Ciena Corporation
Optimized colorless, directionless, and contentionless ROADM in a module

Abstract:

A Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) node with a Colorless, Directionless, and Contentionless (CDC) architecture, targeting smaller degree nodes, includes an integrated ROADM degree and add/drop module having M common input and output ports and N add/drop input and output ports, wherein the integrated ROADM degree and add/drop module is formed by an M.times.N demultiplexer Contentionless Wavelength Selective Switch (CWSS) and an M.times.N multiplexer CWSS; and X degree modules, each having an input and output port connected to common ports of the integrated ROADM degree and add/drop module, a first set of ports of the N add/drop input and output ports are connected for degree-to-degree connectivity and a second set of ports of the N add/drop input and output ports are utilized for local add/drop, such that the integrated module provides both the degree-to-degree connectivity and the local add/drop.