Method and apparatus for construction of compact optical nodes using wavelength equalizing arrays

1. A ROADM circuit pack, comprising:

at least two optical degrees;

a common port connectable to a plurality of directionless add/drop ports, wherein wavelengths from the common port may be directed to any of the at least two optical degrees; and

at least one wavelength equalizing array, used to select wavelengths for each degree, and to perform directionless steering of wavelengths to and from the plurality of directionless add/drop ports, wherein the at least one wavelength equalizing array is partitioned into an array of k 1 1×1, k 2 1×2, k 3 1×3 . . . , k p 1×p wavelength selective switches, where p is any integer number greater than 1, and k j is any integer value greater than or equal to 0.

2. A ROADM circuit pack, comprising:

at least two optical degrees;

a common port connectable to a plurality of directionless add/drop ports, wherein wavelengths from the common port may be directed to any of the at least two optical degrees;

an optical channel monitoring function; and

at least one wavelength equalizing array, used to select wavelengths for each degree, and to perform directionless steering of wavelengths to and from the plurality of directionless add/drop ports, and to provide wavelength filtering for the optical channel monitoring function.

3. A method of constructing a multi-degree optical node utilizing a wavelength equalizing array, comprising:

allocating at least one wavelength equalizer for selection of wavelengths for an optical channel monitor;

allocating a first set of wavelength equalizers for selection of a first set of wavelengths for transmission from a first optical degree; and

allocating at least a second set of wavelength equalizers for selection of at least a second set of wavelengths for transmission from at least a second optical degree;

wherein the number of optical degrees comprising the node is used to determine the number of wavelength equalizers assigned to each set.