG data obtained from equation (4) and the BGD data as shown below. y1 = filter(F1,dDLG HF )...Equation (8) y4=filter(F4,dDLG HF )...Equation (9) y5=filter(F5,dDLG HF )...Equation (10) y3=filter(F3,dDLG HF )...Equation (11) y2=filter(F2,BGD)...Equation (12) where y is the signal processed by the filter F(Fx, Dy) and Fx is the shape of the curve. As mentioned above, the shapes x=3, 4 and 5 are the laser L 1, pumping down of laser L2 and span loss. Since LG may interact with filters F3 and F4 at the same time in the same instance, additional filters In this case, it is necessary to determine whether the drop is due to laser L1 or to laser It may not be possible to conclude whether the F2 is the L2 or not. Both F1 and F2 predict the excitation reduction of laser L2. F2 and F5 are both filtered to predict span loss. The F2 model is introduced.

[0042] Next, the processed dDLG data (y3, y4, y5) and BGD data (y2) If both preliminary results show substantially the same defect at substantially the same location (N), The fault is recorded at j. The sum of the magnitudes of y2 around location j is

number

[0043] This disclosure is δ = f(ξ) (14) We specify that this magnitude ξ can be mapped to a value of disturbance (δ) using y The function f(x) can be adapted by varying the magnitude of the disturbance.

[0044] 6A-6E, exemplary fault condition signatures may be generated in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The span loss is calculated as the loss between the two directions due to the total placement in one of the two directions. By dividing the loss between the two directions of propagation to a maximum of 100% For example, two scans at the same position are shown in Figs. 6C and 6D. 6C shows the loss in the inward direction and FIG. 6D shows the loss in the outward direction, respectively. do.

[0045] In Figures 6C and 6D, sub-beams 601-1 to 601-4 show different trends. In particular, the dDLGs at positions 4 and 5 in FIG. 6D show that the repeaters after the span suffer from a loss of gain. On the other hand, the dDLG at positions 3 and 4 increases as shown in Figure 6C. The span loss is the composite of the inward span and the outward span. In the case of dDLG at positions 3 and 5, both are elevated. The inward span losses can be assigned to the two directions by the ratio of the inward span losses using the formula:

number

[0046] On the other hand, for the coastal span loss shown in Fig. 6E, the initial dDLG data was lacking. Therefore, it is necessary to use the coastal repeater to estimate / predict the dDLG in front of the first repeater R1. A span loss prediction function y=p(x) may be used. dDLG(0)=p(dDLG(1),dDLG(2))...Equation (16)

[0047] Therefore, equation (16) is used to calculate the coastal span loss and assign the direction. It is possible.

[0048] In some cases, multiple faults corresponding to different physical locations along the WDM transmission system 100 may be present. The eASA 301 detects and transmits each individual fault signature. Multiple associated wetness plant change events along the path may be quantified. In an embodiment, the fault signatures corresponding to different fault events may be mathematically decomposed For example, as shown in FIG. 8, peaks 801 and 802 are shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, respectively. The signatures can then be separated and decomposed into separate and independent signatures such as: The signatures may be individually analyzed by eASA 301 as described above.

[0049] In some scenarios, a particular fault may not necessarily be detected by automated signature analysis against HLLB data. For example, the LMS can detect the The HLLB data can be used to detect fiber breaks along the transmission path. Consider the situation where a fiber break occurs between j-1 and repeater j. As a result, repeater j HLLB data for downstream repeaters after (or j-1) For example, in Figure 2, a fiber break may have occurred between R3 and R4. Therefore, the LMS140 in T1 is connected to R4, R5, R6 and T2. The return signal cannot be received.

[0050] Similarly, T2 cannot detect the return signals from R3, R2, R1 and T1. ,The magnitude of all missing peaks is set to a predefined value, e.g. For example, it can be shown as -55 dB. For a system with two terminations, The total number of missing peaks in the HLLB data set is determined by whether there is a single fiber break or Depending on whether there are multiple breaks at different physical locations, this may be more than the total number of loopback paths. For a system with one end (e.g., a branch), the missing peak should be The total number will appear to be successively greater than 2. The location of the fault condition can be detected based on the location and the total number of missing HLLB data points. .

[0051] The HLLB data corresponding to a single amplifier pair also indicates the failure of an optical filter in the HLLB path. It can also be used to detect the frequency of the loopback amplifier pair in repeater j. Consider the case where there is a fiber break. In this case, all measurement frequencies are transmitted from only that amplifier pair. The HLLB loopback signal at the number of As mentioned above, unlike a fiber break in the transmission path, and the loopback signals from all other downstream amplifier pairs along the optical path are For example, in Figure 2, repeater R3 has If there is a break in the loopback path in During subsequent processing, eASA301 will ignore / remove the data points for HLLB3. In either case, the optical filter fault condition and the location of the fault condition may be determined in a single repeat. The missing HLLB data points can be detected based on the location of the missing HLLB data points in the data.

[0052] The HLLB data corresponding to a single amplifier pair is based on the optical filter impairments in a given HLLB path. The WDM transmission system 100 may also be used to detect interference (see FIGS. 6A and 6B). In each direction of propagation along the HLLB path, each HLLB path transmits an optical frequency that is reflected in the opposite direction of propagation. Typically, two measurement frequencies (e.g. For example, C-band vs. C+L), but more are possible and the specific number depends on the application. In one particular exemplary embodiment, at least one Two optical frequencies are selected as the measurement frequencies. The selected measurement frequencies are Even if the bands, e.g., correspond to the high and low wavelength edges of the spectrum, However, other embodiments are within the scope of this disclosure. By using the above optical frequencies in this manner, the LMS according to the present disclosure advantageously The spectral tilt can be measured.

[0053] Next, for example, in the loopback path from repeater R3 to T1 (Figure 2), If the optical fiber is broken, the measurement frequency (HLLB T1,3 ) to T1 The return signals will be missing from the data set, so DLG3 and DLG4 will be affected. Therefore, the optical fiber in the HLLB path Driver failures can be detected / estimated by identifying missing data points. The loopback path between T2 remains operational, so DLG3 can still receive It can be derived via measurement data. In this case, DLG3 is DLG3=HLLB T1,3 -HLLB T1,2 =HLLB T2,2 -HLLB T2, 3...Equation (17) It can be given by:

[0054] And therefore the missing HLLB T1,3 The data points are HLLB T1,3 =HLLB T1,2 +HLLB T2,2 -HLLB T2,3 ... Formula (18) It can be predicted / estimated by

[0055] Therefore, the location of the optical filter failure and fault condition in a given HLLB path can be determined by one Missing HLLB data points at repeaters only (and data points at 1 at a given repeater) can be detected based on the presence of a sigma-based anti-aliasing signal (for one measurement frequency).

[0056] At each physical location, each change event in the transmission path since the most recent re-baseline After eASA301 identifies the location and magnitude of each change event, the identified change events are processed in the RPT It may be used to calculate updates in the RPT data stored in storage 303. The RPT data are taken from each amplifier and adjacent fiber span in the monitored fiber pair. The calculated values ​​of the operational parameters for each segment / operation may be included in the eASA301. The changes made are applied to the RPT criteria in the RPT table, which generates new absolute values ​​for each operating parameter. This can be used to adjust the baseline data (see Figure 12). The operational parameters related to the amplifier / span being connected are communicated directly to the element via the optical transmission path. This can be advantageously done in a relatively simple wet plant. This may enable the device to avoid introducing additional traffic to it.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 12 and with further reference to FIG. 11, a reportable by an LMS according to the present disclosure The relevant operating parameters are, for example, the input power, the output power and the gain and / or the cumulative gain. To provide reportable parameters, the LMS must collect HLLB data. The change, magnitude and direction of pump power and span loss can be detected using the These changes are then used to calculate changes in values ​​of operational parameters based on the amplifier model. The amplifier model can, in a general sense, represent the reportable behavior of the system. The parameters may be used to derive values ​​that quantify the relationship between the operational parameters and the impairment. For example, Consider the outward direction (e.g., the upper half) of repeater N in Fig. 11. The change in span loss between repeater N and repeater N-1 in the outgoing direction is repeated. The change in output power of the N-1 input can be calculated based at least in part on the change in the N-1 output power. The change in output power is at least as large as the change in input power added with the change in optical gain. The gain change can therefore be calculated based on the specific The input impedance can be calculated via an amplifier model based on the changes in the input impedance.

[0058] In an embodiment, the RPT updater 302 updates the latest AS output by the eASA 301. A RPT update process is performed based on the result and the loopback data 308. In this mode, the RPT update process utilizes the provided amplifier models for each amplifier pair. The new process also includes all the parameters that can be provided by a field engineer during, for example, deployment or staging. An initial input set of parameters and RPT values ​​for all monitored amplifier pairs is used. Use.

[0059] In an embodiment, the amplifier model adjusts the amplifier power in response to a detected decrease in pump laser power. Calculate the change in output power and account for the detected increase in fiber span insertion loss and amplifier input power. This can be used to calculate the change in amplifier output power in response to a corresponding decrease in power. Between amplifier input power, output power and gain, and span loss of adjacent fiber spans The relationship is P out,i =P in,i +G i ...Equation (19) P in,i+1 =P out,i -S i,i+1 ...Equation (20) where P out,i is the output power of the repeater Ri, and P i n,i is the input power of the repeater Ri, and G i is the gain of the repeater Ri, and S i, i+1 is the span loss between repeater Ri and repeater Ri+1.

[0060] A reduction in amplifier laser pumping results in a reduction in the output power and gain G for the affected amplifier. , decreasing the input power and increasing the gain for subsequent / subsequent downstream amplifiers The cumulative gain tilt of both amplifiers is affected, but with opposite magnitudes. Therefore, there is little cumulative effect on the tilt of the downstream amplifiers.

[0061] The increase in fiber span insertion loss (S) is due to the adjacent amplifier and possibly the next adjacent This results in a reduction in the input power of the amplifiers and an increase in G in both amplifiers. The cumulative gain tilt of all downstream amplifiers is affected.

[0062] The round-trip gain shape changes at either end of the fiber versus the spectral band as follows: It can be estimated from the change in the relative peak height of the HLLB peak in ΔTilt i =dDLG i,HF -dDLG i,LF ···(twenty one) Here, dDLG i,HF is the high frequency derivative of the differential loop gain in repeater Ri, , dDLG i,LF is the low frequency derivative of the differential loop gain in repeater Ri.

[0063] However, measuring the distribution of this change in gain profile between the two directions of propagation is more difficult. The detected change in round trip tilt can be expressed as the detected span loss from the ASA process 700 described above. Loss and change in pump power can be assigned to a propagation direction based on the directionality of the event. For example, If the increase in span loss occurs in only one direction of propagation, the detection gain tilt Any change is assigned to its direction of propagation. If multiple faults (N) appear simultaneously, The dDLG is to be decomposed into N parts (see, for example, Figures 8, 9A and 9B), each of which is Each corresponds to one signal impairment, and the tilt is calculated individually and added together to produce a collective A tilt can be formed.

[0064] Returning to FIG. 3A, for example, the overall LMS process, shown generally as a workflow in FIG. 3B, is as follows: Based on ensuring that new HLLB datasets are analyzed by ASA The Line Manager process can also process the HLLB data. Both the ASA analysis of the data and the RPT update of the current RPT value based on the previously identified RPT value It is also possible to maintain synchronization between baseline data sets for each.

[0065] In some cases, a configurable threshold triggers the entire process to run the RPT and HLLB baselines. Performing either a localized update or a global update of the data set In general, L Updates to the baseline dataset for MS comparisons will improve the accuracy of the identification of overlapping disorder signatures. New faults are detected near existing faults without their presence compromising the ASA analysis. Therefore, the baseline data set is a set of Events can be updated on specific repeater spans adjacent to the event, as well as on the network. This allows other pathways in the network to be monitored against their earlier / earlier values. Avoid re-baselining the entire system to achieve the desired performance. For example, in some cases Six data points are available for the fault shape direction, and six of them near the event Each of these points can be updated so that the impact of the current disturbance is minimized or mitigated. However, other amounts of data points may be used and the examples given are not limiting.

[0066] In some cases, the RPT and HLLB baseline data sets are relatively unimportant / It does not need to be updated based on small change events. It is better to increase the detection accuracy for larger faults. Since the baseline can be updated continuously, the severity of the fault can be increased. Instead of continuously monitoring small changes in It is advantageous to keep monitoring the magnitude of the disturbance in the Instead of constantly re-baselining when adding, it grows gradually from 1dB to 3dB. It is useful to monitor the change in span loss and the results of each cycle are compared to the previous There is no cycle-by-cycle accumulation of inaccuracies that are added to the cycle result, but rather If the MS cycle RPT update results are based on the baseline RPT value and the current ASA result, There is little accumulation of inaccuracy in the detection of conjunctions.

