Optical Network Skew Compensation via Path Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical networks face challenges in managing skew across multiple communication paths, leading to compromised timing properties and quality of service due to varying latencies and path lengths, especially as traffic data rates increase and signals are routed on longer, higher-latency paths.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves skew compensation techniques applied on the transmission, receiver, or intermediary nodes within optical transport networks, using methods such as channel swapping, optical buffers, and wavelength reassignment to equalize latency across communication paths, ensuring that signals are routed with minimal skew and optimal quality of service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If signals are routed on longer paths with more nodes to handle high traffic data rates, then bandwidth capacity is improved, but timing properties and skew compensation are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The signal transmission path is divided into multiple segments (first path and second path) with different latency characteristics. The transmitter divides the signal into first and second signals that traverse different paths, allowing independent optimization of each path for bandwidth and timing, thereby resolving the contradiction between high bandwidth capacity and timing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmitter performs preliminary skew compensation by introducing artificial delay to the signal taking the faster path before transmission. This pre-compensation action anticipates the skew that will occur during transmission over paths of unequal length, ensuring that signals arrive synchronized at the receiver even when routed through longer paths with more nodes.
2Productivity
If alternative higher latency paths are used to accommodate increased traffic data rates, then data rate capacity is improved, but quality of service deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The communication path is segmented into multiple parallel paths with different latency characteristics. This segmentation allows the system to utilize longer paths for high data rate transmission while maintaining QoS through differential skew compensation, where each path segment can be independently managed for its specific performance characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts transmission parameters including skew compensation values based on the selected path characteristics. By changing the skew compensation parameter according to the specific path taken (first path vs. second path), the system maintains optimal QoS while accommodating higher data rates through alternative routing.
3Productivity
If multiple communication paths with different latencies are used to increase bandwidth, then network capacity is improved, but skew between paths increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces artificial delay (counter-weight) to compensate for the natural skew caused by paths of unequal length. By applying opposite skew compensation to the faster path, the system balances the timing differences between paths, allowing multiple paths to be used for high capacity transmission without excessive skew accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
Skew compensation is performed preliminarily at the transmitter before signal transmission over multiple paths. The transmitter calculates and applies appropriate skew compensation values to each signal based on its designated path, preventing skew accumulation during transmission and maintaining synchronization at the receiver.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention compensate for skew across a wavelength division multiplexed network. The network is a wavelength division multiplexed optical transport network. The skew compensation can be performed electrically or optically. It can be performed on the transmission side of the network, the receiver side of the network or at any intermediary node on the network.