Methods for expanding cross-connect capacity in a ROADM optical network
A reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) transport network comprising a plurality of optical fan-out devices and a first plurality and a second plurality of demultiplexers for locally dropping selected wavelengths; and first plurality and a second plurality of multiplexers for locally adding selected wavelengths, the first and second plurality disposed in a cascaded relationship to enable selective coupling between network degrees.
1. A system for dynamically adding and dropping wavelengths in a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer transport network comprising:
a plurality of cross-connect modules arranged in a cascaded relationship and connected so as to enable signals input from each of a plurality of network degrees to be switched to another network degree of the plurality of network degrees, each of the plurality of cross-connect modules comprising:
a plurality of multiplexers, each comprising a wavelength selective switch and configured to receive an input signal from a network degree and to output a signal to a network degree; and
a plurality of demultiplexers, each comprising a wavelength selective switch and configured to receive an input signal from a network degree and to output a signal to a network degree.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an access node comprising:
a plurality of amplifiers;
an input communicatively coupled to one of the plurality of amplifiers;
an output communicatively coupled to one other of the plurality of amplifiers;
a multiplexer;
a demultiplexer;
a power splitter communicatively coupled to the demultiplexer;
an optical combiner; and
a wavelength selective switch communicatively coupled to the multiplexer for adding selected wavelengths.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of multiplexers and each of the plurality of demultiplexers comprise expansion ports.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of demultiplexers and each of the plurality of multiplexers comprise one of a power splitter and an optical combiner.
5. A method for dynamically adding and dropping wavelengths in a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer transport network comprising:
receiving signals from a network degree at a plurality of cross-connect modules for dropping selected wavelengths between selected network degrees; and
receiving signals from a network degree at the plurality of cross-connect modules for adding selected wavelengths between selected network degrees;
wherein the plurality of cross-connect modules is arranged in a cascaded relationship and connected to enable signals input from each of a plurality of network degrees to be switched to another network degree of the plurality of network degrees.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of cross-connect modules comprise a plurality of multiplexers and a plurality of demultiplexers.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of multiplexers and each of the plurality of demultiplexers comprises expansion ports.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of demultiplexers and each of the plurality of multiplexers further comprising one of a power splitter and an optical combiner.
9. A system for dynamically adding and dropping wavelengths in a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer transport network comprising:
a plurality of cross-connect modules connected so as to enable signals input from each of a plurality of network degrees to be switched to another network degree of the plurality of network degrees, each of the plurality of cross-connect modules comprising:
a plurality of multiplexers, each comprising a wavelength selective switch and configured to receive an input signal from a network degree and to output a signal to a network degree; and
a plurality of demultiplexers, each comprising a wavelength selective switch and configured to receive an input signal from a network degree and to output a signal to a network degree; and
an access node comprising:
a plurality of amplifiers;
an input communicatively coupled to one of the plurality of amplifiers;
an output communicatively coupled to one other of the plurality of amplifiers;
a multiplexer;
a demultiplexer;
a power splitter communicatively coupled to the demultiplexer;
an optical combiner; and
a wavelength selective switch communicatively coupled to the multiplexer for adding selected wavelengths.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of cross-connect modules is arranged in a cascaded relationship.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of multiplexers and each of the plurality of demultiplexers comprise expansion ports.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of demultiplexers and each of the plurality of multiplexers comprise one of a power splitter and an optical combiner.