[0067] The first fault in the system of Figure 2 exceeds the threshold for localized baseline updates. Consider a scenario in which the second obstacle in the first row is not exceeded. The first obstacle is shown in Figure 9. As shown, the failure is brought about so that the next run will only show the second failure. Change in HLLB (ΔHLLBi,j ) into the baseline to obtain the HLLB baseline. In this example, the threshold is not exceeded. DLGs that have more than a threshold of impairments may be maintained. Therefore, the change in the HLLB baseline data is

number

[0068] The newly generated HLLB baseline (HLLB i,j ) new The old HLLB base Line (HLLB i,j ) old from (HLLB i,j ) new =(HLLB i,j ) old +ΔHLLB i,j ···formula (twenty three) It can be calculated by:

[0069] After repair, the fiber was inserted back into the system to shift the peak, as shown in Figure 10. The LMS according to the present disclosure may then automatically transmit the received loopback data 308. The distance change can be updated using the distance data. If the distance data is different for the two ends, the average value is used. It is possible.

[0070] FIG. 13 illustrates an example embodiment of a fault detection process that may be performed by an LMS according to the present disclosure. 13 is a flowchart illustrating operation 300. Exemplary details of the operations illustrated in FIG. Thus, the method 1300 includes monitoring line equipment on a transmission path from one or more end stations. The method 1300 then includes transmitting 1302 a LME test signal. Depending on the test signal, the HLLB data set (HLLB i,j ) format The loopback data may be received (1304).

[0071] Then, the method 1300 calculates the received HLLB data set HLLB using equation (1). i,j Differential loop gain data DLG based on j··j-1 (1305) , the method 1300 may, for example, use equation (2) to derive the corresponding loop gain value baseline data Each DLG has a value in the set j Subtracting the loop gain value in the data set and the differential loop gain data set (dDLG j ) can be derived (1306 Additional pre-processing in operation 1306 involves calculating each dDLG using equation (4). j Low Error applying the reduction, and weighting and matching of the loop gain values ​​based on equations (5) to (7); It may further include pinging.

[0072] The method 1300 then determines one or more types of faults and fault magnitudes based on the ASA analysis. One exemplary process 700 for ASA analysis is shown in FIG. As described above, the same will not be repeated for the sake of brevity. j For each repeater and associated element represented in the data, the identified changes, e.g. Reportable parameters based on input power change, output power change, gain, tilt, etc. The method 1300 may then update 1310 the RPT table. Comparing the updated data in the bull with the current baseline RPT (1312) In response to one or more operational parameters exceeding a predetermined threshold, a reporting message may be generated. The report message is sent to the user or other monitoring process. The identifier may comprise one or more of an identifier of the operating parameter, an identifier of the operating parameter and / or an operating parameter value.

[0073] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an optical communication system is disclosed. and a plurality of repeaters coupled to the optical transmission path, each of the plurality of repeaters being a high-loss loop. a plurality of repeaters, each repeater having a high-level loopback (HLLB) path, and a first end of the transmission path; a first line monitoring equipment (LME) configured to optically transmit a first LME test signal; a first LME loopback from the optical transmission path in response to an LME test signal; The first LME loopback data is configured to receive the loopback data on the transmission path. A first LME having a peak associated with each position of the LLB path, and a second LME associated with the first LME. a first LME loopback data processor that performs a first LME loopback on the first LME loopback data; Generate multiple operating parameters corresponding to one repeater of multiple repeaters, and and selecting one or more of the repeaters from the plurality of repeaters and performing a plurality of operations associated with each of the selected repeaters. A report message including an indication of one or more of the operating parameters is sent to a remote computer. and a controller that transmits the signal to the computer.

[0074] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for monitoring an optical transmission path in an optical communication system. A method is disclosed in which an optical transmission path includes a plurality of repeaters coupled to the transmission path, Each of the first and second line monitoring transmitting a first LME test signal onto a transmission path; receiving first LME loopback data from the optical transmission path in response to The first LME loopback data is transmitted along the transmission path to the pins associated with each position of the HLLB path. and storing an LME loopback data in the memory based on the first LME loopback data. A step of storing baseline data and performing a measurement based on the stored LME baseline data. at least one operational parameter associated with a repeater of the plurality of repeaters and sending a report message to the user including the report message.

[0075] The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure. The intent is to be limited not by this detailed description, but by the claims appended hereto. It is something.

[0076] The method embodiments described herein may be implemented using controllers, processors and / or other programs. To that end, the methods described herein may be implemented using one or more A tangible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor above, performs the method. It may be embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium. Thus, for example, LMS3 00 may include instructions (e.g., firmware or software) that perform the operations described herein. The storage medium may include any type of tangible medium, e.g. For example, floppy disks, optical disks, and compact disk read-only memories (CDs) -ROM), compact disc recordable (CD-RW) and magneto-optical disk Any type of disk, read-only memory (ROM), dynamic and static Random Access Memory (RAM), such as erasable programmable read-only RAM Memory for Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEP ROM), flash memory or other semiconductor devices, magnetic or optical cards, or electronic The computer-implemented program may include any type of medium suitable for storing computer instructions.

[0077] Those skilled in the art will recognize that any block diagram herein may represent an exemplary circuit embodying the principles of the present disclosure. Similarly, any block diagrams, flow charts, etc. , flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, etc., may also be used to illustrate how such a computer or processor may Whether expressly or not, the present invention relates to a computer program substantially embodied in a computer readable medium. It should be appreciated that the above referenced figures represent various operations that may be performed by a computer or processor. A software module, or a module that is simply implied to be software, is flow chart elements or other elements showing the execution of processing steps and / or textual descriptions Any combination of modules may be represented herein. Such modules may not be used in any manner that is expressly or implied. The method may be performed by hardware.

[0078] The functions of the various elements shown, including any functional blocks labeled "processor" Execute the software in connection with the software itself, dedicated hardware or other appropriate software. The functionality may be provided through the use of hardware capable of provided by a single shared processor or by multiple individual processors, some of which may be shared Furthermore, the explicit use of the term "processor" refers to a processor capable of executing software. This document should not be construed as being exclusive of, and should not be construed as limiting, any hardware that can Digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processors, and specialized Application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), Read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM) that store the software. ) and non-volatile storage. Stam's may also be included.

[0079] Unless otherwise specified, use of the term "substantially" refers to an exact relationship, state, arrangement, orientation and and / or other characteristics, and such derivatives may have a substantial effect on the disclosed methods and systems. The present disclosure may be interpreted to include derivative terms that would be understood by a person skilled in the art to the extent that such terms are not included in the present disclosure. Through the article "a" and / or "an" and / or "the" modifying the noun The usage is used for convenience only and, unless otherwise noted, refers to one or more of the nouns it modifies. The terms "comprise," "include," and "have" are inclusive. means that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

[0080] While the methods and systems have been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, they are not so limited. Clearly, numerous modifications and variations will become apparent in light of the above teachings. Numerous additional changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts disclosed and described herein may be made by those skilled in the art. [Item 1] An optical transmission path; a plurality of repeaters coupled to the optical transmission path, each of the plurality of repeaters comprising a high loss loopback (HLLB) path; a first line monitoring equipment (LME) coupled to a first end of the transmission path, the first LME configured to transmit a first LME test signal on the optical transmission path and to receive first LME loopback data from the optical transmission path in response to the first LME test signal, the first LME loopback data comprising peaks associated with respective positions of the HLLB paths on the transmission path; a controller coupled to the first LME, generating a plurality of operational parameters based on the first LME loopback data, each operational parameter corresponding to one of the plurality of repeaters; selecting one or more repeaters from the plurality of repeaters; transmitting a report message to a remote computer including an indication of one or more of the plurality of operating parameters associated with each of the selected repeaters; Controller and An optical communication system comprising: [Item 2] 2. The optical communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of operating parameters comprises at least one of an output power value, a gain value and / or an amplifier cumulative gain tilt value. [Item 3] 2. The optical communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of operating parameters is stored in a lookup table in memory, the lookup table associating each of the plurality of repeaters with a corresponding operating parameter. [Item 4] 2. The optical transmission system according to item 1, wherein the report message is transmitted in response to the controller receiving a command response (CR) message from a user. [Item 5] 5. The optical communication system of claim 4, wherein the CR message includes at least one repeater identifier, and each of the selected one or more repeaters among the plurality of repeaters corresponds to the at least one repeater identifier. [Item 6] The controller further comprises: storing the first LME loopback data in a memory as current baseline loopback data; receiving second LME loopback data in response to a second LME test signal being transmitted by the first LME on the transmission path; comparing the received second LME loopback data to the current baseline loopback data to identify a change in a first operating parameter and an associated repeater among the plurality of repeaters; 2. The optical communication system of claim 1, further comprising: updating an operational parameter corresponding to the associated repeater among the plurality of operational parameters based on the identified change. [Item 7] 7. The optical communication system of claim 6, wherein the updated operating parameters are updated based on an output of an amplifier model. [Item 8] 7. The optical communication system of claim 6, wherein the controller further sends a warning message to a user based on the updated operating parameter exceeding a predetermined threshold. [Item 9] 7. The optical communication system of claim 6, further comprising an automatic signature analysis (ASA) processor, wherein the identified change in the first operating parameter is identified by the ASA processor based at least in part on analysis of at least the first LME loopback data. [Item 10] 2. The optical communication system of claim 1, wherein the first LME test signal comprises a plurality of channel wavelengths, the plurality of channel wavelengths including a low value corresponding to a minimum channel wavelength of a bandwidth associated with the optical transmission path and a high value corresponding to a maximum channel wavelength of the bandwidth associated with the optical transmission path. [Item 11] 2. The optical communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of repeaters includes at least first and second amplifiers that propagate an optical signal in a first and second direction, the first and second amplifiers implementing an asymmetric pumping configuration such that an output power in the first direction is different from an output power in the second direction. [Item 12] a second LME coupled to a second end of the transmission path, the second LME configured to transmit a second LME test signal on the transmission path and to receive second LME loopback data from the transmission path in response to the second LME test signal, the second LME loopback data comprising peaks on the transmission path associated with each position of the HLLB path; 2. The optical communication system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operational parameters are generated based on the first LME loopback data and the second LME loopback data. [Item 13] 1. A method for monitoring an optical transmission path in an optical communication system, the optical transmission path including a plurality of repeaters coupled to the transmission path, each of the repeaters comprising a high loss loopback (HLLB) path, the method comprising: transmitting a first line monitoring equipment (LME) test signal onto the transmission path; receiving first LME loopback data from the transmission path in response to the first LME test signal, the first LME loopback data comprising peaks associated with positions of each of the HLLB paths on the transmission path; storing LME baseline data in a memory based on the first LME loopback data; transmitting a reporting message to a user including at least one operational parameter associated with a repeater of the plurality of repeaters based on the stored LME baseline data; A method for providing the above. [Item 14] transmitting a second LME test signal onto the transmission path; receiving second LME loopback data from the transmission path in response to the second LME test signal, the second LME loopback data comprising peaks associated with positions of each of the HLLB paths on the transmission path; Further equipped with 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the LME baseline data stored in the memory is based on the received first and second LME loopback data. [Item 15] Item 15. The method of item 14, wherein the operating parameters comprise at least one of an output power value, a gain value, and / or an amplifier cumulative gain tilt value. [Item 16] Item 15. The method of item 14, wherein the report message is sent in response to receiving a request message from the user, the request message including an identifier of at least one repeater of the plurality of repeaters. [Item 17] storing a plurality of operating parameters in a memory, the plurality of operating parameters being based on the received first LME loopback data; receiving the second LME loopback data in response to a second LME test signal being transmitted by the first LME on a transmission path; comparing the received second LME loopback data to the stored loopback data to identify a change in at least a first operating parameter and an associated repeater among the plurality of repeaters; updating an operational parameter of the plurality of operational parameters corresponding to the associated repeater based on the identified change in response to the identified change exceeding a first predetermined threshold; Item 15. The method of item 14, further comprising:

