Multidirectional Add Device for Optical Superchannel Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In optical communication systems, superchannel transmitters with high capacity often underutilize their transmitting capacity when only a fraction of the capacity is needed by destination nodes, leading to inefficient power consumption and spectral utilization, especially when transmitting to multiple destination nodes.
Innovation Solution
A multidirectional add-device that combines individual signals for multiple destination nodes into a superchannel, using Wavelength Selective Switches (WSS) and an optical switching matrix to efficiently route and filter superchannels, allowing each WSS to select and add signals to specific paths, thereby reducing power consumption and optimizing spectral usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If superchannel transmitters transmit full capacity to single destination, then transmitting capacity is maximized, but power consumption and spectral utilization increase when only fraction of capacity is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The superchannel is segmented into multiple wavelength channels that can be independently routed to different destination nodes. Each wavelength channel carries a portion of the total capacity, allowing the system to transmit only the necessary fraction of capacity to each destination, thereby reducing power consumption and spectral utilization when full capacity is not needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically configures the add-device to route different subsets of wavelength channels to different destination nodes based on demand. This dynamic routing allows the superchannel transmitter to adapt its capacity allocation, transmitting only the required fraction of capacity to each destination, thus optimizing power consumption and spectral utilization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If superchannel is transmitted to multiple destination nodes, then network coverage is improved, but spectral efficiency decreases due to redundant transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The superchannel is divided into multiple wavelength channels that can be selectively routed to different destination nodes. Each destination receives only the specific wavelength channels it needs, eliminating redundant transmissions and improving spectral efficiency while maintaining broad network coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The add-device provides multi-functional routing capabilities, allowing a single superchannel transmitter to serve multiple destination nodes simultaneously by routing different wavelength channel subsets to each destination. This universal routing approach improves network coverage without requiring redundant full-capacity transmissions to each node.
3Measurement precision
If WSS filters superchannel to output selected subset of optical signals, then signal routing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS) acts as an intermediary device between the superchannel transmitter and destination nodes. It filters the superchannel to output selected subsets of optical signals with high precision, enabling accurate signal routing to the appropriate destinations while managing device complexity through its specialized filtering functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables flexible distribution of superchannels to needed paths, reducing power consumption and spectral utilization inefficiencies, while allowing superchannel transmitters to dedicate resources to multiple paths, improving spectral efficiency and reducing contention.
Implementation Method 1
each WSS comprising a plurality of WDM inputs each connected to a respective output port of the optical switching matrix to receive at least one superchannel from the superchannel transmitters, each WSS comprising a WDM output and being adapted to filter the at least one received superchannel so as to output a selected subset of the optical signals of the at least one superchannel
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A multidirectional add-device for an optical network element, comprising: a group of superchannel optical transmitters (10) adapted to transmit a superchannel comprising a plurality of optical signals, a group of broadcasting units (24), each transmitter being connected to a respective broadcasting unit, each broadcasting unit comprising at least two WDM outputs (25), a plurality of Wavelength Selective Switches (WSS) (28), an optical switching matrix (26) comprising a set of WDM input ports each connected to a respective output of a broadcasting unit (25) and a set of WDM output ports connected to the WSSs (28), each of said WSSs comprising a plurality of WDM inputs each connected to a respective output port (27) of the optical switching matrix, each WSS (28) comprising a WDM output (21) for filtering at least one received superchannel so as to output a selected subset of the optical signals.