Flexible node architecture with full protection
View Patent ↗Optical node ( 1 ) comprising at least one input port (PA, PC, PE) and a plurality of output ports (PB, PD, PF), at least one add unit ( 3 B, 3 D, 3 F) for adding at least one signal on an output port (PB, PD, PF), a broadcasting unit ( 8 ) for broadcasting on at least two output ports (PB, PD, PF) the express traffic received on an input port (PA, PC, PE), characterized in that the broadcasting unit ( 8 ) is configured for broadcasting at least one added signal on at least two output ports (PB, PD, PF).
1. Optical node comprising at least one input port, and a plurality of output ports , each output port of the optical node arranged downstream of am output port of a wavelength switch, each said wavelength switch having a plurality of input ports and operating as a controlled multiplexer for forming an output signal by combining wavelength channels selected among the optical signals received on the input ports of the wavelength switch, said optical node comprising a broadcasting unit for broadcasting on at least two wavelength switches corresponding to at least two output ports of the optical node an express traffic received on said at least one input port, characterized in that said optical node comprises at least one add unit for adding at least one signal on an output port and in that the broadcasting unit is configured for broadcasting at least one added signal from said at least one add unit on at least two wavelength switches arranged upstream of at least two output ports of the optical node.
2. Optical node according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises at least one drop unit for dropping an incoming signal and a corresponding wavelength blocker for blocking the signal to be dropped and to let go through the express traffic.
3. Optical node according to claim 1 , characterized in that the broadcasting unit is configured for combining said express traffic with a corresponding added traffic and for broadcasting the combined traffic to each said wavelength switch.
4. Optical node according to claim 3 , characterized in that it comprises optical couplers.
5. Optical node according to claim 1 , characterized in that the broadcasting unit is configured for broadcasting said express traffic to each said wavelength switch and for broadcasting said at least one added signal to each said wavelength switch.
6. Optical node according to claim 1 , characterized in that the broadcasting unit is comprised of a plurality of optical couplers.
7. Optical node according to claim 1 , characterized in that the broadcasting unit is located between said output ports of the wavelength switches and the output ports of the optical node and is configured for connecting the output port of at least one of the wavelength switches to input ports of at least two other wavelength switches.
8. Optical node according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises 2×N wavelength switches, each 2×N wavelength switch for receiving an incoming traffic from one input port and the corresponding added traffic from add unit and for supplying the express traffic and the added traffic to each output port.