Multiple port symmetric transmissive wavelength-selective mesh node

1. A non-blocking N port optical connection mesh node, N≧3, for providing a multiple wavelength channel signal with reciprocal bidirectional connectivity between the N node ports, each node port containing an apparatus having an input port and N−1 output ports and comprising either

(1) a coupler having an input connected to said input port and having N−1 outputs,

(2) a transmissive 1×(N−1)WSS having an input connected to said input port and responsive to a control signal C for establishing a switching connection to one of its N−1 outputs, or

(3) a coupler having an input connected to said input port and having X+1 outputs including one output connected to an input of a transmissive 1×Y WSS having Y outputs, where X+Y equals N−1, the sum of the remaining X outputs of the coupler and the Y outputs of the transmissive 1×Y WSS being the N−1 output ports of the node port apparatus and wherein,

the node port apparatus provides a total of N−1 output ports and where each of the N−1 output ports from each node port apparatus is connected to a different output port of each of the other N−1 node port apparatuses such that a connection made from one input port of a node port apparatus to an input port of a different node port apparatus always passes through only one WSS and at least one coupler, the connection being established in response to a control signal applied to said one WSS,

wherein N is an even number, one node includes only a 1×(N−1) coupler and each of the other N−1 node port apparatuses includes the same sized coupler and each of the other N−1 node port apparatuses includes the same sized transmissive 1×K i WSS.

2. A non-blocking N port optical connection mesh node, N≧3, for providing a multiple wavelength channel signal with reciprocal bidirectional connectivity between the N node ports, each node port containing an apparatus having an input port and N−1 output ports and comprising either

(1) a coupler having an input connected to said input port and having N−1 outputs,

(2) a transmissive 1×(N−1) WSS having an input connected to said input port and responsive to a control signal C for establishing a switching connection to one of its N−1 outputs, or

(3) a coupler having an input connected to said input port and having X+1 outputs including one output connected to an input of a transmissive 1×Y WSS having Y outputs, where X+Y equals N−1, the sum of the remaining X outputs of the coupler and the Y outputs of the transmissive 1×Y WSS being the N−1 output ports of the node port apparatus and wherein,

the node port apparatus provides a total of N−1 output ports and where each of the N−1 output ports from each node port apparatus is connected to a different output port of each of the other N−1 node port apparatuses such that a connection made from one input port of a node port apparatus to an input port of a different node port apparatus always passes through only one WSS and at least one coupler, the connection being established in response to a control signal applied to said one WSS

wherein N=5 and the distribution of K i for the transmissive 1×K i WSS used at the 5 node port apparatuses is selected from a group of K i distributions that consist of:

4, 3, 2, 1, 0

4, 2, 2, 2, 0

4, 2, 2, 1, 1

3, 3, 2, 2, 0

3, 3, 2, 1, 1

3, 2, 2, 2, 1

where a K i =0 value indicates that no transmissive 1×K i WSS is used at that node port apparatus.

3. A non-blocking N port optical connection mesh node, N≧3, for providing a multiple wavelength channel signal with reciprocal bidirectional connectivity between the N node ports, each node port containing an apparatus having an input port and N−1 output ports and comprising either

(1) a coupler having an input connected to said input port and having N−1 outputs,

(2) a transmissive 1×(N−1) WSS having an input connected to said input port and responsive to a control signal C for establishing a switching connection to one of its N−1 outputs, or

(3) a coupler having an input connected to said input port and having X+1 outputs including one output connected to an input of a transmissive 1×Y WSS having Y outputs, where X+Y equals N−1, the sum of the remaining X outputs of the coupler and the Y outputs of the transmissive 1×Y WSS being the N−1 output ports of the node port apparatus and wherein,

the node port apparatus provides a total of N−1 output ports and where each of the N−1 output ports from each node port apparatus is connected to a different output port of each of the other N−1 node port apparatuses such that a connection made from one input port of a node port apparatus to an input port of a different node port apparatus always passes through only one WSS and at least one coupler, the connection being established in response to a control signal applied to said one WSS

wherein N=3 the distribution of K i for the transmissive 1×K i WSS used at the 3 node port apparatuses is:

2, 1, 0,

where a K i =0 value indicates that no transmissive 1×K i WSS is used at that node port apparatus.