Systems and methods for modular deployment and upgrade of multiple optical spectrum bands in optical transmission systems

• US 10,237,633 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Chedore, Paul, Archambault, Jean-Luc, Sridhar, Balakrishnan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandhu, Amritbir K
• Application Number:
  US15/434,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20180234749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 398 48
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02122 Colourless, directionless or contentionless [CDC] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0213 Groups of channels or wave bands arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13199 Modem, modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13341 Connections within the switch

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. An optical node supporting a modular deployment and upgrade of optical spectrum, the optical node comprising:

one or more C+L-Band amplifier modules; and

a modular base module including a plurality of ports and which is configured to interface one or more C-Band optical modems;

wherein, in an initial deployment configuration, the modular base module includes

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, and

wherein to upgrade from the initial deployment configuration;

the L-Band upgrade module is connected to the upgrade port,

the bulk ASE loading is turned down as L-Band channelized ASE loading is added via a third ASE noise source, and

one or more L-Band channels are added as corresponding L-Band channelized ASE loading is turned down.

2. The optical node of claim 1, further comprising:

the L-Band upgrade module which includes L-Band channelized ASE loading and a plurality of ports, wherein the L-band upgrade module selectively connects to the upgrade port to provide an L-Band upgrade configuration, wherein, from the initial deployment configuration to the L-Band upgrade configuration, the L-Band upgrade module and the modular base module coordinate transition of the bulk ASE loading to the L-Band channelized ASE loading via a third ASE noise source.

3. The optical node of claim 2, wherein the transition includes the bulk ASE loading being turned down while the L-Band channelized ASE loading is turned up.

4. The optical node of claim 1, wherein, in the initial deployment configuration, both the C-Band and the L-Band are noise loaded without requiring channel components for the L-Band.

5. The optical node of claim 1, wherein the L-Band upgrade module is a pluggable module that is selectively insertable in the modular base module for L-Band upgrade configuration.

6. The optical node of claim 1, wherein the one or more C+L-Band amplifier modules include Raman amplifiers, and wherein, in the initial deployment configuration, Raman gain of the Raman amplifiers is calibrated for both the C-Band and the L-Band.

7. The optical node of claim 1, wherein the first ASE noise source and the second ASE noise source each include a flattened Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) with no input and each are disposed in the modular base module.

8. The optical node of claim 1, wherein the channelized ASE loading is performed based on channel monitoring and by coupling a portion of the first ASE source based thereon and the bulk ASE loading is provided at a single interface.

9. An optical system supporting a modular deployment and upgrade of optical spectrum, the optical system comprising:

C-Band ingress ports;

a C-Band demultiplexer and a C-Band multiplexer coupled to the C-Band ingress ports;

a C-Band egress port coupled to the C-Band demultiplexer and the C-Band multiplexer;

a first Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) source coupled to the C-Band multiplexer and configured to provide channelized ASE loading for one or more C-Band channels via the C-Band multiplexer;

an upgrade port and an L-Band egress port;

a second ASE source coupled between the L-Band egress port and the upgrade port and configured to provide bulk ASE loading for all of the L-Band; and

an L-Band upgrade module including;

L-Band ingress ports;

an L-Band demultiplexer and an L-Band multiplexer coupled to the L-Band ingress ports;

an L-Band egress port coupled to the L-Band demultiplexer and the L-Band multiplexer, and the L-Band egress port further selectively coupled to the upgrade port; and

a third ASE source coupled to the L-Band multiplexer and configured to provide L-Band channelized ASE loading via the L-Band multiplexer, wherein the second ASE source and the third ASE source perform a coordinated handoff to switch from the bulk ASE loading to the L-Band channelized ASE loading.

10. The optical system of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more C+L-Band amplifier modules, wherein the one or more C+L-Band amplifier modules include Raman amplifiers, and wherein, in an initial deployment configuration, Raman gain of the Raman amplifiers is calibrated for both the C-Band and the L-Band.

11. The optical system of claim 9, wherein the second ASE source provides noise loading of the L-Band without requiring channel components for the L-Band.

12. The optical system of claim 9, wherein:

in an initial deployment configuration, the second ASE source provides the bulk ASE loading without the L-Band upgrade module equipped, and

in a transition to an L-Band upgrade, the L-Band upgrade module is equipped, and the bulk ASE loading is turned down as the L-Band channelized ASE loading is added.

13. The optical system of claim 9, wherein the first ASE source, the second ASE source, and the third ASE source each include a flattened Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) with no input and each are disposed in the modular base module.

14. The optical system of claim 9, wherein the channelized ASE loading and the L-Band channelized ASE is performed based on channel monitoring and by coupling a portion of the respective ASE source based thereon and the bulk ASE loading is provided at a single interface.

15. The optical system of claim 9, wherein:

the C-Band ingress ports, the C-Band demultiplexer, the C-Band multiplexer, the first ASE source, the upgrade port, the L-Band egress port, and the second ASE source are associated with a base module, and

the L-Band ingress ports, the L-Band demultiplexer, the L-Band multiplexer, the L-Band egress port, and the third ASE source are associated with an upgrade module.

16. An optical node supporting a modular deployment and upgrade of optical spectrum, the optical node comprising:

one or more C+L-Band amplifier modules; and

a modular base module including a plurality of ports and which is configured to interface one or more C-Band optical modems;

wherein, in an initial deployment configuration, the modular base module includes

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,

wherein the L-Band upgrade module selectively connects to the upgrade port to provide an L-Band upgrade configuration, wherein, from the initial deployment configuration to the L-Band upgrade configuration, the L-Band upgrade module and the modular base module coordinate transition of the bulk ASE loading to the L-Band channelized ASE loading via a third ASE noise source, wherein the transition includes the bulk ASE loading being turned down while the L-Band channelized ASE loading is turned up.

17. The optical node of claim 16, wherein, in the initial deployment configuration, both the C-Band and the L-Band are noise loaded without requiring channel components for the L-Band.

18. The optical node of claim 16, wherein the L-Band upgrade module is a pluggable module that is selectively insertable in the modular base module for L-Band upgrade configuration.

19. The optical node of claim 16, wherein the one or more C+L-Band amplifier modules include Raman amplifiers, and wherein, in the initial deployment configuration, Raman gain of the Raman amplifiers is calibrated for both the C-Band and the L-Band.

20. The optical node of claim 16, wherein the first ASE noise source and the second ASE noise source each include a flattened Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) with no input and each are disposed in the modular base module.