Optical module and related device

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are an optical module and a related device, which are used for reducing the duration of a power change in wave adding or wave dropping. The optical module provided in the embodiments of the present application comprises an optical splitter, a detection unit, a non-mechanical optical switch and a false optical unit. The non-mechanical optical switch comprises a first input port, a second input port, an electrical port and an output port. The first input port is connected to the optical splitter, and an input optical signal of a first assembly is output from the output port after passing through the optical splitter and the first input port. The second input port is connected to the false optical unit, and the electrical port is connected to the detection unit. Two output ports of the optical splitter are connected to the first input port and the detection unit. The detection unit is configured to transmit a first switching instruction to the non-mechanical optical switch when it is detected that the input optical signal has been interrupted. The non-mechanical optical switch is configured to switch, on the basis of the first switching instruction, the input port, which is connected to the output port, from the first input port to the second input port. The false optical unit is configured to provide false light.

Description

An optical module and related equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on December 15, 2023, with application number 202311735249.2 and application name “An optical module and related equipment”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of optical communications, and in particular to an optical module and related equipment. Background Art

[0003] Optical signals transmitted in optical communication systems may experience wavelength additions or drops. These additions or drops occur at certain nodes in the system (such as wavelength division multiplexing sites or fiber breaks), where optical signals in some or all communication bands experience wavelength additions or drops. These additions or drops cause signal waveform changes, impacting transmission quality.

[0004] One method for compensating for wavelength dropouts involves connecting a dummy optical module to the communication optical path via an optical switch. The communication optical path is used to transmit the communication optical signal, and the dummy optical module provides dummy light in the same wavelength band and with the same power distribution as the communication optical signal. When wavelength dropout occurs, the optical switch switches the connection between the dummy optical module and the communication optical path. Specifically, during wavelength dropout, the optical switch disconnects the dummy optical module from the communication optical path, and during wavelength dropout, the switch reconnects the dummy optical module. The dummy light provided by the dummy optical module prevents sudden changes in optical power in the communication optical path, thereby ensuring signal transmission quality.

[0005] However, there's an electrical delay between the system detecting the onset of a dropout and controlling the optical switch. Optical switches also have inherent switching delays. Consequently, there's a long reaction time between the onset of a dropout and the completion of the optical switch switching. During this reaction time, optical power can still fluctuate, affecting signal transmission quality. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide an optical module and related equipment for reducing the duration of power changes in wave addition and drop scenarios, thereby reducing the bit error rate and improving signal transmission quality.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an optical module, which includes a first component. The first component includes a spectrometer, a detection unit, a non-mechanical optical switch and a dummy light unit. The non-mechanical optical switch includes a first input port, a second input port, an electrical port and an output port. The first input port is connected to the spectrometer, and the input optical signal of the first component is output from the output port after passing through the spectrometer and the first input port. The second input port is connected to the dummy light unit, and the electrical port is connected to the detection unit. The two output ports of the spectrometer are respectively connected to the first input port and the detection unit. The detection unit is used to detect the input optical signal separated by the spectrometer to the detection unit, and when it detects that the input optical signal is interrupted, it transmits a first switching instruction to the non-mechanical optical switch. The non-mechanical optical switch is used to switch the input port connected to the output port from the first input port to the second input port according to the first switching instruction. The dummy light unit is used to provide dummy light, and the dummy light has the same wavelength band and power distribution as the input optical signal.

[0008] In the optical module that realizes true and false optical switching, the time delay between the occurrence of the add-drop wave and the completion of the true and false optical switching is called the add-drop wave compensation time. The add-drop wave compensation time mainly includes the total electrical delay (the total delay of detecting the occurrence of the add-drop wave and triggering the switching of the optical switch) and the switching delay of the optical switch. Among them, the switching delay of the optical switch is usually in the order of milliseconds to hundreds of microseconds, which is the main influencing factor affecting the add-drop wave compensation time. In an embodiment of the present application, a non-mechanical optical switch is used to replace an ordinary mechanical optical switch. Compared with an ordinary mechanical optical switch, the non-mechanical optical switch can shorten the switching delay from the order of hundreds of microseconds to the order of sub-microseconds (less than 1 microsecond), thereby reducing the add-drop wave compensation time. Since the total electrical delay is usually in the order of microseconds, the optical module provided by the embodiment of the present application can reduce the add-drop wave compensation time from the order of hundreds of microseconds to the order of microseconds. The reduction of the add-drop wave compensation time can greatly reduce the bit error rate of the communication system, thereby improving the signal transmission quality.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the first component further includes a delay optical path located between the first output port (of the optical splitter) and the first input port (of the non-mechanical optical switch), and configured to generate a first time delay t1 of the input optical signal from the optical splitter to the first input port.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present application, the optical splitter divides the input optical signal into two transmission paths, one path is transmitted to the non-mechanical optical switch via the delayed optical path, and the other path transmits the dropout state to the non-mechanical optical switch via the detection unit. The dropout compensation delay T of the first component can be understood as consisting of two parts. One part is the switching delay t3 of the optical switch; the other part is the time difference from the dropout transmission to the non-mechanical optical switch to the first switching instruction being transmitted to the non-mechanical optical switch, that is, the time difference between the two signals (the input optical signal arriving at the non-mechanical optical switch via the delayed optical path and the switching instruction arriving at the non-mechanical optical switch via the detection unit) arriving at the non-mechanical optical switch. The delayed optical path can delay the time for the dropout transmission to the non-mechanical optical switch, thereby reducing the time difference between the two signals arriving at the non-mechanical optical switch, thereby reducing the dropout compensation time T and improving the signal transmission quality.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the delayed optical path includes: an optical fiber delay line or a spatial optical path.

[0012] In the embodiment of the present application, the preparation process of the optical fiber delay line is mature and easy to obtain, which can reduce the cost and manufacturing difficulty of the optical module; the spatial optical path can make the input optical signal continuously reflect in a part of the space, with high space utilization, which can improve the integration of the optical module and reduce the volume of the optical module.

[0013] In one optional implementation, assuming that the delay from the detection unit detecting the input optical signal to the transmission of the switching command to the optical switch is the second delay t2, and the switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch is the third delay t3. If the first delay t1 ≥ the second delay t2, then the adjustment time T for the optical module to implement the added wave drop compensation is T = t3. If the first delay t1 < the second delay t2, then the adjustment time T for the optical module to implement the added wave drop compensation is T = t3 + t2 - t1.

[0014] In this embodiment of the present application, compensation for the total electrical delay (second delay t2) is achieved by delaying the optical path (providing the first delay t1). If the first delay t1 ≥ the second delay t2, the input optical signal arrives at the non-mechanical optical switch no earlier than the switching command. The delay optical path fully compensates for the total electrical delay of the optical module, making the adjustment time T dependent only on the switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch (third delay t3). Therefore, T = t3, achieving the maximum reduction in T.

[0015] The total electrical delay t2 is typically in the microsecond range, while the switching delay t3 of a non-mechanical optical switch is typically in the sub-microsecond range. In this embodiment, while utilizing a non-mechanical optical switch to reduce the adjustment time T from hundreds of microseconds to microseconds, the present invention further reduces the adjustment time T from the microsecond range (t2 + t3) to the sub-microsecond range (t3) by compensating for the total electrical delay t2 by delaying the optical path.

[0016] If the first delay t1 is less than the second delay t2, the input optical signal arrives at the non-mechanical optical switch later than the switching command, and the delayed optical path partially compensates for the total electrical delay. In this case, the adjustment time T for the optical module to perform wave drop compensation consists of two parts: the time difference t2-t1 between the optical signal and the switching command reaching the non-mechanical optical switch, and the switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch (the third delay t3). Therefore, the adjustment time T = t3 + t2-t1, making the adjustment time T closer to the switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch (the third delay t3, which is also the theoretical minimum value of the adjustment time T). Both the input optical signal and the false light must pass through the non-mechanical optical switch before being output to the communication link. Therefore, the switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch cannot be offset. The theoretical minimum value of the adjustment time T is the switching delay t3 of the non-mechanical optical switch.

[0017] In one optional implementation, assuming that the delay from when the detection unit detects the input optical signal to when the switching command is transmitted to the optical switch is a second delay t2, and the switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch is t3, the optical splitter is directly connected to the first input port of the non-mechanical optical switch, and the adjustment time for the optical module to implement wave drop compensation is T = t3 + t2.

[0018] In this embodiment of the present application, in addition to the line for transmitting the input optical signal (the line between the first output port and the first input port), a detection unit is inserted between the optical splitter and the non-mechanical optical switch to detect the input optical signal and trigger the switching of the non-mechanical optical switch. Because the two ends of the detection unit are directly connected to the optical splitter and the non-mechanical optical switch, respectively, the detection optical path and circuit are shorter, thereby shortening the total electrical delay (second delay t2), thereby reducing the adjustment time T of the entire optical module.

[0019] In an optional implementation, the adjustment time T for the optical module to implement the wave drop compensation is ≤ 10 microseconds.

[0020] In the embodiment of the present application, the adjustment time T of the switching module of the mechanical optical switch is usually more than 100 microseconds. Compared with the wave drop compensation optical module of the mechanical optical switch, the optical module using the non-mechanical optical switch provided in the embodiment of the present application reduces the adjustment time T from 100 microseconds to less than 10 microseconds, thereby reducing the bit error rate to about 1 / 10 of the mechanical optical switch, achieving a significant optimization of the bit error rate, thereby improving the signal transmission quality.

[0021] In an optional implementation, the non-mechanical optical switch includes any one of the following: an acousto-optic switch, an electro-optic switch, or a magneto-optic switch.

[0022] In the embodiments of the present application, the acousto-optic switch, electro-optic switch, and magneto-optic switch have high power tolerance and can withstand higher optical powers, thereby achieving wave drop compensation for higher power requirements. For example, it is applicable in full-band scenarios and high-power transmission scenarios. In hardware failure scenarios such as fiber breakage, optical amplifier board failure, combiner / splitter failure, and subrack power failure, full-band passive wave drop will occur. By using an optical module including the above-mentioned high-power tolerance non-mechanical optical switch, full-band wave drop compensation can be achieved in passive wave drop scenarios to ensure communication quality.

[0023] In an optional implementation, the optical module further includes a second component having the same structure as the first component. The input port of the optical splitter in the first component is configured to connect to a first optical amplifier. The first optical amplifier is configured to amplify optical signals in a first wavelength band and input them into the first component, where the first component is configured to implement wave addition and wave drop compensation for the optical signals in the first wavelength band. The input port of the optical splitter in the second component is configured to connect to a second optical amplifier. The second optical amplifier is configured to amplify optical signals in a second wavelength band and input them into the second component, where the second component is configured to implement wave addition and wave drop compensation for the optical signals in the second wavelength band. The second wavelength band is different from the first wavelength band.

