Switching status and performance monitoring technology for wavelength selective switch and optical networks
First Claim
1. An apparatus to monitor performance of an optical network, comprising:
- at least one probe signal generator configured to generate a probe signal, wherein said at least one probe signal generator is a tunable laser such that a frequency of the probe signal is tunable;
at least one modulation signal generator optically or electrically connected to said at least one probe signal generator, said at least one modulation signal generator configured generate a modulation signal at a predetermined modulation frequency, wherein the probe signal generated by said probe signal generator is modulated based on the modulation signal;
an ingress switch including at least one input and a plurality of outputs, wherein said at least one input of said ingress switch is optically connected to said at least one probe signal generator and said plurality of outputs are optically connected to a plurality of inputs of the optical network, said ingress switch being configured to selectively direct the probe signal to at least one of the plurality of inputs of the optical network;
an egress switch including a plurality of inputs and at least one output, wherein said plurality of inputs of said egress switch are optically connected to a plurality of outputs of the optical network, said egress switch being configured to selectively direct an output signal from at least one of said plurality of outputs of said optical network to said at least one output of said egress switch; and
at least one probe signal detector optically connected to said at least one output of said egress switch, said at least one probe signal detector configured to detect a presence of the probe signal in the output signal,wherein said at least one probe signal detector comprises a resonant photo detector configured to receive the output signal and to detect the probe signal within the output signal and a lock-in amplifier optically or electrically connected to said at least one modulation signal generator, said lock-in amplifier configured to amplify the probe signal detected by said at least one resonant photo detector based on the modulation signal.
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Abstract
A universal in-service monitoring scheme to monitor performances of optical networks, including elements that make up the optical network, is proposed. The elements may be a wavelength selective switch or an optical cross connect. In this scheme, a small tunable probe signal is injected into the optical network via an input of the network. An output signal is received at the output and processed to determine if the probe signal is contained within the output signal. The scheme is such that probe signal injection and detection devices need not be physically co-located. Thus, the scheme is useful to test even optical network that spans thousands of miles. The probe signal is non-interfering with the network traffic so the network can be providing service while its performance is monitored. As examples of the probe signal detection mechanisms include lock-in amplification and coherent detection.
33 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus to monitor performance of an optical network, comprising:
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at least one probe signal generator configured to generate a probe signal, wherein said at least one probe signal generator is a tunable laser such that a frequency of the probe signal is tunable; at least one modulation signal generator optically or electrically connected to said at least one probe signal generator, said at least one modulation signal generator configured generate a modulation signal at a predetermined modulation frequency, wherein the probe signal generated by said probe signal generator is modulated based on the modulation signal; an ingress switch including at least one input and a plurality of outputs, wherein said at least one input of said ingress switch is optically connected to said at least one probe signal generator and said plurality of outputs are optically connected to a plurality of inputs of the optical network, said ingress switch being configured to selectively direct the probe signal to at least one of the plurality of inputs of the optical network; an egress switch including a plurality of inputs and at least one output, wherein said plurality of inputs of said egress switch are optically connected to a plurality of outputs of the optical network, said egress switch being configured to selectively direct an output signal from at least one of said plurality of outputs of said optical network to said at least one output of said egress switch; and at least one probe signal detector optically connected to said at least one output of said egress switch, said at least one probe signal detector configured to detect a presence of the probe signal in the output signal, wherein said at least one probe signal detector comprises a resonant photo detector configured to receive the output signal and to detect the probe signal within the output signal and a lock-in amplifier optically or electrically connected to said at least one modulation signal generator, said lock-in amplifier configured to amplify the probe signal detected by said at least one resonant photo detector based on the modulation signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method to monitor performance of an optical network, the method comprising:
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generating a probe signal, wherein said step of generating said probe signal comprises tuning a frequency of the probe signal, wherein said step of generating the probe signal further comprises generating a modulation signal of a predetermined modulation frequency and modulating the probe signal based on the modulation signal; selectively sending the probe signal to at least one of a plurality of inputs of the optical network; selectively receiving an output signal from at least one of a plurality of outputs of said optical network; and detecting a presence of the probe signal in the output signal, wherein said step of detecting the probe signal comprises lock-in amplifying the probe signal based on the modulation signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification