An optical node supporting a modular deployment and upgrade of optical spectrum includes one or more C+L-Band amplifier modules; and a modular base module configured to interface one or more C-Band optical modems; wherein, in an initial deployment configuration, the modular base module provides channelized Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) loading for select channels in the C-Band via a first ASE noise source coupled to a multiplexer for the C-Band, bulk ASE loading over the L-Band via a second ASE noise source coupled to an L-Band output, and an upgrade port for connection to an L-Band upgrade module. The L-Band upgrade module can selectively connect to the upgrade port to provide an L-Band upgrade configuration where the L-Band upgrade module and the modular base module coordinate transition of the bulk ASE loading to L-Band channelized ASE loading via a third ASE noise source.

Methods and systems for implementing a low noise CDC ROADM include incorporating individual stages of an optical PSA before and after WSSs included in the CDC ROADM. The WSSs may be used to route the pump and idler signals, as well as to perform phase tuning for optimal phase-sensitive amplification.

Methods and systems for implementing a low noise CDC ROADM include incorporating individual stages of an optical PSA before and after WSSs included in the CDC ROADM. The WSSs may be used to route the pump and idler signals, as well as to perform phase tuning for optimal phase-sensitive amplification.

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 node in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system is provided, which includes: a colorless optical transmitter, a first arrayed waveguide grating, a first waveband filter configured to divide an input optical signal into M sub-signals of different wavebands and output to a first optical switch, and a first optical coupler/a first optical combiner. A transmit end of the colorless optical transmitter is coupled to an input end of the first waveband filter via the first arrayed waveguide grating. The first optical switch is configured to connect an output end of the first waveband filter to an input end of the first optical coupler/the first optical combiner according to a control signal. An output end of the first optical coupler/the first optical combiner is coupled to an optical transmission path.

An apparatus includes N 1?2 ingress tap couplers, a wavelength blocker array, N 2?1 egress tap couplers, and a wavelength selective cross-connect (WSX) array. A tapped branch of each ingress tap coupler is coupled to a degree drop and where N>1. The wavelength blocker array has N wavelength blocking units, each wavelength blocking unit coupled to a corresponding one of the N 1?2 ingress tap couplers. A tapped branch of each egress tap coupler is coupled to a degree add. The wavelength selective cross-connect (WSX) array is coupled between the wavelength blocker array and the N 2?1 egress tap couplers, where the WSX array includes a plurality of independently switched 2?2 WSX switches.

An apparatus includes a plurality of ingress ports, a wavelength blocker array, a plurality of egress ports, a plurality of degree drop ports, a plurality of degree add ports, and a wavelength selective cross-connect (WSX) array. The wavelength blocker array has plurality of wavelength blocking units, each wavelength blocking unit is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of ingress ports. The wavelength selective cross-connect (WSX) array includes a plurality of 2?2 independently switched 2?2 wavelength selective cross-connect switches, where the WSX array is coupled to the wavelength blocker array, the plurality of egress ports, the plurality of degree drop ports, and the plurality of degree add ports.

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.

Verifying a configuration of reconfigurable internal optical paths (970) in a wavelength selective optical switching WSS node (62) involves identifying which of several WSS subsystems (920, 950, 960) is coupled upstream of a first internal optical path based on detecting optical power distinctive of the upstream subsystem and carried to the downstream WSS subsystem. The detecting can be of a power of wavelengths used for traffic (110), or a power of optical noise when there is no traffic (120). A record is made of the identified configuration. The automated verification can be carried out without the conventional dedicated optical wavelengths or dedicated optical hardware for inserting such additional wavelengths dedicated to discovery, and without disrupting the traffic if upgrading a node. It can be controlled locally or by an NMS such as an SDN controller.

Systems and methods for modeling non-visible optical sources in a spectrum controller for control thereof include receiving channel routing information and signal characteristics for the non-visible channels separately from visible channels, wherein the visible channels are formed by optical transceivers communicatively coupled to the spectrum controller and the non-visible channels are formed by optical transceivers without communication to the spectrum controller; utilizing a combination of the channel routing information and signal characteristics for both the visible channels and the non-visible channels as input to the spectrum controller; performing control of optical spectrum based on the input; and providing output adjustments based on the control.