[0024] In an embodiment of the present application, different components are used to implement wavelet compensation for signals in different bands, respectively. This can refine the granularity of wavelet compensation and prevent the bands where wavelet compensation does not occur from being covered by the false light accessed by the wavelet compensation, thereby reducing the scope of influence of wavelet compensation on signal transmission. For example, if a wavelet is added to a communication link in the first band (for example, an optical amplifier failure or a fiber break), the first component of the first band performs wavelet compensation on the first band. Since the first component is not connected to the communication link in the second band, false light is only accessed on the communication link in the first band during the wavelet compensation process, and the wavelet compensation of the first component will not cause the second band signal to be covered by the false light. On the other hand, since the reduction of the wavelet compensation time of the first component will cause the power change in the second band communication link, the power change time of the first band is reduced (reduced to the adjustment time T) by the first component provided in the embodiment of the present application, which correspondingly reduces the time of power change in the second band, thereby improving the signal transmission quality of the second band.

[0025] In an optional implementation, the first band and the second band are any two of the following bands: O band, E band, S band, C band, L band, and U band.

[0026] In an optional implementation, if the wave drop is caused by a fault, the input optical signal is re-transmitted in the communication link after the fault is eliminated (the input optical signal is added), and the first component can also automatically compensate for the added wave of the input optical signal. Specifically, the detection unit is used to determine that the communication link where the optical module is located is faulty when it detects that the input optical signal is interrupted. The detection unit is also used to receive an interaction instruction after sending the first switching instruction, and the interaction instruction is used to indicate that the fault has been eliminated. The detection unit is also used to send a second switching instruction to the electrical port according to the interaction instruction. The non-mechanical optical switch is used to switch the input port connected to the output port from the second input port to the first input port according to the second switching instruction.

[0027] In an optional implementation, the optical module is applied to a wavelength selection switch WSS. The WSS includes a first optical communication line, a second optical communication line, a first add / drop node, and a second add / drop node. The optical signal of the first wavelength is transmitted from the first optical communication line to the first add / drop node, and the optical signal of the second wavelength is transmitted from the second optical communication line to the second add / drop node. The optical module also includes a second component, and the structure of the second component is the same as that of the first component. The input port of the optical splitter in the first component is connected to the first optical communication line, and the output port of the first component is used to connect to the first add / drop node, and the first add / drop node is used to realize the add / drop of the first wavelength signal. The input port of the optical splitter in the second component is connected to the second optical communication line, and the output port of the second component is used to connect to the second add / drop node, and the second add / drop node is used to realize the add / drop of the second wavelength signal. The wavelength of the second wavelength signal is different from that of the first wavelength signal.

[0028] In an embodiment of the present application, different components in the optical module are used to achieve up / down wave compensation (wave drop compensation) for signals of different wavelengths in the WSS. Because the components provided in the embodiment of the present application shorten the wave drop compensation time T (i.e., the aforementioned adjustment time T for wave drop compensation), the switching time T' reserved for up / down wave switching in the WSS in the wave drop scenario can be reduced, thereby reducing the time for up / down wave switching. Furthermore, the shortened wave drop compensation time allows the corresponding band to return to a normal transmission state more quickly after a wave drop occurs, thereby improving signal transmission efficiency.

[0029] In an optional implementation, the switching time for adding and dropping waves on the first communication line in the WSS is T, the switching time for adding and dropping waves on the second communication line in the WSS is T, and the switching time allowed in the adding and dropping waves scenario is T', T≤T'.

[0030] In the embodiment of the present application, T' is the switching time corresponding to the target bit error rate in the wave addition and dropout scenario. The adjustment time T of the component for wave addition and dropout compensation is also the switching time T of WSS. The switching time T of WSS + system control delay time (that is, the time from the outside world issuing the wave addition and dropout instructions to the wave addition and dropout nodes completing the wave addition and dropout switching) ≤ T'.

[0031] In an optional implementation, the first wavelength signal and the second wavelength signal are signals of different wavelengths in any of the following bands: O band, E band, S band, C band, L band, and U band.

[0032] In an optional implementation, the detection unit in the optical module used in the WSS can also compensate for the added wave in the event of a wave addition. Specifically, the detection unit is further configured to send a second switching instruction to the electrical port upon detecting an input optical signal (i.e., detecting an added wave). The non-mechanical optical switch is configured to switch the input port connected to the output port from the second input port to the first input port in response to the second switching instruction.

[0033] In an optional implementation, in the case of active addition and drop, the first component can also automatically compensate for the added wave of the input optical signal. Specifically, the detection unit is further configured to send a second switching instruction to the electrical port upon detecting the input optical signal. The non-mechanical optical switch is configured to switch the input port connected to the output port from the second input port to the first input port in response to the second switching instruction.

[0034] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide an optical communication device. The optical communication device includes a first optical amplifier, a second optical amplifier, a first optical module, and a second optical module. The first optical module and the second optical module are the optical modules described in the first aspect. The first optical module is connected to the first optical amplifier, which is configured to amplify optical signals in a first wavelength band and transmit them to the first optical module. The second optical module is connected to the second optical amplifier, which is configured to amplify optical signals in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band and transmit them to the second optical module.

[0035] In an optional implementation, the first band and the second band are any two of the following bands: O band, E band, S band, C band, L band, and U band.

[0036] The beneficial effects of the second aspect refer to the first aspect and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a dropout compensation system provided by the present application;

[0038] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical module including a delay optical path provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG4a is a schematic diagram of the time for adding and compensating dropped waves of an optical module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG4 b is a schematic diagram of the time for adding and compensating for wave dropout of an optical module including a delayed optical path provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical module including multiple components provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical communication device including multiple optical modules provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wavelength selective switch provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0046] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequential order. It should be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable when appropriate, and this is merely a way of distinguishing objects of the same attributes when describing the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, so that the process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of units need not be limited to those units, but may include other units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. In addition, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "a plurality" refers to two or more. "and / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects and indicates that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: the situation where A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or plural.

[0047] Optical signals transmitted in optical communication systems may experience additions and drops. Additions and drops refer to the addition or drop of signals in certain or all-band signals at certain nodes. These additions and drops can be active or passive.

[0048] Active wavelength addition and drop occurs primarily in scenarios such as signal addition and drop, channel expansion, live network testing, and channel cutover. Signal addition and drop refers to the addition or drop of some wavelengths in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) communication system, where a relay station adds or drops some wavelengths.

[0049] Passive wave drop occurs primarily due to fiber breakage, optical amplifier board failure, combiner / demultiplexer (WSS) failure, and subrack power outage. Passive wave drop typically affects all-band signals and is characterized by rapid dropout and large power variations.

[0050] Whether adding or dropping waves actively or passively, the power in the added / dropped band will vary. Due to effects such as optical amplification and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), power fluctuations in the added / dropped band can also cause power fluctuations in other bands. Therefore, adding / dropping waves can cause signal waveform changes, impacting signal transmission quality. Severe waveform changes can also cause bit errors.

[0051] To prevent the impact of added and dropped waves on communication quality, one method for compensating for dropped waves is to use dummy light to compensate for the sudden power changes during added and dropped waves. As shown in Figure 1, the added and dropped wave compensation system includes a detection unit, an optical switch, a dummy light module, and a control circuit. The detection unit is used to detect the occurrence of added and dropped waves in the optical communication link, and the control circuit is used to control the switching of the optical switch when added and dropped waves occur. The optical switch (or optical attenuator) is used to connect or disconnect the dummy light module to the optical communication link. The dummy light module is used to provide dummy light, also known as backup light, which has the same wavelength and power distribution as the communication optical signal transmitted in the optical communication link.

[0052] If a drop occurs on the optical communication link, the control circuit controls the optical switch to connect a dummy optical module to the optical communication link. Dummy light is then transmitted into the optical communication link to compensate for the dropped wave. If a wave is added, the control circuit controls the optical switch to disconnect the dummy optical module from the optical communication link. Dummy light is then introduced into the optical communication link before the wave is added, ensuring power stability before and after the wave is added.

[0053] However, from the time a dropout occurs, the detection unit detects the occurrence of the dropout, and the control circuit issues a switching command to the optical switch, which also has an inherent switching delay. These detection tests, circuit transmission delays, and switching delays result in a long dropout compensation time from the time a dropout occurs to the completion of the dropout compensation (when the optical switch completes switching).

[0054] During the dropout compensation process, the optical communication link will experience a sudden power change. For example, in a dropout scenario, the power of the signal transmitted in the optical communication link drops sharply at the moment of the dropout. The dropout compensation system compensates for the dropout, and only after the dropout compensation is completed (the optical switch completes switching) does the power of the signal transmitted in the optical communication link return to its pre-dropout state. The power of the signal transmitted in the optical communication link will fluctuate during the dropout compensation period, affecting the quality of signal transmission. The same applies to the addition of waves, and will not be further explained here.

[0055] To address the above issues, embodiments of the present application provide an optical module and related equipment that utilizes a non-mechanical optical switch and a relatively simple connection structure to reduce the time required to compensate for the addition and drop of waves, thereby reducing the duration of power fluctuations caused by the addition and drop of waves and improving signal transmission quality.

[0056] As shown in FIG2 , the optical module provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a first component 2000 a , which includes an optical splitter 2100 , a detection unit 2200 , a non-mechanical optical switch 2300 , and a dummy light unit 2400 .

[0057] Non-mechanical optical switch 2300 includes a first input port 2310, a second input port 2320, an electrical port 2330, and an output port 2340. First input port 2310 is connected to optical splitter 2100. The input optical signal of the first component passes through optical splitter 2100 and first input port 2310, and is output from output port 2340. Second input port 2320 is connected to dummy light unit 2400, and electrical port 2330 is connected to detection unit 2200.

[0058] The two output ports of the optical splitter 2100 are connected to the first input port 2310 and the detection unit 2200, respectively. The optical splitter 2100 is used to split the input optical signal of the first component 2000a and transmit it to the first input port 2310 and the detection unit 2200. Because the detection unit 2200 is primarily used for signal detection, it has a relatively low power requirement for the input optical signal. Therefore, the power of the input optical signal transmitted by the optical splitter 2100 to the first input port 2310 is much greater than the power of the input optical signal transmitted to the detection unit 2200.

[0059] The detection unit 2200 is used to detect the input optical signal separated by the optical splitter 2100 and sent to the detection unit 2200. If the detection unit 2200 detects that the input optical signal is interrupted, it means that the input optical signal is dropped. When the input optical signal is interrupted, the detection unit 2200 sends a first switching instruction to the electrical port.

[0060] The non-mechanical optical switch 2300 is configured to switch the input port connected to the output port 2340 from the first input port 2310 to the second input port 2320 according to the first switching instruction. This allows dummy light to be connected to the communication link (output port 2340) to compensate for the input optical signal drop.

[0061] The dummy light unit 2400 is used to provide dummy light, where the dummy light has the same wavelength band and power distribution as the input optical signal.

[0062] The above description describes signal transmission in the case of wave drop. In the case of wave addition, the detection unit 2200 can detect the input optical signal. That is, the detection unit 2200 detects a sudden increase in power, indicating that the input optical signal has undergone wave addition. When the input optical signal is detected, the detection unit 2200 sends a second switching instruction to the electrical port. In accordance with the second switching instruction, the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 switches the input port connected to the output port 2340 from the second input port 2320 to the first input port 2310. This stops the false light from being connected to the communication link (output port 2340) and starts connecting the real light (input optical signal) to the communication link, thereby achieving wave addition compensation for the input optical signal through the false light.

[0063] In optical modules that implement dropout compensation, the delay from the occurrence of a dropout to the completion of the dropout compensation (the completion of the optical switch switching) is called the dropout compensation time. The dropout compensation time primarily consists of the total electrical delay (the total delay between detecting the dropout and triggering the optical switch switching) and the switching delay of the optical switch.

[0064] The switching delay of the optical switch is usually in the order of milliseconds to hundreds of microseconds, which is the main influencing factor affecting the wave drop compensation time. In an embodiment of the present application, a non-mechanical optical switch is used to replace an ordinary mechanical optical switch. Compared with an ordinary mechanical optical switch, a non-mechanical optical switch can shorten the switching delay from the order of hundreds of microseconds to the order of sub-microseconds (less than 1 microsecond), thereby reducing the wave drop compensation time. Since the total electrical delay is usually in the order of microseconds, the optical module provided by the embodiment of the present application can reduce the wave drop compensation time from the order of hundreds of microseconds to the order of microseconds. The reduction of the wave drop compensation time can greatly reduce the bit error rate of the communication system, thereby improving the signal transmission quality.

[0065] Based on the structure shown in Figure 2, a delay optical path can also be used to compensate for the total electrical delay, thereby further reducing the wave drop compensation time. As shown in Figure 3, the first component 2000a also includes a delay optical path 2500, which is located between the optical splitter 2100 and the first input port 2310. The delay optical path 2500 is used to generate a first delay t1 of the input optical signal from the optical splitter 2100 to the first input port 2310.

[0066] The following uses a wavelength drop scenario as an example to illustrate how delayed optical path 2500 reduces the adjustment time T for optical modules to add and add wavelength drops. As shown in Figure 3, the time difference between the occurrence of wavelength drop at optical splitter 2100 and detection by detection unit 2200 is the detection delay, while the time difference between detection unit 2200 issuing the first switching instruction and the transmission of the first switching instruction to electrical port 2330 is the circuit transmission delay. The sum of the detection delay and the circuit transmission delay is the total electrical delay t2. The switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch is t3.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4a, if the first component 2000a does not include the delayed optical path 2500, then after a dropout (power sag) occurs at the optical splitter 2100, the dropout is transmitted along the optical path between the optical splitter 2100 and the detection unit 2200 to the detection unit 2200 (detection delay). The first switching instruction generated by the detection unit 2200 is transmitted along the circuit between the detection unit 2200 and the electrical port 2330 to the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 (circuit transmission delay). The sum of the detection delay and the circuit transmission delay is the total electrical delay t2. After the first switching instruction is transmitted to the non-mechanical optical switch 2300, the delay for the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 to complete the switching is called the optical switch switching delay t3. t2+t3 is the optical module's dropout compensation time T.

[0068] If a delay optical path 2500 is added between optical splitter 2100 and non-mechanical optical switch 2300, as shown in Figure 3, optical splitter 2100 splits the input optical signal into two transmission paths. For the path passing through delay optical path 2500, after a dropout occurs at optical splitter 2100, the dropout signal is transmitted to non-mechanical optical switch 2300 after a first delay t1 of delay optical path 2500. For the path passing through detection unit 2200, the dropout signal requires a total electrical delay t2 before it is transmitted to non-mechanical optical switch 2300 (i.e., the first switching command reaches non-mechanical optical switch 2300). The corresponding power changes are shown in Figure 4b.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present application, the optical splitter 2100 divides the input optical signal into two transmission paths. One path is transmitted to the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 via the delayed optical path 2500, and the other path transmits the dropped wave state to the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 via the detection unit 2200. The added dropped wave compensation delay T of the optical module can be understood as consisting of two parts. One part is the switching delay t3 of the optical switch; the other part is the time difference between the added dropped wave being transmitted to the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 and the first switching instruction being transmitted to the non-mechanical optical switch 2300, that is, the time difference between the two signals (the input optical signal reaching the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 via the delayed optical path and the switching instruction reaching the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 via the detection unit 2200) reaching the non-mechanical optical switch 2300. As shown in FIG4b , the delay optical path 2500 can delay the time for the addition and drop waves to be transmitted to the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 , thereby reducing the time difference between the two signals reaching the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 , thereby reducing the addition and drop wave compensation time T and improving the signal transmission quality.

[0070] Optionally, the delayed optical path 2500 may be a fiber delay line, a spatial optical path, or the like. If the delayed optical path 2500 is a fiber delay line, the cost and manufacturing difficulty of the optical module can be reduced due to the mature manufacturing process and low acquisition difficulty of fiber delay lines. If the delayed optical path 2500 is a spatial optical path, the spatial optical path can continuously reflect the input optical signal within a certain space, resulting in high space utilization, thereby improving the integration of the optical module and reducing the size of the optical module. Optionally, the spatial optical path may include multiple reflective surfaces for reflecting the input optical signal.

[0071] In the structure shown in FIG3 , the wave drop compensation time T of the optical module depends on the relationship between the optical path delay t1 (also called the first delay) and the total electrical delay t2 (also called the second delay).

[0072] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, if the first delay t1 ≥ the second delay t2, the input optical signal arrives at the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 no earlier than the switching command, and the delay optical path 2500 fully compensates for the total electrical delay of the optical module. In this case, the adjustment time T for the optical module to perform wave drop compensation depends solely on the switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch (the third delay t3), so T = t3.

[0073] The total electrical delay t2 is typically in the microsecond range, while the switching delay t3 of a non-mechanical optical switch is typically in the sub-microsecond range. In this embodiment, while utilizing a non-mechanical optical switch to reduce the adjustment time T from hundreds of microseconds to microseconds, the present invention further reduces the adjustment time T from the microsecond range (t2 + t3) to the sub-microsecond range (t3) by compensating for the total electrical delay t2 by delaying the optical path.

[0074] As shown in Figure 4b, if the first delay t1 is less than the second delay t2, the input optical signal arrives at the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 later than the switching command, and the delay optical path 2500 partially compensates for the total electrical delay t2. In this case, the adjustment time T for the optical module to perform wave drop compensation consists of two parts: the time difference t2-t1 between the arrival of the optical signal and the switching command at the non-mechanical optical switch, and the switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 (the third delay t3). Therefore, T = t3 + t2-t1.

[0075] If the first delay t1 = the second delay t2, the optical module can maximize compensation for the total electrical delay. If the first delay t1 > t2, the optical path of the input optical signal will be increased. This increase in optical path does not help shorten T, but will introduce additional transmission loss. Therefore, t1 ≤ t2 can be used. To minimize the adjustment time T, t1 = t2 can be used.

[0076] Alternatively, if the delay optical path 2500 is not included between the optical splitter 2100 and the non-mechanical optical switch 2300, and the optical splitter 2100 is directly connected to the first output port 2310 of the non-mechanical optical switch 2300, then as shown in FIG4a , the adjustment time T for the optical module to perform wave drop compensation consists of two parts: the total electrical delay t2 and the switching delay of the non-mechanical optical switch (the third delay t3). Therefore, T = t3 + t2.

[0077] In the optical module provided in the embodiment of the present application, the first component 2000a can be a full-band dropout compensation component, or a partial-band or wavelength dropout compensation component, which is not limited in the present application. The following will be described in detail:

[0078] 1. The first component 2000a is used to achieve full-band dropout compensation.

[0079] In an optional implementation, the first component 2000a is used to implement full-band addition and dropout compensation. The full-band can be any band among the O-band, E-band, S-band, C-band, L-band, and U-band.

[0080] 2. The first component 2000a is used to achieve wave addition and dropout compensation in some bands.

[0081] In an optional implementation, the first component 2000a is used to implement wave drop compensation for a portion of the wavelength band. For example, as shown in FIG5 , the optical module includes a first component 2000a and a second component 2000b , and the second component 2000b has the same structure as the first component 2000a .

[0082] The input port of the optical splitter 2100 in the first component 2000a is connected to a first optical amplifier. The first optical amplifier is used to amplify optical signals in a first wavelength band and input them to the first component 2000a. The first component 2000a is used to perform addition and drop compensation for the optical signals in the first wavelength band. The input port of the optical splitter in the second component 2000b is connected to a second optical amplifier. The second optical amplifier is used to amplify optical signals in a second wavelength band and input them to the second component 2000b. The second component 2000b is used to perform addition and drop compensation for the optical signals in the second wavelength band. The second wavelength band is different from the first wavelength band.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present application, by respectively implementing the addition and dropout compensation of signals of different wavelength bands through different components, the granularity of the addition and dropout compensation can be refined, and the wavelength bands where the addition and dropout does not occur are prevented from being covered by the false light accessed by the addition and dropout compensation, thereby reducing the scope of influence of the addition and dropout compensation on signal transmission. For example, in Figure 5, if the communication link of the first wavelength band has a dropout (for example, the first optical amplifier fails or the optical fiber is broken), the first wavelength band is subjected to the addition and dropout compensation by the first component 2000a of the first wavelength band. Since the first component 2000a does not access the communication link of the second wavelength band, the false light is only accessed on the communication link of the first wavelength band during the addition and dropout compensation process, and the addition and dropout compensation of the first component 2000a will not cause the second wavelength band signal to be covered by the false light.

[0084] On the other hand, since the reduction of the wave drop compensation time of the first component 2000a will cause power changes in the second-band communication link, the first component 2000a provided in the embodiment of the present application is used to reduce the power change time of the first band (reduced to the adjustment time T), which correspondingly reduces the power change time of the second band and improves the signal transmission quality of the second band.

[0085] In an optional implementation, the first band and the second band are any two of the following bands: O band, E band, S band, C band, L band, and U band.

[0086] It is worth noting that FIG5 takes two bands as an example to illustrate that different components compensate for the addition and dropout of signals in different bands. This does not limit the number of components and corresponding bands. It is possible to implement the addition and dropout compensation of n bands of signals through n components, where n is any integer greater than 1.

[0087] Embodiments of the present application also provide an optical communication device. This optical communication device implements wave addition and dropout compensation for signals in different wavelength bands through components on different optical modules. As shown in Figure 6 , the optical communication device includes a first optical amplifier, a second optical amplifier, a first optical module, and a second optical module. The first and second optical modules are the optical modules described in any of the embodiments in Figures 2 to 4b.

[0088] The first optical module is connected to a first optical amplifier, which amplifies optical signals in a first wavelength band and transmits them to the first optical module. The second optical module is connected to a second optical amplifier, which amplifies optical signals in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band and transmits them to the second optical module.

[0089] In an optional implementation, the first band and the second band are any two of the following bands: O band, E band, S band, C band, L band, and U band.

[0090] In the aforementioned full-band or partial-band dropout compensation scenarios, the non-mechanical optical switch in the first component 2000a can be an optical switch with a high power tolerance, such as an acousto-optic switch, an electro-optic switch, or a magneto-optic switch. In the embodiments of the present application, the acousto-optic switch, electro-optic switch, and magneto-optic switch have a high power tolerance and can withstand higher optical powers, thereby achieving dropout compensation for higher power requirements. For example, this is applicable to full-band dropout compensation scenarios and high-power transmission scenarios.

