Optical Network Concepts

Wavelength division multiplexed networks:

Optical fiber networks using wavelength division
multiplexing (WDM) techniques can be classified
as either broadcast-and-select networks or
wavelength routing networks.

16

Optical Network Concepts

A broadcast-and-select network strategy
based on a star coupler.
The optical transmission is broadcast to all
other nodes using fixed transmitters and a
tuneable receiver at the destination node
extracts the desired signal from the entire
group of wavelength multiplexed transmitted
signals (i.e. λ1, λ2, λ3, . . . , λn).
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Optical Network Concepts
Broadcast-and-select network:

18

Optical Network Concepts

In wavelength routing, instead of distributing
the message over the entire network (avoiding
wastage of transmitted power), the signal is
routed to the specific destination through either
a single node or using multiple nodes.

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Optical Network Concepts

20

Optical Network Concepts

 The concept of wavelength routing is illustrated
in the Figure where the physical bidirectional
interconnections between five nodes (i.e. A, B,
C, D and E) are shown in Figure a.
 Using three wavelengths (i.e. λ1, λ2 and λ3) any
network node can transmit or receive a signal
from another node within the network.

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Optical Network Concepts
 This strategy of wavelength implementation or
path selection shown in Figure b is known as
Routing and Wavelength Assignment
(RWA).
 For example, node A can transmit to node B
using wavelength λ1 and it can simultaneously
receive from node B using wavelength λ2 only
when the signal is routed through node E.
22

Optical Network Concepts

 To simplify such routing and wavelength
assignments a virtual topology is generally
used to describe only the enabled wavelength
paths.
 The virtual topology is indicated Figure c where
only wavelength signals identify the possible
interconnections between nodes as given by
the RWA.
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Optical Network Concepts
 It can be observed by comparing Figure a and c
that there exists no physical connection
between nodes C and E but both nodes can
communicate via the virtual connection set up
using wavelengths λ1 and λ3.

Both broadcast-and-select and wavelength

routing networks can be further classified into
single-hop or multi-hop. 24

Optical Transmission Modes, Layers

and Protocols
 Optical fiber network structures usually
incorporate complex combinations of both
optical and electronic infrastructure.
 In order to establish useful communication
among different network elements of the same
or other networks it is necessary to employ
certain physical network structures,
transmission types, rules and protocols.
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 Optical Transmission Modes, Layers
and Protocols
Synchronous Networks:
 In the European hierarchy, multiplexing is performed up to the
140 Mbits-1 rate from the constituent 2 Mbits-1 (30-channel)
signals.
 Difficulty arising is that: each 2 Mbit s-1 transmission circuit
(taking the European example) has its own independent clock
to provide for timing and synchronization.
 This results in slightly different frequencies occurring
throughout a network and is referred to as pleisochronous
transmission.
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