ABSTRACT
SUMMARY We propose and demonstrate for the first time in our knowledge, an optical switch circuit architecture furnishing with the “Bridge and Switch” function, conforming to ITUT-T Recommendation G.841 Annex A for optical Add-Drop Multiplexers (ADMs) in WDM four-fiber ring networks. This function enables optical ADMs to revert automatically from the switching state to their idle state just after the recovery of failure, that is indispensable for the extra traffic accommodation to enhance efficiency of the network operation. We have developed the optical ADM nodes employing the proposed optical switch circuit for each wavelength, arrayed-waveguide gratings (AWGs) and Er-doped fiber amplifiers. In the demonstration, transmission characteristics of the cascaded optical ADM nodes without regenerative repeaters have been verified at first. We have confirmed the ring protection and the automatic protection switching (APS) sequence which includes the automatic reversion in the optical ADM nodes with proposed optical switch circuits.