[0091] For example, hardware failures such as fiber cuts, optical amplifier board failures, combiner / demultiplexer failures, and subrack power outages can cause passive wavelength drop across all or part of the spectrum. Optical modules with the aforementioned high-power-withstand non-mechanical optical switches can compensate for full or partial wavelength drop in these scenarios, ensuring communication quality.

[0092] In an optional implementation, if the wave drop is caused by a fault such as an optical amplifier failure or an optical fiber break, the input optical signal can be transmitted again in the communication link after the fault is eliminated (the input optical signal is added), and the components provided in the embodiment of the present application (the first component 2000a, the second component 2000b, etc.) can also automatically compensate for the added input optical signal.

[0093] Specifically, detection unit 2200 is configured to determine if a communication link failure exists in the optical module upon detecting an interruption in the input optical signal. After detection unit 2200 sends the first switching instruction, if the operator resolves the failure, the operator can transmit an interactive instruction to detection unit 2200 via an interactive interface, program, or the like. The interactive instruction indicates that the failure has been resolved. After receiving the interactive instruction, detection unit 2200 sends a second switching instruction to electrical port 2330 in accordance with the interactive instruction. In accordance with the second switching instruction, non-mechanical optical switch 2300 switches the input port connected to output port 2340 from second input port 2320 to first input port 2310.

[0094] 3. The first component 2000a is used to achieve compensation for the addition and drop of some wavelengths.

[0095] In an optional implementation, the first component 2000a is used to implement partial wavelength addition and drop compensation. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the optical module is used in a wavelength select switch (WSS). The WSS includes a first optical communication line, a second optical communication line, a first add / drop node, and a second add / drop node. An optical signal of the first wavelength is transmitted from the first optical communication line to the first add / drop node, and an optical signal of the second wavelength is transmitted from the second optical communication line to the second add / drop node.

[0096] The optical module includes a first component 2000a and a second component 2000b. The second component 2000b has the same structure as the first component 2000a. The input port of the optical splitter in the first component 2000a is connected to the first optical communication line. The output port of the first component 2000a (i.e., the output port 2340 of the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 in the first component 2000a) is used to connect to a first add / drop node, which is used to add and drop the first wavelength signal. The input port of the optical splitter in the second component 2000b is connected to the second optical communication line. The output port of the second component 2000b (i.e., the output port 2340 of the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 in the second component 2000b) is used to connect to a second add / drop node, which is used to add and drop the second wavelength signal. The second wavelength signal has a different wavelength from the first wavelength signal.

[0097] In an embodiment of the present application, different components in the optical module are used to achieve up / down wave compensation (wave drop compensation) for signals of different wavelengths in the WSS. Because the components provided in the embodiment of the present application (first component 200a, second component 2000b, etc.) shorten the wave drop compensation time T (i.e., the aforementioned adjustment time T for wave drop compensation), the switching time T' reserved for up / down wave switching in the WSS in the wave drop scenario can be reduced, thereby reducing the time for up / down wave switching. Furthermore, the shortened wave drop compensation time allows the corresponding band to return to a normal transmission state more quickly after a wave drop occurs, thereby improving signal transmission efficiency.

[0098] In an optional implementation, the switching time for adding and dropping waves on the first communication line in the WSS is T, the switching time for adding and dropping waves on the second communication line in the WSS is T, and the switching time allowed in the adding and dropping waves scenario is T', T≤T'.

[0099] In an optional implementation, the first wavelength signal and the second wavelength signal are signals of different wavelengths in any of the following bands: O band, E band, S band, C band, L band, and U band.

[0100] It is worth noting that FIG7 uses the first component 2000a and the second component 2000b as examples to illustrate the add / drop compensation components for different wavelength signals in the WSS, and does not limit the number of wavelengths in the WSS and the number of corresponding add / drop compensation components.

[0101] In an optional implementation, in a scenario where waves are actively added or dropped, the components provided in the embodiments of the present application (the first component 2000a, the second component 2000b, etc.) can also automatically compensate for the added waves of the input optical signal.

[0102] Specifically, if detection unit 2200 detects an input optical signal, indicating that the input optical signal has been added to the communication link where the component is located, detection unit 2200 can then send a second switching instruction to electrical port 2330. Based on the second switching instruction, non-mechanical optical switch 2300 switches the input port connected to output port 2340 from second input port 2320 to first input port 2310.

[0103] In the above-mentioned full-band, partial-band or wavelength-division wavelength addition and drop compensation scenarios, in the components (first component 2000a, second component 2000b, etc.), the splitter 2100 and the first input port 2310 can be connected through a delayed optical path 2500 or directly connected, and this application does not limit this.

[0104] In the above-mentioned full-band, partial-band or wavelength-divided wavelength addition and drop compensation scenarios, the adjustment time T of the optical module to achieve addition and drop compensation can be shortened by setting the non-mechanical optical switch 2300, the detection unit 2200 connection structure shown in Figures 2 to 7, and the delay optical path 2500 (optional), so that the adjustment time T is ≤ 10 microseconds.

[0105] In the embodiment of the present application, the adjustment time T of the switching module of the mechanical optical switch is usually more than 100 microseconds. Compared with the wave drop compensation optical module of the mechanical optical switch, the optical module using the non-mechanical optical switch 2300 provided in the embodiment of the present application reduces the adjustment time T from 100 microseconds to less than 10 microseconds, thereby reducing the bit error rate to about 1 / 10 of the mechanical optical switch, achieving a significant optimization of the bit error rate, thereby improving the signal transmission quality.

[0106] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0107] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0108] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0109] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0110] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

Claims

1. An optical module, characterized in that: comprising a first component; The first component includes a spectrometer, a detection unit, a non-mechanical optical switch and a dummy light unit; The non-mechanical optical switch comprises a first input port, a second input port, an electrical port and an output port, wherein the first input port is connected to the optical splitter, the input optical signal of the first component is output from the output port after passing through the optical splitter and the first input port, the second input port is connected to the dummy light unit, and the electrical port is connected to the detection unit; The two output ports of the optical splitter are connected to the first input port and the detection unit respectively; The detection unit is used to detect the input optical signal separated by the optical splitter to the detection unit, and send a first switching instruction to the electrical port when it is detected that the input optical signal is interrupted; The non-mechanical optical switch is used to switch the input port connected to the output port from the first input port to the second input port according to the first switching instruction; The dummy light unit is used to provide dummy light, and the dummy light has the same wavelength band and power distribution as the input optical signal.

2. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first component further includes a delay optical path, the delay optical path being located between the optical splitter and the first input port; The delay optical path is used to generate a first time delay t1 of the input optical signal from the optical splitter to the first input port.

3. The optical module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The delayed optical path includes: an optical fiber delay line or a spatial optical path.

4. The optical module according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The time delay from the detection unit detecting the input optical signal to the transmission of the switching instruction to the optical switch is the second time delay t2, and the switching time delay of the non-mechanical optical switch is the third time delay t3; If the first time delay t1 ≥ the second time delay t2, the adjustment time T of the optical module to implement the wave drop compensation is T = t3; If the first time delay t1<the second time delay t2, then the adjustment time T for the optical module to implement the wave drop compensation is T=t3+t2-t1.

5. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The time delay from the detection unit detecting the input optical signal to the transmission of the switching instruction to the optical switch is the second time delay t2, and the switching time delay of the non-mechanical optical switch is the third time delay t3; The first input port is directly connected to the optical splitter, and the optical module implements the adjustment time T=t3+t2 for adding the dropped wave compensation.

6. The optical module according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The adjustment time T≤10 microseconds.

7. The optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The non-mechanical optical switch includes any one of the following: Acousto-optic switch, electro-optic switch or magneto-optic switch.

8. The optical module according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that: Also included is a second component, the second component having the same structure as the first component; The input port of the optical splitter in the first component is used to connect to the first optical amplifier, the first optical amplifier is used to amplify the optical signal of the first wavelength band and input it to the first component, and the first component is used to implement the addition and drop compensation of the optical signal of the first wavelength band; The input port of the optical splitter in the second component is used to connect to the second optical amplifier, and the second optical amplifier is used to amplify the optical signal of the second band and input it into the second component. The second component is used to achieve wave addition and drop compensation for the optical signal of the second band, and the second band is different from the first band.

9. The optical module according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first band and the second band are any two of the following bands: O band, E band, S band, C band, L band, and U band.

10. The optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The detection unit is used to determine that the communication link where the optical module is located is faulty when detecting that the input optical signal is interrupted; The detection unit is further used to receive an interaction instruction after sending the first switching instruction, wherein the interaction instruction is used to indicate that the fault has been eliminated, and the detection unit is further used to send a second switching instruction to the electrical port according to the interaction instruction; The non-mechanical optical switch is used to switch the input port connected to the output port from the second input port to the first input port according to the second switching instruction.

11. The optical module according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The optical module is applied to a wavelength selective switch WSS, the WSS includes a first optical communication line, a second optical communication line, a first add / drop node and a second add / drop node, an optical signal of a first wavelength is transmitted from the first optical communication line to the first add / drop node, and an optical signal of a second wavelength is transmitted from the second optical communication line to the second add / drop node, the optical module also includes a second component, and the structure of the second component is the same as that of the first component; The input port of the optical splitter in the first component is connected to the first optical communication line, and the output port of the non-mechanical optical switch in the first component is used to connect to the first wavelength adding and dropping node, and the first wavelength adding and dropping node is used to realize the wavelength adding and dropping of the first wavelength signal; The input port of the optical splitter in the second component is connected to the second optical communication line, and the output port of the non-mechanical optical switch in the second component is used to connect to the second add / drop wave node, and the second add / drop wave node is used to realize the add / drop wave of the second wavelength signal; the wavelength of the second wavelength signal is different from that of the first wavelength signal.

12. The optical module according to claim 11, characterized in that: The switching time for the first communication line in the WSS to implement wave addition and wave drop is T, the switching time for the second communication line in the WSS to implement wave addition and wave drop is T, and the switching time allowed by the wave addition and wave drop scenario is T', T≤T'.

13. The optical module according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first wavelength signal and the second wavelength signal are signals of different wavelengths in any of the following bands: O band, E band, S band, C band, L band, and U band.

14. The optical module according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: The detection unit is further configured to send a second switching instruction to the electrical port when the input optical signal is detected; The non-mechanical optical switch is used to switch the input port connected to the output port from the second input port to the first input port according to the second switching instruction.

15. An optical communication device, characterized in that: The optical amplifier comprises a first optical amplifier, a second optical amplifier, a first optical module and a second optical module, wherein the first optical module and the second optical module are the optical modules according to any one of claims 1 to 14; The first optical module is connected to the first optical amplifier, and the first optical amplifier is used to amplify the optical signal of the first wavelength band and transmit it to the first optical module; The second optical module is connected to the second optical amplifier, and the second optical amplifier is used to amplify the optical signal of a second wavelength band and transmit the amplified optical signal to the second optical module, where the second wavelength band is different from the first wavelength band.

16. The optical communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that: The first band and the second band are any two of the following bands: O band, E band, S band, C band, L band, and U band.

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