Optical-Layer Module With Wavelength Blocking for Colorless Access Sites
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fixed optical add/drop multiplexers (FOADM) in access sites lack colorless capability and port extension, as wavelength-add/drop wavelengths are fixed, leading to conflicts and crosstalk.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an optical-layer module with a fiber interface unit, splitter, wavelength blocker, and multiplexer that allows flexible wavelength-drop and wavelength-add processing, using optical switches and label detection to prevent conflicts and enable colorless operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed optical add/drop multiplexer (FOADM) is used to perform wavelength add/drop, then the device structure is simple, but the wavelength-add/drop wavelength is fixed, causing the access site to lack colorless capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fixed FOADM with a dynamic configuration system using optical switches and controllers that enable flexible wavelength selection. The optical switch can dynamically connect different wavelength channels to different output ports based on real-time network requirements, transforming the static wavelength assignment into a dynamic, reconfigurable system that achieves colorless capability while managing complexity through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The access site is designed with multi-functional components that can handle multiple wavelength channels simultaneously. The optical switch and controller combination provides universal functionality by enabling the same hardware infrastructure to support various wavelength configurations, serving both as a wavelength router and a wavelength selector, thereby achieving colorless capability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If wavelength-add/drop wavelengths are fixed in FOADM, then the device structure is simple, but wavelength conflicts and crosstalk occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where the controller monitors the optical signals and wavelength assignments in real-time. Based on this feedback, the controller dynamically adjusts the optical switch configuration to prevent wavelength conflicts and crosstalk. This closed-loop control system ensures reliable wavelength management by detecting potential conflicts and resolving them through automated reconfiguration, maintaining high reliability while managing complexity through intelligent control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary wavelength assignment and conflict detection before actual signal transmission. The controller pre-configures the optical switch to avoid wavelength conflicts by checking wavelength availability and assigning non-conflicting wavelengths in advance. This preliminary action prevents crosstalk and wavelength conflicts before they occur, ensuring reliable operation while using control logic to manage the increased device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a splitter is used to split optical signals in a broadcast manner, then wavelength-drop wavelength is not fixed enabling colorless capability, but complexity increases due to need for wavelength blocker and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the splitter, optical switch, and controller into an integrated optical-layer module where these components work together as a unified system. The splitter provides the broadcast capability for wavelength flexibility, while the optical switch and controller are merged into the same module to manage the resulting complexity. This merging approach enables wavelength-drop flexibility through the splitter while containing the increased complexity within a single integrated module rather than distributed components.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical switch acts as an intermediary component between the splitter and the output ports, mediating the complex wavelength routing decisions. The controller serves as another intermediary that coordinates between the optical switch and the network management system. These intermediary elements enable the splitter to provide flexible wavelength-drop capability while managing the complexity through layered control architecture, where each intermediary handles specific aspects of the wavelength management task.
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 colorless capability and port extension in access sites, preventing crosstalk and wavelength conflicts, supporting bidirectional transmission and flexible wavelength management.
Implementation Method 1
The first splitter is configured to: split the first optical signal into N+1 second optical signals
Implementation Method 2
The first multiplexer is configured to: receive the N third optical signals through the N wavelength-add ports, and combine, into a fourth optical signal, the one second optical signal that is sent through the pass-through output port of the first splitter and that is received through the pass-through input interface of the first multiplexer, and the N third optical signals
Data Source
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AI summary
An optical-layer module, an access site, and an optical signal processing method are provided, and relate to the field of optical communication technologies. In this application, in optical-layer wavelength-drop processing, the access site performs splitting through a splitter in a broadcast manner. A wavelength-drop wavelength is not fixed, so that the access site has a colorless capability. In wavelength-add processing, to prevent a conflict between a wavelength-add wavelength and an optical signal (that is, a pass-through optical signal) in a main line, a wavelength-add blocker (for example, an optical switch) blocks a wavelength-add signal that has a conflict, thereby avoiding crosstalk between the wavelength-add signal and an existing signal in the main line. Both each wavelength-drop port and each wavelength-add port in an optical-layer board provided in this application support being multiplexed as extended ports. Port extension can improve flexibility of network deployment. In addition, a new board is developed to increase a quantity of ports, thereby reducing development resources and development costs.