DSP Frame Messaging Channel for Coherent Optical Link Establishment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current coherent optical DSP frame systems lack an in-band messaging channel, leading to delays in establishing a stable bi-directional physical link, which hinders efficient communication and data sharing before the Physical Coding Sublayer is up and running.
Innovation Solution
A messaging channel is introduced within the DSP frame at the Physical Media Attachment (PMA) sublayer, allowing for pre-FEC communication at the DSP symbol level, providing robustness through techniques like parity and Forward Error Correction, and enabling functions such as vendor identification and polarization mapping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If protocol layer communication channels are used, then communication can occur after a stable bi-directional physical link is established, but it takes milliseconds or seconds to establish the stable link, causing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The messaging channel is embedded within the DSP frame structure at the Physical Media Attachment sublayer, allowing communication to occur before the protocol layer is fully initialized. This preliminary action enables exchange of control information and vendor identification during the link establishment phase itself, rather than waiting for the stable link to be confirmed.
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated messaging channel acts as an intermediary between the physical layer and protocol layer, carrying control information and vendor identification data within the DSP frame overhead. This intermediary channel enables communication during the transition period before the stable bi-directional link is established, bridging the gap between physical signal presence and protocol readiness.
2Loss of time
If messaging channel is embedded within DSP frame at PMA sublayer, then communication can occur before stable link establishment, but robustness against errors must be ensured without FEC protection
Solution Approach 1:
The messaging channel incorporates error protection mechanisms built into the DSP frame structure itself, providing cushioning against errors before Forward Error Correction is applied to the main data payload. This allows the control information to be protected in advance, enabling reliable communication even in the noisy pre-link-establishment environment.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the DSP frame structure receive different levels of error protection. The messaging channel embedded in the overhead portion receives appropriate error protection tailored to its specific needs, while the main data payload receives full FEC protection. This local quality approach optimizes error robustness for control information without sacrificing overall system performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods include receiving a plurality of symbols that are part of a defined Digital Signal Processing (DSP) frame for coherent optical communication, wherein the DSP frame structure has a messaging channel incorporated therein that includes a subset of the plurality of symbols; capturing multiple samples of the messaging channel; and determining a message in the messaging channel based on analysis of the multiple samples. The method can further include transmitting, in the messaging channel, a reply to the message with the reply being repeated multiple times. The analysis is performed prior to Forward Error Correction (FEC) decoding on the data path.