Claims

1. At least one controller operable to execute stored instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one controller to: transmitting one or more LME test signals over the optical transmission path; receiving LME loopback data in response to the transmitted one or more LME test signals, wherein the LME loopback data comprises peaks corresponding to positions of each high loss loopback (HLLB) path in the optical transmission path. generating a plurality of operational parameters based on the LME loopback data, where each operational parameter corresponds to a repeater coupled to the optical transmission path and is stored in a table in memory, the table associating each repeater with the corresponding operational parameter; storing said LME loopback data in said memory as current baseline lookup data; receiving additional LME loopback data in response to one or more additional LME test signals transmitted on the optical transmission path; comparing the additional LME loopback data to the current baseline lookup data to identify any changes in the plurality of operating parameters. At least one controller; and A processor operable to execute stored instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: performing analysis on said LME loopback data; performing said identifying any changes in said plurality of operating parameters based on said analysis performed on said LME loopback data. A processor is provided. the at least one controller further causes a reporting message to be sent to a remote computer, the reporting message including an indication of one or more operating parameters of the plurality of operating parameters associated with each selected parameter; The report message is transmitted in response to the at least one controller receiving a command response (CR) message from a user. Line Monitoring Equipment (LME).

2. The LME of claim 1 , wherein the CR message includes at least one repeater identifier.

3. 3. The LME of claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of operating parameters comprises one or more of: (i) an output power value; (ii) a gain value; and (iii) an amplifier cumulative gain tilt value.

4. The at least one controller further comprises: updating one or more of the plurality of operating parameters based on the identified change.

4. The LME according to claim 1 , wherein the LME is arranged such that

5. The LME of claim 4 , wherein the updated one or more operating parameters are updated based on an output of an amplifier model.

6. The LME of claim 4 or 5, wherein the at least one controller is further adapted to send a warning message to a user based on the updated operating parameter exceeding a predetermined threshold.

7. The LME of claim 4 , wherein the processor further comprises an automatic signature analysis (ASA) processor.

8. 8. An LME as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the one or more LME test signals comprise a plurality of channel wavelengths, the plurality of channel wavelengths including (i) a lower value corresponding to a minimum channel wavelength of a bandwidth associated with the optical transmission path, and (ii) a higher value corresponding to a maximum channel wavelength of the bandwidth associated with the optical transmission path.

9. transmitting, via at least one controller, one or more line monitoring equipment (LME) test signals over the optical transmission path; receiving, via the at least one controller, LME loopback data in response to the transmitted one or more LME test signals, wherein the LME loopback data comprises peaks corresponding to positions of each high loss loopback (HLLB) path in the optical transmission path. generating, via the at least one controller, a plurality of operational parameters based on the LME loopback data, where each operational parameter corresponds to a repeater coupled to the optical transmission path and is stored in a table in memory, the table associating each repeater with the corresponding operational parameter. storing, via the at least one controller, the LME loopback data in the memory as current baseline lookup data; receiving, via the at least one controller, additional LME loopback data in response to one or more additional LME test signals transmitted on the optical transmission path; comparing, via the at least one controller, the additional LME loopback data to the current baseline lookup data to identify any changes in the plurality of operating parameters; performing, via a processor, analysis on said LME loopback data; performing, via the processor, the identification of any changes in the plurality of operating parameters based on the analysis performed on the LME loopback data; Equipped with transmitting, via the at least one controller, a reporting message to a remote computer, the reporting message including an indication of one or more of the plurality of operating parameters associated with each selected parameter; The method, wherein the report message is sent in response to the at least one controller receiving a command response (CR) message from a user.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the CR message includes at least one repeater identifier.

11. updating, via the at least one controller, one or more of the plurality of operating parameters based on the identified changes. The method of claim 9 or 10, further comprising:

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the updated one or more operating parameters are updated based on an output of an amplifier model.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to send a warning message to a user based on the updated operating parameter exceeding a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the processor further comprises an automated signature analysis (ASA) processor.

15. 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of operating parameters comprises one or more of: (i) an output power value; (ii) a gain value; and (iii) an amplifier cumulative gain tilt value.

16. 16. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more LME test signals comprise a plurality of channel wavelengths, the plurality of channel wavelengths including (i) a lower value corresponding to a minimum channel wavelength of a bandwidth associated with the optical transmission path, and (ii) a higher value corresponding to a maximum channel wavelength of the bandwidth associated with the optical transmission path.

Images