A communication system that can be used, e.g., to provide high-speed access to the servers of a data center. In an example embodiment, the communication system transports data using WDM optical signals. The downlink WDM signals have some WDM components that are modulated with data and some WDM components that are not modulated with data. The uplink WDM signals are generated at the server end of the system by modulating with data the unmodulated WDM components received through the downlink. Appropriately connected wavelength multiplexers, wavelength demultiplexers, and/or optical filters can be used to properly apply the various modulated WDM components to the corresponding optical receivers and the unmodulated WDM components to the corresponding optical transmitters. The resulting system architecture advantageously enables, e.g., the use of a single, conveniently located multi-wavelength light source to provide carrier wavelengths for both uplink and downlink optical traffic.

A transmitter for transmitting an optical signal in an optical communication system includes a plurality of light sources configured to output optical signals; a plurality of first optical couplers configured to multiplex the optical signals, which are output from the plurality of light sources, to generate a first optical signal, and output the first optical signal through a first output port and a second output port of each of the plurality of first optical couplers; a first monitoring unit configured to monitor the first optical signal which is output through the second output port of each of the plurality of first optical couplers; and a controller configured to control an optical output of each of the plurality of light sources on the basis of a result of the monitoring.

A modular routing node includes a single input port and a plurality of output ports. The modular routing node is arranged to produce a plurality of different deflections and uses small adjustments to compensate for wavelength differences and alignment tolerances in an optical system. An optical device is arranged to receive a multiplex of many optical signals at different wavelengths, to separate the optical signals into at least two groups, and to process at least one of the groups adaptively.

A communication apparatus configured to communicate with a router included in a first network and a multiplexer that multiplexes a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths transmitted from the communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to transmit and receive a first signal to and from the router, transmit and receive a second signal to and from another communication apparatus in a second network through the multiplexer, the second signal having a transmission scheme different from the first signal, mutually convert the first signal and the second signal with each other, detect a first communication disabled state between the another communication apparatus and the communication apparatus, and transmit, to the router, a first detection signal for detecting adjacency relationship between the communication apparatus and the router when the first communication disabled state is detected.

An optical transmission device and an optical communication system being capable of coping with various installation forms of a transponder in a unit of optical fiber transmission path are provided. The optical transmission device is installed inside a station building. First and second interface units are connected to first and second fiber transmission paths accommodated in a submarine optical fiber cable. A first fiber transmission path mediates an optical signal to be transmitted between the first interface unit and a first transponder. A second fiber transmission path mediates an optical signal to be transmitted between the second interface unit and a second transponder.

Adaptive communications focal plane arrays that may be implemented in, e.g., a specially-configured camera that can be utilized to receive and/or process information in the form of optical beams are presented. A specialized focal plane array (FPA) having a plurality of optical detectors is utilized, where one or more optical detectors are suppressed such that data is not allowed to be output from the one or more suppressed optical detectors, and only a significantly smaller number or subset of optical detectors receiving optical beams are allowed to output data. In this way, the rate at which data is to be output by an adaptive communications FPA (ACFPA) can be significantly reduced.

A pluggable electric connector can communicate a communication data signal and a control signal with an optical communication device. An optical signal output unit is configured to be capable of selectively output a wavelength of an optical signal. An optical power adjustment unit can adjust optical power of the optical signal. A pluggable optical receptor can output the optical signal to an optical fiber. A control unit controls a wavelength change operation according to the control signal. The control unit, according to a wavelength change command, commands the optical power adjustment unit to block output of the optical signal, commands the light signal output unit to change the wavelength of the optical signal after the optical signal is blocked, and commands the light signal output unit and the optical power adjustment unit to output the optical signal after the wavelength change operation.

A communication apparatus configured to communicate with a router included in a first network and a multiplexer that multiplexes a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths transmitted from the communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to transmit and receive a first signal to and from the router, transmit and receive a second signal to and from another communication apparatus in a second network through the multiplexer, the second signal having a transmission scheme different from the first signal, mutually convert the first signal and the second signal with each other, detect a first communication disabled state between the another communication apparatus and the communication apparatus, and transmit, to the router, a first detection signal for detecting adjacency relationship between the communication apparatus and the router when the first communication disabled state is detected.

A system for optical communications may include a multiplicity of optical communications relay platforms that each move above a surface of the earth. Each relay platform may include a relay link for communications between adjacent relay platforms. The system may also include a plurality of ground stations. Each ground station may be configured to communicate with another of the ground stations through at least one of the relay platforms. Each ground station may include an optical communications link for optical communications with successive relay platforms. The optical link of each ground station may be configured for handover connections between the successive relay platforms as the relay platforms move relative to the earth. The system may additionally include a network operations center having a link controller. The link controller may be configured to control switching of the communications links for hitless transmission between the ground stations.

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to wireless distribution systems (WDSs) employing an optical star communications architecture based on quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) transceivers. In one aspect, a selected QSFP CWDM transceiver among one or more QSFP CWDM transceivers wavelength multiplexes a plurality of downlink optical communications signals to generate a WDM downlink communications signal and provides WDM downlink communications signal to a selected remote unit branch among one or more remote unit branches in the WDS. In another aspect, the selected QSFP CWDM transceiver wavelength de-multiplexes a WDM uplink communications signal received from the selected remote unit branch into a plurality of uplink optical communications signals. By supporting an optical star communications architecture based on the selected QSFP CWDM transceiver, it may be possible to reduce total length of optical fibers in the WDS, thus leading to reduced optical fiber material and installation costs.