Apparatus and method for controlling a dynamic gain equalizer
US8428463B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 10, 2010 |
| Grant date | Apr 23, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 26, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J14/02216
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Consistent with the present disclosure, a method and apparatus for providing a uniform spectral gain of an optical amplifier is provided. Namely, a “balancing” step is carried out in which an optical channel having the lowest power level input to an optical circuit, such as an dynamic gain equalizer (DGE), is assigned a zero “attenuation error” and is substantially un-attenuated by the DGE. The lowest power level optical signal does not require further attenuation and effectively serves as a reference power level, which the power levels of the remaining optical signals are set to. For example, remaining optical signals are assigned either positive or negative attenuation errors relative to the zero attenuation error based on optical signal input powers to the DGE and accumulated DGE attenuations over time. Those optical signals having a negative attenuation error are substantially unattenuated by the DGE, because such optical signals are adequately attenuated and do not require further attenuation. On the other hand, the DGE is controlled to attenuate those optical signals having positive attenuation errors to thereby flatten the output spectrum of the amplifier. In one example, in…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.