Modular WSS-based communications system with colorless add/drop interfaces
First Claim
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1. An optical network node, comprising:
- a main chassis having a plurality of slots coupled to with a control backplane, an optical backplane, and an electrical backplane;
one or more cross-connect boards inserted into first slots of the main chassis and coupled to the control backplane and the optical backplane, the one or more cross-connect boards, each having a network ingress port and a network egress port, forming an optical cross-connect including one or more network ingress ports and egress ports;
an add-drop board inserted into a second slot of the main chassis, wherein one or more channel-wavelength optical signals are capable of being added via the add-drop board onto one of the egress ports of the cross-connect board and one or more of the same channel-wavelength optical signals are capable of being dropped via the add-drop board from one of the ingress ports of the cross-connect board;
a transmit-receive board inserted into a third slot of the main chassis, wherein one or more transmitters generate channel-wavelength optical signals routed to one or more add-ports of the add-drop board by a multi-fiber patch cord and one or more channel-wavelength optical signals are routed from one or more drop ports of the add-drop boards by a multi-fiber patch cord to a receiver of the transmit-receive boards;
an optical-2R board inserted into a fourth slot of the main chassis, wherein an output of the optical-2R board generates channel-wavelength optical signals routed to the one or more add-ports of the add-drop board by a multi-fiber patch cord and one or more channel-wavelength optical signals are routed from the one or more drop ports of the add-drop board by a multi-fiber patch cord to an input of the optical-2R board.
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Abstract
Modular WSS-based Communications system with colorless and network-port transparent add/drop interfaces is described herein. According to certain aspects of the invention, equipment architecture is provided that enables a linear, ring, and mesh optical network. The embodiments of the invention are primarily on how to add and drop signals at a node of the network. The embodiments of the invention are based on the use a wavelength selective switch (WSS), which is an emerging component technology. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
101 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An optical network node, comprising:
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a main chassis having a plurality of slots coupled to with a control backplane, an optical backplane, and an electrical backplane; one or more cross-connect boards inserted into first slots of the main chassis and coupled to the control backplane and the optical backplane, the one or more cross-connect boards, each having a network ingress port and a network egress port, forming an optical cross-connect including one or more network ingress ports and egress ports; an add-drop board inserted into a second slot of the main chassis, wherein one or more channel-wavelength optical signals are capable of being added via the add-drop board onto one of the egress ports of the cross-connect board and one or more of the same channel-wavelength optical signals are capable of being dropped via the add-drop board from one of the ingress ports of the cross-connect board; a transmit-receive board inserted into a third slot of the main chassis, wherein one or more transmitters generate channel-wavelength optical signals routed to one or more add-ports of the add-drop board by a multi-fiber patch cord and one or more channel-wavelength optical signals are routed from one or more drop ports of the add-drop boards by a multi-fiber patch cord to a receiver of the transmit-receive boards; an optical-2R board inserted into a fourth slot of the main chassis, wherein an output of the optical-2R board generates channel-wavelength optical signals routed to the one or more add-ports of the add-drop board by a multi-fiber patch cord and one or more channel-wavelength optical signals are routed from the one or more drop ports of the add-drop board by a multi-fiber patch cord to an input of the optical-2R board. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification