System and method for suppressing beat noise in line monitoring equipment

1. A line monitoring system for an optical communication system comprising:

a laser transmitter, said laser transmitter configured for providing an optical output at a carrier wavelength;

a code generator configured to generate a test code, said code generator being coupled to said laser transmitter for modulating said test code on said optical output to provide a test signal representative of said test code, said test signal being provided for coupling to an optical path whereby said test signal is returned to the line monitoring system through a first loopback path as a first returned test signal and said test signal is returned to the line monitoring system through a second loopback path as a second returned test signal;

a wavelength dither generator coupled to said laser transmitter, said wavelength dither generator being configured for generating a wavelength dither signal for dithering said carrier wavelength; and

a correlator for simultaneously receiving overlapping portions of said first and second returned test signals,

said wavelength dither generator being configured to vary said carrier wavelength along a code length of said test code so that said overlapping portions of said first and second returned test signals occupy different wavelengths thereby suppressing beat noise in said first and second returned test signals.

2. A line monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein said wavelength dither generator is configured to continuously vary said carrier wavelength along said code length.

3. A line monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein said wavelength dither generator is configured to sinusoidally vary said carrier wavelength along said code length.

4. A line monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein said wavelength dither generator is directly coupled to said laser transmitter for directly dithering said carrier wavelength.

5. A line monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein said code generator is directly coupled to said laser transmitter for directly modulating said test code on said optical output.

6. A line monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein said test code comprises a pseudo-random sequence code.

7. A line monitoring system according to claim 1 , said system further comprising a beat noise filter for filtering noise from said first returned test signal and said second returned test signal, said beat noise filter having a bandwidth less than a difference between the wavelengths of said first and second returned test signals in said overlapping portions.

8. An optical communication system comprising:

a laser transmitter, said laser transmitter configured for providing an optical output at a carrier wavelength;

a code generator coupled to said laser transmitter for modulating a test code on said optical output to provide a test signal representative of said test code;

a wavelength dither generator coupled to said laser transmitter, said wavelength dither generator being configured for generating a wavelength dither signal for dithering said carrier wavelength;

a first optical fiber path for receiving said test signal and carrying said test signal in a first direction;

a second optical fiber path for carrying signals in a second direction opposite from said first direction;

a first repeater coupled to said first optical fiber path and having an first optical loopback coupled to a second optical fiber path for carrying said test signal in said second direction as a first returned test signal;

a second repeater coupled to said first optical fiber path and having an second optical loopback coupled to a second optical fiber path for carrying said test signal in said second direction a second returned test signal; and

a correlator for simultaneously receiving overlapping portions of said first and second returned test signals,

said wavelength dither generator being configured to vary said carrier wavelength along a code length of said test code so that said overlapping portions of said first and second returned test signals occupy different wavelengths thereby suppressing beat noise in said first and second returned test signals.

9. An optical communication system according to claim 8 , wherein said wavelength dither generator is configured to continuously vary said carrier wavelength along said code length.

10. An optical communication system according to claim 8 , wherein said wavelength dither generator is configured to sinusoidally vary said carrier wavelength along said code length.

11. An optical communication system according to claim 8 , wherein said wavelength dither generator is directly coupled to said laser transmitter for directly dithering said carrier wavelength.

12. An optical communication system according to claim 8 , wherein said code generator is directly coupled to said laser transmitter for directly modulating said test code on said optical output.

13. An optical communication system according to claim 8 , wherein said test code comprises a pseudo-random sequence code.

14. An optical communication system according to claim 8 , said system further comprising a beat noise filter for filtering noise from said first returned test signal and said second returned test signal, said beat noise filter having a bandwidth less than a difference between the wavelengths of said first and second returned test signals in said overlapping portions.

15. A method of suppressing beat noise in optical communication system line monitoring equipment, said method comprising:

modulating a test code on an optical signal;

dithering a carrier wavelength of said optical signal;

transmitting said optical signal as a test signal on said optical communication system after said modulating and said dithering, said dithering comprising varying said carrier wavelength along a code length of said test code;

receiving said test signal as a first returned test signal from said optical communication system through a first optical loopback;

receiving said test signal as a second returned test signal from said optical communication system through a second optical loopback; and

simultaneously detecting overlapping portions of said first and second returned test signals, wherein beat noise in said first and second test signals is suppressed by said dithering.

16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said dithering comprises continuously varying said carrier wavelength along said code length.

17. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said dithering comprises sinusoidally varying said carrier wavelength along said code length.

18. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said first optical loopback is disposed in a first repeater and said second optical loopback is disposed in a second repeater.

19. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said test code comprises a pseudo-random sequence code.

20. A method according to claim 15 , said method further comprising filtering noise from said first returned test signal and said second returned test signal using a beat noise filter having a bandwidth less than a difference between the wavelengths of said first and second returned test signals in said overlapping portions.