A broadcast-and-select OADM optical network with dedicated optical-channel protection

• Published in: Journal of lightwave technology Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 25 - 31
• Main Authors: Rhee, J.-K., Tomkos, I., Ming-Jun Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.01.2003; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Amplifiers; Applied sciences; Architecture; Broadcasting; Channels; Circuit properties; Communication system traffic control; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Erbium-doped fiber amplifier; Exact sciences and technology; Failure; Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Multiplexing; Networks; Optical add-drop multiplexers; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical control; Optical fiber networks; Optical switches; Protection; Stimulated emission; Switches; Switching and signalling; Switching theory; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teletraffic; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Wavelength division multiplexing; Performance evaluation; communication systems; metropolitan-area networks; optical switches; Bit error rate; Doping; optical fibers; wavelength-division multiplexing; Communication system performance; protection; optical-fiber amplifiers; Gain control; Ring network; networks; Liquid crystals; Metropolitan area network; Transients; Optical multiplexer; Optical switching; optical-fiber communication; Broadcasting; Optical fiber communication; Optical switch; Photonic switching systems; Optical fiber; High rate transmission; Fiber optic networks; Teletraffic; Wavelength division multiplexing; Failures; network reliability; Optical fiber amplifiers; Optical add drop multiplexer; Reliability
• ISSN: 0733-8724; 1558-2213
• DOI: 10.1109/JLT.2003.808638

A metro-area optical-ring network based on a novel optical add-drop multiplexer (OADM) architecture using a wavelength blocker is proposed. We demonstrate experimentally the performance of the OADM and capability of optical channel dedicated protection in a two-fiber ring network with 24/spl times/10 Gb/s dense wavelength division multiplexing traffic capacity. The channel-by-channel optical protection of the network is enabled by using a liquid crystal-based wavelength-selective switch as the protection switch and erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) with fast transient-gain control. The bit-error rate performance of the network is studied for the normal operation and for the transition to the protection state from a failure. The network protection for all channels is provided within 5 ms on a cable-cut failure. Importance of transient-gain control during protection switching to reduce the network transients is also discussed.