Optical Switching for Multi-Line Signal Quality Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
In submarine optical cable systems, acquiring signal quality for multiple transmission lines is challenging due to differing transmission characteristics, especially when optical transmitters and receivers are not provided for each line at system startup.
Innovation Solution
An optical communication system that employs a dummy light source and switching mechanism to measure signal quality across multiple transmission lines by outputting dummy light and switching its destination between lines, allowing for the acquisition of signal quality without requiring separate optical transmitters and receivers for each line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a separate optical transmitter and receiver are provided for each transmission line, then signal quality can be acquired for each line, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single optical transmitter and receiver are designed to serve multiple transmission lines by incorporating a switching mechanism. The transmitter outputs optical signals that can be routed to different transmission lines, and the receiver can detect signals from any of the transmission lines through the switch, enabling one set of equipment to perform the function of multiple separate sets
Solution Approach 2:
A switching device is introduced as an intermediary component between the optical transmitter/receiver and the multiple transmission lines. This switch acts as a mediator that directs the optical signals to the appropriate transmission line or receives signals from any transmission line, enabling a single transmitter-receiver pair to measure signal quality across multiple lines without requiring dedicated equipment for each line
2Device complexity
If optical transmitters and receivers are not provided for each transmission line, then device complexity is reduced, but signal quality acquisition becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The switching mechanism introduces dynamic reconfigurability to the system. The switch can dynamically change its connection state to route optical signals between the single transmitter-receiver pair and different transmission lines. This dynamic switching capability allows the system to adaptively measure signal quality on any transmission line as needed, maintaining measurement functionality while using fewer permanent dedicated components
3Measurement precision
If multiple optical transmitters and receivers are deployed, then signal quality measurement is accurate for each line, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functionality of multiple separate transmitter and receiver units into a single integrated system. By combining one optical transmitter, one optical receiver, and a switching mechanism, the system achieves the capability that would otherwise require multiple independent transmitter-receiver pairs, thereby reducing the total quantity of expensive optical components while maintaining the ability to measure signal quality on each transmission line
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
Enables the measurement of signal quality for each optical signal across multiple transmission lines, reducing costs by eliminating the need for individual transmitters and receivers and allowing for appropriate signal intensity adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
a dummy light source that outputs dummy light
Implementation Method 2
a light-receiving means for acquiring first signal quality according to the dummy light being received via the first transmission line
Data Source
AI summary
In order to measure the signal quality of each of optical signals transmitted/received via a plurality of transmission lines, an optical communication system 1 is provided with a dummy light source 10 for outputting dummy light, a switching means 20 for outputting the dummy light to a first transmission line 40a, and a light-receiving means 30 for acquiring first signal quality from the dummy light received via the first transmission line 40a, the switching means 20 switching the output destination of the dummy light from the first transmission line 40a to a second transmission line 40b, and the light-receiving means 30 acquiring second signal quality from the dummy light received via the second transmission line 40b.