Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method and apparatus for monitoring a modulation depth of a dither signal and an optical transmitter. The apparatus includes a detector to detect an optical signal output by a Mach-Zehnder modulator to obtain an electrical signal, a dither signal at a determined frequency is superimposed on a direct current bias voltage of the Mach-Zehnder modulator; a frequency-doubling dither signal synchronization detection module to perform synchronization detection on the electrical signal and a frequency-doubling dither signal at a frequency twice the determined frequency, to obtain an amplitude of a signal component contained in the electrical signal at a frequency identical to the frequency of the frequency-doubling dither signal A signal processor is to calculate a modulation depth of the dither signal superimposed on the direct current bias voltage according to the amplitude of the signal component at the frequency identical to the frequency of the frequency-doubling dither signal.

The disclosed systems, structures, and methods are directed to monitoring performance of optical networks. Transmitted and received optical channel signal has both low-power gaps and an amplitude modulation pilot tone applied. The low-power gaps are applied at a gap frequency with gap power being lower than a signal power of the optical channel signal. The pilot tone is applied to the optical channel signal at a pilot tone modulation frequency, which is different from the gap frequency. Described methods include determining pilot tone modulation depth based on detected gap power in low-power gaps of the received optical channel signal. Amplifier spontaneous emission and nonlinear noise in optical link are detected separately. This permits determining and monitoring of optical signal-to-noise ratio.

In order to improve reception sensitivity of a response signal at a terminal station, an optical transmission device includes a reception unit that receives a control signal including a predetermined instruction and a main signal, via an optical transmission path connected to the terminal station, a control unit that performs the predetermined instruction of the received control signal, an extraction unit that extracts light in a band of the control signal, a response signal generation unit that modulates the extracted light in the band of the control signal, and outputs a response signal, and a multiplexing unit that multiplexes and outputs the response signal and the main signal. The control unit controls modulation by the response signal generation unit according to the control signal.

Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method and apparatus for monitoring a modulation depth of a dither signal and an optical transmitter. The apparatus includes a detector to detect an optical signal output by a Mach-Zehnder modulator to obtain an electrical signal, a dither signal at a determined frequency is superimposed on a direct current bias voltage of the Mach-Zehnder modulator; a frequency-doubling dither signal synchronization detection module to perform synchronization detection on the electrical signal and a frequency-doubling dither signal at a frequency twice the determined frequency, to obtain an amplitude of a signal component contained in the electrical signal at a frequency identical to the frequency of the frequency-doubling dither signal A signal processor is to calculate a modulation depth of the dither signal superimposed on the direct current bias voltage according to the amplitude of the signal component at the frequency identical to the frequency of the frequency-doubling dither signal.

An optical module includes an optical device that outputs an optical signal corresponding to a control voltage, a voltage controller that applies the control voltage on which a dither signal is superimposed to the optical device, a monitor unit that monitors the optical signal output from the optical device, and outputs a monitor signal, a multiplier that multiplies the monitor signal by a reference signal corresponding to the dither signal, a filter unit that extracts a direct-current component included in a multiplication result, and a controller that causes the voltage controller to change the control voltage in accordance with the direct-current component. The controller changes the frequency of the dither signal or the reference signal such that the frequency of the reference signal is twice as large as that of the dither signal, when the direct-current component satisfies a predetermined condition.

Methods and systems are described for communicating an optical data signal. An example method may comprise receiving data. The example method may comprise modulating the data to generate a modulated data signal. The modulated data signal may comprise a first level modulated with a first beacon tone and a second level modulated with a second beacon tone. The second level may be modulated in phase with the first level. The method may comprise transmitting an optical signal comprising the modulated data signal.

In order to improve reception sensitivity of a response signal at a terminal station, an optical transmission device includes a reception unit that receives a control signal including a predetermined instruction and a main signal, via an optical transmission path connected to the terminal station, a control unit that performs the predetermined instruction of the received control signal, an extraction unit that extracts light in a band of the control signal, a response signal generation unit that modulates the extracted light in the band of the control signal, and outputs a response signal, and a multiplexing unit that multiplexes and outputs the response signal and the main signal. The control unit controls modulation by the response signal generation unit according to the control signal.

In an asynchronous optical modulation system, a drive circuit may generate a plurality of dither tones in accordance with a predetermined dither frequency ratio. Based on the components of the dither frequency ratio, the optical modulation system may be configured to determine a feedback signal magnitude component that is independent of the delay and a feedback signal sign component that is also independent of the delay . A feedback signal that is independent of the delay can then be reconstructed based on the feedback signal magnitude component and the feedback signal sign component.

The disclosed systems, structures, and methods are directed to monitoring performance of optical networks. Transmitted and received optical channel signal has both low-power gaps and an amplitude modulation pilot tone applied. The low-power gaps are applied at a gap frequency with gap power being lower than a signal power of the optical channel signal. The pilot tone is applied to the optical channel signal at a pilot tone modulation frequency, which is different from the gap frequency. Described methods include determining pilot tone modulation depth based on detected gap power in low-power gaps of the received optical channel signal. Amplifier spontaneous emission and nonlinear noise in optical link are detected separately. This permits determining and monitoring of optical signal-to-noise ratio.

The present disclosure relates to a method, an apparatus and a system for monitoring performance of optical network equipment. The method comprises receiving an optical channel signal comprising a first pilot tone in a first spectral sub-band of the optical channel signal and a second pilot tone in a second spectral sub-band of the optical channel signal, the first and the second spectral sub-bands being on opposite sides of a reference frequency of the optical channel signal. The performance of the optical network equipment is monitored based on a power mismatch between the first and second pilot tones of the received optical channel signal. An apparatus and a system for monitoring performance of the optical network equipment are also described.