Example embodiments of the present invention relate to programmable ROADMs used to construct optical nodes. Example embodiments include wavelength switches and waveguide switches, wherein the waveguide switches may be programmed to direct wavelength division multiplexed optical signals to and from the wavelength switches.

One embodiment provides a system for measuring optical fiber channel loss in photonic communication. During operation, a first multiplexing device receives a first signal which is a photonic signal and a second signal which is a reference light signal transmitted by a first measuring device. In response, the first multiplexing device couples the first signal with the second signal, and transmits the coupled signal via an optical fiber channel to a second multiplexing device. The second multiplexing device separates the coupled signal into a separated first signal and a separated second signal, and transmits the separated second signal to a second measuring device. The system obtains indices related to a degree of loss of the optical fiber channel based on the separated second signal.

An optical transmitter and a method for driving the optical transmitter include generating a modulated signal having an operation frequency corresponding to a communication channel, obtaining a first optical signal using passing a portion of the modulated signal through a first optical path, obtaining a second optical signal using passing another portion of the modulated signal through a second optical path having a different spectral response curve from that of the first optical path, converting the first optical signal to a first electrical signal, converting the second optical signal to a second electrical signal, obtaining an error signal between the first and second electrical signals, finding a maximum of the error signal by varying the operation frequency over a predetermined frequency range of the communication channel, and determining that the operation frequency is matched to a passband of a frequency reshaper when the error signal reaches the maximum.

Devices, computer-readable media and methods are disclosed for determining reachability for a wavelength connection in a telecommunication network. For example, a processor deployed in a telecommunication network may calculate a fiber loss on a link in the telecommunication network using optical power measurements and determine that a destination node of a wavelength connection is not reachable via a path that includes the link based upon the fiber loss of the link that is calculated. In one example, the determining is based upon a number of links in the path, an effective fiber loss for each link in the path, a penalty for nodes in the path, and an acceptable loss value. The processor may further perform a remedial action in response to determining that the destination node of the wavelength connection is not reachable via the path.

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a processor configured to receive a set of digital samples associated with a set of optical signals received at a coherent optical receiver. The set of digital samples is associated with a set of optical channels. Each optical channel from the set of optical channels is spaced from at least one adjacent optical channel from the plurality of optical channels. The processor is configured to calculate, for each optical channel from the set of optical channels, a spacing between that optical channel and at least one adjacent optical channel from the set of optical channels based on digital signal processing of the set of digital samples. The processor is configured to send a signal indicating, for each optical channel from the set of optical channels, the spacing between that optical channel and the at least one adjacent optical channel.

In order to identify occupied bands in an optical transmitter with high accuracy, a band identifying circuit includes an optical intensity controller configured to change, by a prescribed level, an optical intensity of an optical signal outputted from a target-of-identification optical transmitter among a plurality of optical signals respectively outputted from a plurality of optical transmitters, constituting a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal, and having mutually different wavelengths, a spectrum acquisition circuit configured to measure an optical intensity of each wavelength of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal and output a result of the measurement as a spectrum, and a band identifier configured to identify a band occupied by the target-of-identification optical transmitter, based on a change amount of the outputted spectrum.

In the wavelength selective switch provided in the present invention, at least one optical element is successively arranged in the wavelength selective switch according to a sequence of processing optical signals. The at least one optical element receives a service optical signal from a service laser, receives a monitoring optical signal from a monitoring laser, and performs same optical signal processing on the service optical signal and the monitoring optical signal according to a processing function of the at least one optical element, where a wavelength of the service optical signal and a wavelength of the monitoring optical signal are different. A service optical signal processed by the at least one optical element and a monitoring optical signal processed by at least one optical element are output, where the monitoring optical signal processed by the at least one optical element is used for monitoring performance of the wavelength selective switch.

An optical reception apparatus (1) of the present invention includes: a local oscillator (11) outputting local oscillation light (22); an optical mixer (12) receiving a multiplexed optical signal (21) and the local oscillation light, and selectively outputting an optical signal (23) corresponding to the wavelength of the local oscillation light from the multiplexed optical signal; a photoelectric converter (13) converting the optical signal (23) output from the optical mixer into an electric signal (24); a variable gain amplifier (15) amplifying the electric signal (24) to generate an output signal (25) whose output amplitude is amplified to a certain level; a gain control signal generating circuit (16) generating a gain control signal (26) for controlling the gain of the variable gain amplifier (15); and a monitor signal generating unit (17) generating a monitor signal (27) corresponding to the power of the optical signal (23) using the gain control signal (26).

An optical transmitter using multiplexed optical signals increases in cost and in size in order to control an optical carrier frequency with high precision, therefore, an optical transmitter according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes optical signal generating means for adding a first optical component to a first optical carrier and adding a second optical component to a second optical carrier; multiplexing means for multiplexing the first optical carrier and the second optical carrier to generate a multiplexed optical signal; monitoring means for monitoring the multiplexed optical signal to detect a monitor signal having a difference frequency between the first optical component and the second optical component; and controlling means for controlling a carrier frequency of at least one of the first optical carrier and the second optical carrier according to the monitor signal.

According to examples, a wavelength identification and analysis sensor may include a wavelength transmitter, operably connectable to an input or output of a wavelength selective device of a wavelength division multiplex (WDM) network, to transmit test signals on a plurality of wavelengths into the input or output of the wavelength selective device of the WDM network. A wavelength analyzer is to detect returned signals from the input or output of the wavelength selective device of the WDM network, with each returned signal being associated with one of the transmitted test signals. Further, the wavelength analyzer is to analyze the returned signals and identify, based on the analysis of the returned signals, a wavelength associated with the input or output of the wavelength selective device of the WDM network.