An intranodal reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) fiber management apparatus, and a system employing the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a plurality of ingress optical ports, a plurality of egress optical ports, and a plurality of optical interconnections interposed between ones of the plurality of ingress optical ports and ones of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each of the plurality of ingress optical ports corresponds to one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of ingress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of egress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of ingress optical ports.

Example embodiments of the present invention relate to optical wavelength directing devices used to construct compact optical nodes.

Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a multi wavelength-routing-plane optical architecture. Example embodiments include a Reconfigurable Optical Add Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) supporting a multi wavelength-routing-plane optical architecture, and optical networks supporting a multi wavelength-routing-plane optical architecture.

An optical node may include D (D?2) input ports, D output ports, and D degrees. Each degree may include an inbound M?N (M?D, N?2D) WSS and an outbound M?N WSS. Each inbound M?N WSS may include an input connected to one of the D input ports; inputs connected to outputs of inbound M?N WSSs of the other degrees; outputs connected to inputs of outbound M?N WSSs of the other degrees; outputs connected to inputs of inbound M?N WSSs of the other degrees; and a local drop port. Each outbound M?N WSS may include an output connected to one of the D input ports; outputs connected to inputs of outbound M?N WSSs of the other degrees; inputs connected to outputs of inbound M?N WSSs of the other degrees; inputs connected to outputs of outbound M?N WSSs of the other degrees; and a local add port.

A method of managing optical services in a node in an optical network utilizing a flexible grid includes utilizing a Media Channel (MC) Trail Termination Point (TTP) to model frequency allocation of a MC on the node; utilizing a Network Media Channel (NMC) Connection Termination Point (CTP) to model a specific port for an optical channel corresponding to the NMC; utilizing a NMC cross connection (CRS) to model a path of the NMC in the MC; and programming hardware in the node based on the MC TTP, the NMC CTP, and the NMC CRS.

Method and apparatus of an optical routing system (ORS) capable of automatically discovering intra-nodal fiber connections using a test channel transceiver (TCT) are disclosed. ORS, in one embodiment, includes a set of reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) modules, intra-nodal fiber connections, add-drop modules, and a test module. The ROADM modules are able to transmit or receive optical signals via optical fibers. The intra-nodal fiber connections are configured to provide optical connections. The add-drop modules are able to selectively make connections between input ports and output ports. The test module containing TCT is configured to identify at least a portion of intra-nodal connections of the ROADM via a test signal operating with a unique optical frequency.

A wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) reconfigurable optical switch, the switch has at least one optical input port to receive a WDM input optical signal comprising a plurality of wavelength channels; a plurality of optical output ports; a reconfigurable holographic array on an optical path between the at least one optical input port and the plurality of optical output ports; and at least one diffractive element on an optical path between at least one optical input port and the reconfigurable holographic array, to demultiplex the WDM input optical signal into a plurality of demultiplexed optical input beam channels, and to disperse the demultiplexed optical input beam channels spatially along a first axis on said the reconfigurable holographic array; and the switch further comprises one or more beam profiling optical elements to modify transverse beam profiles of the demultiplexed optical input beam channels.

A wavelength selective switch (WSS), reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) and methods of determining a condition of a domain network section are provided. The WSS and ROADM include a light source for sending an optical signal having a characteristic. The method comprises instructing a light source to send an optical signal across an optical link, obtaining measurements of characteristic values of the optical signal received at and sent by components along the domain network section, comparing the characteristic values to pre-defined limits, and determining the condition of the domain network section based on the characteristic values.

A network architecture for an optical communication network, an optical communication network configured according to the network architecture and a method for interconnecting via a MD-WSS are provided. The network comprises at least a first ODN, an MD-WSS having a plurality of ports, and at least a first node. The first ODN is connected to one of the ports of the MD-WSS and the first node is connected to another one of the ports of the MD-WSS, wherein the ports of the MD-WSS 100 are paired such that the port connected to the first ODN is paired with the port connected to the first node such that signals originating from the first ODN are in a default case routed to the first node, and signals originating from the first node are in the default case routed to the first ODN.

A method may include transmitting, by an optical device, a first set of channels using a first modulation format. The first set of channels may be attenuated during transmission by a filter associated with a wavelength selective switch. The method may further include transmitting, by the optical device, a second set of channels using a second modulation format. The second set of channels may be attenuated during transmission by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. The first set of channels and the second set of channels may be included in a super-channel. The first modulation format may be selected based on a first signal quality factor associated with attenuation by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. The second modulation format may be selected based on a second signal quality factor associated with attenuation by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch.