Patent Application
20250023638
The present application relates to a free space optic (FSO) network node, a method performed by a FSO network node and a FSO ring network.
Free space optics (FSO) is emerging as a high-capacity transport technology for backhaul and fronthaul applications in 6G radio access networks (RAN). FSO provides a number of promising advantages including: the ability to use unlicensed spectra, ultra-high bandwidth, robustness to Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) and privacy of the signals thanks to the spatial diversity and segregation of optical laser beams in free space. Examples of known FSO systems and their characteristics are listed in Table 1 below:
Measurements performed at the Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin have demonstrated that the availability of a FSO link is 99.99% over 200 m. This property means that FSO links are a promising candidate for mobile backhaul or fixed wireless access. A drawback which has limited the use of FSO networks, however, is that FSO links are sensitive to changing environmental conditions. Haze and foggy conditions can affect the availability of an FSO link, while mmWaves face challenges in rainy conditions. A hybrid solution, involving both FSO links and mmWaves, can be used to increase the link reliability. High data rates over longer distances with 99.999% availability can be achieved with FSO combined with mmWaves.
FSO technology thus presents a promising communication technology due to the high spectrum availability. However, the advantages that can be provided by FSO systems are also very dependent on ideal free space conditions, such as full line-of-sight availability, antenna alignment, obstacles (static or dynamic) and air conditions (humidity and illumination). These issues mean that the reliability of a successful transmission over an FSO link may be relatively low and thus the use of FSO as a viable large scale communication technology has been limited.
Reliability in an FSO network is typically improved by using redundancy links and paths, duplicating transmitters and receivers used in the FSO network and adding signal repeaters.
Each network node 102 communicates using FSO signals with a network node 102 on the adjacent building. A received FSO signal is converted into electrical format for processing and provided to the other network node of the pair for onward transmission as an FSO signal around the network 100. For example, network node 102a receives an FSO signal from a network node on building 101a. This FSO signal is converted to the electrical domain and passed to network node 102b for onward transmission to a network node on building 101c.
The active components present in each network node 102 to provide the appropriate electrical conversion of the signal can increase the cost of implementing FSO network 100. Furthermore, the FSO network is not fully transparent to the client signals due to the conversion of the optical FSO signals to and from the electrical domain, which is disadvantageous from a security and synchronization perspective.
Non-line-of-sight FSO network nodes may be connected by intermediate FSO repeaters. For example, referring again to
The paper entitled “EDFA-Based All-Optical Relaying in Free-Space Optical Systems,” by E. Bayaki, D. S. Michalopoulos and R. Schober, in IEEE Transactions on Communications, vol. 60, no. 12, pp. 3797-3807, December 2012 describes a technique by which link failures in an FSO network can be mitigated. The paper describes that protection against a link failure is provided by space switching an FSO signal to a different FSO repeater, which is in the line of sight of the transmitting network node. This solution requires dedicating bandwidth and energy resources to signals that pass through a repeater because they are destined to a remote FSO terminal, where the signal at the repeater may also need to be converted into the electrical domain for processing.
Examples according to the present disclosure therefore aim to provide an FSO network node, a method and an FSO network that at least partially address one or more of the challenges discussed above.
According to a first aspect there is provided a free space optic (FSO) network node that comprises a first receiving module configured to receive a first FSO signal comprising a first set of multiplexed wavelengths from a first direction and a second receiving module configured to receive a second FSO signal comprising a second set of multiplexed wavelengths from a second direction. The FSO network node further comprises a first wavelength selective device configured to drop a first subset of wavelengths from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths and a second wavelength selective device configured to drop a second subset of wavelengths from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths.
According to a second aspect there is provided a method performed by a FSO network node according to the first aspect. The method comprises monitoring the first subset of wavelengths received at the first receiving module; monitoring the second subset of wavelengths received at the second receiving module; blocking, using the first wavelength selective device, a third subset of wavelengths from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the second subset of wavelengths dropped by the second wavelength selective device; and blocking, using the second wavelength selective device, a fourth subset of wavelengths from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the first subset of wavelengths dropped by the first wavelength selective device.
According to a third aspect there is provided a FSO network node that comprises a first receiving module configured to receive a first FSO signal comprising a first set of multiplexed wavelengths from a first direction and a second receiving module configured to receive a second FSO signal from a second direction comprising a second set of multiplexed wavelengths. The FSO network node further comprises a first optical coupling module configured to act on the first FSO signal, and configurable to add a first subset of wavelengths to the first set of multiplexed wavelengths to form an adapted first FSO signal and a second optical coupling module configured to act on the second FSO signal, and configurable to add a second subset of wavelengths to the second set of multiplexed wavelengths to form an adapted second FSO signal. The FSO network node further comprises a first transmitting module configured to transmit the adapted first FSO signal in the first direction and a second transmitting module configured to transmit the adapted second FSO signal in the second direction.
According to a fourth aspect there is provided a FSO ring network that comprises at least one master node comprising the FSO node of the first aspect; and at least one slave node comprising the FSO node of the third aspect.
For a better understanding of the present disclosure, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the following drawings in which:
Known FSO systems, for example, those specified above in Table 1, operate at 1550 nm, which is in the same wavelength range used in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems, conventionally implemented in optical fibres. As FSO networks can operate over a similar wavelength range to WDM optical fibre systems, this can lead to the possibility that WDM technology can be implemented in FSO systems as a method to support spatial and frequency diversity in the FSO links. In particular, the possibility of passing signals from node to node in the optical domain, without terminating and processing the corresponding electrical signal, would give great benefits in terms of cost and available bandwidth.
The present application thus relates to an FSO network which utilizes wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology in the transmission of FSO signals between nodes in the FSO network. By utilizing WDM technology, wavelengths may be added to, or dropped from, an FSO signal comprising multiplexed wavelengths at an FSO network node in the optical domain, thus avoiding the optical-to-electrical-to-optical conversion that occurs at nodes in conventional FSO networks. Each FSO network node may therefore comprise one or more optical wavelength selective devices operable to add, drop or pass wavelengths of an FSO signal. In some examples, one or more nodes of the FSO network may thus effectively act as reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs), which can act on FSO signals.
In one example, the FSO network is a ring FSO network comprising at least one master node and at least one slave node. In such a network configuration, the slave node may be configured to transmit wavelengths in both directions around the ring network, which may comprise a first FSO signal travelling in one direction and a second FSO signal travelling in the opposite direction. Additional slave nodes in the FSO ring network may add additional wavelengths to the first or second FSO signals using their respective wavelength selective devices. The master node may thus comprise a first receiving module configured to receive the first FSO signal and a second receiving module configured to receive the second FSO signal.
The master node may further comprise a first and a second wavelength selective device configured to drop a subset of wavelengths from the first and second FSO signals, respectively. In one example, the master node may be configured to drop wavelengths received on either the first or second receiving module, and transmit these dropped wavelengths to a processing module at the master node or to a network node (e.g. in the core network) for further processing. In one example, the master node may receive a first wavelength at the first receiving module and the same first wavelength on the second receiving module. If both wavelengths were dropped together for further processing, this may cause interference as they are using the same wavelength for transmission. Therefore, in some examples, a wavelength first received at the first receiving module may be dropped by the first wavelength selective device, of the master node, for further processing and the same wavelength received at the second receiving module may be blocked by the second wavelength selective device such that it is not dropped for further processing. In this way, the interference that may be caused by processing the same wavelength may be avoided.
FSO network node 200 further comprises a first wavelength selective device 220a configured to drop a first subset of wavelengths from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths and a second wavelength selective device 220b configured to drop a second subset of wavelengths from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths. In examples according to the present disclosure, a ‘subset of wavelengths’ may comprise one or more wavelengths. In some examples, the first set of multiplexed wavelengths and the second set of multiplexed wavelengths may each comprise the same set of wavelengths and an aggregate of the first subset of wavelengths and the second subset of wavelengths may comprise each wavelength of the set of wavelengths. In some examples, the first wavelength selective device 220a comprises a first wavelength selective switch (WSS) and the second wavelength selective device 220b comprises a second WSS. In some examples, the first and second WSS may comprise electrochromic or micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) components.
The FSO network node 300 further comprises a first wavelength selective device 320a configured to act on the first FSO signal, and configurable to add a subset of wavelengths to the first set of multiplexed wavelengths to form an adapted first FSO signal and a second wavelength selective device 320b configured to act on the second FSO signal, and configurable to add a subset of wavelengths to the second set of multiplexed wavelengths to form an adapted second FSO signal. In some examples, the first wavelength selective device and the second wavelength selective device may comprise a splitter or a filter.
The FSO network node 300 further comprises a first transmitting module 330a configured to transmit the adapted first FSO signal and a second transmitting module 330b configured to transmit the adapted second FSO signal.
In some examples, the first wavelength selective device 320a may be further configurable to drop a subset of wavelengths from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths to form the adapted first FSO signal and the second wavelength selective device 320b may be further configurable to drop a subset of wavelengths from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths to form the adapted second FSO signal. In some examples, the first wavelength selective device 320a and the second wavelength selective device 320b may comprise a splitter or a filter configured to drop the subset of wavelengths from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths and to drop the subset of wavelengths from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths, respectively.
In some examples, the FSO node 300 may be configured in a ring network, such that the first receiving module 310a may be configured to receive the first FSO signal from a first adjacent FSO network node and the second receiving module 310b may be configured to receive the second FSO signal from a second adjacent FSO ring network node. The first transmitting module 330a may be configured to transmit the adapted first FSO signal to the second adjacent FSO ring network node and the second transmitting module 330b may be configured to transmit the adapted second FSO signal to the first adjacent FSO network node. The ring network may comprise a hub node, such as FSO network node 200, and one or more slave nodes, such as FSO network nodes 300. The FSO network node 300 is not configured to block a wavelength. The FSO network node 200, comprises the functionality to block one or more wavelengths.
In some examples, master node 410 may comprise an FSO network node 200 described above with respect to
First, second and third slave nodes 420a-c are configured to transmit FSO signals in both directions around the ring network 400. For example, first slave node 420a may transmit a first FSO signal in a clockwise direction around FSO network 400 and a second FSO signal in an anti-clockwise direction around the FSO network 400. Second slave node 420b and third slave node 420 may be configured to act on an FSO signal, to add a subset of wavelengths to the FSO signal to form an adapted FSO signal. For example, second slave node 420b may act on the second FSO signal transmitted by first slave node 420a to add a subset of wavelengths to form an adapted second FSO signal and transmit the adapted second FSO signal to the third slave node 420c. Third slave node 420c may further be configured to add a further subset of wavelengths to the adapted second FSO signal and transmit the further adapted second FSO signal to the master node 410. It will therefore be appreciated that first, second or third slave nodes may be further configured to pass wavelengths, which are present in the FSO signals during the operation to add wavelengths to the FSO signals. In another example, first, second or third slave nodes may not add any wavelengths to a FSO signals and may instead simply pass the FSO signal and therefore the wavelengths present in the FSO signal.
As will be described in more detail below, in order to increase link reliability in FSO network 400, each slave node 420a-c may be configured to add the same subset of wavelengths to the FSO signals transmitted in each direction around the FSO network 400. For example, first slave node 420a may add the same subset of wavelengths to the first FSO signal transmitted in the clockwise direction and the second FSO signal transmitted in the anti-clockwise direction. Second slave node 420b and third slave node 420 may be configured to perform a corresponding operation and, as such, master node 410 may be configured to receive all wavelengths transmitted by the first, second and third slave nodes 420a-c travelling in both directions around the FSO network 400.
Therefore, master node 410 may be configured to receive a first FSO signal, for example from the clockwise direction, and receive a second FSO signal, for example from the anti-clockwise direction. Thus, in some examples, an FSO network node may be configured in a ring network and a first receiving module of the FSO network node may receive the first FSO signal from a first adjacent FSO ring network node, and a second receiving module of the FSO network node may receive the second FSO signal from a second adjacent FSO ring network node.
It will be appreciated that master node 410 may receive all wavelengths transmitted from the first, second and third slave nodes 420a-c in both directions. However, due to the locations of the slave nodes 420a-c, the links between the slave nodes 420a-c and the links between the slave nodes 420a-c and the master node 410, one wavelength received from one direction at the master node 410 may be received at the same or a similar time as (but out of synchronization with) the same wavelength received from the opposite direction.
For example, first slave node 420a may be configured to add a wavelength to a first FSO signal transmitted from the first slave node 420a in the clockwise direction and add the same wavelength to a second FSO signal transmitted from the first slave node 420a travelling in the anti-clockwise direction. Due to the location of the first slave node 420a, the first FSO signal may be received at the master node 410 before the second FSO signal, due to the increased distance that the second signal needs to travel to reach the master node 410. In some examples, if the wavelength received in the first FSO signal and the same wavelength received in the second FSO signal were both dropped for further processing by the master node 410, this may cause interference.
Therefore, in some examples, master node 410 may be configured to drop a wavelength received from either direction and block the corresponding wavelength subsequently received from the other direction. As described above, master node 410 may comprise first and second wavelength selective devices configured to perform the drop and block operations. The dropped wavelength may thus be transmitted to, for example, a component within the master node, another network node, e.g. in the radio access network, or the core network for further processing, whereas the blocked wavelength may not be transmitted for further processing. For example, the blocked wavelength may be terminated by directing the blocked wavelength to a module where the blocked wavelength is not transmitted to a photodiode configured to receive the dropped wavelengths. In this way, interference due to the processing of corresponding wavelengths may be at least partly mitigated.
Thus, in some examples, the first wavelength selective device may be configured to block a third subset of wavelengths from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the second subset of wavelengths dropped by the second wavelength selective device and the second wavelength selective device may be configured to block a fourth subset of wavelengths from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the first subset of wavelengths dropped by the first wavelength selective device.
In the example illustrated in
For example, one master node may be configured to drop and block the wavelengths added by first slave node 420a and a second master node may be configured to drop and block the wavelengths added by second slave node 420b. In such examples, the first master node may be configured to pass the wavelengths added to FSO signals by the second slave node 420b, as these may be dropped and blocked by the second master node. The second master node may thus be configured to pass wavelengths added to FSO signals by the first slave node 420a, as these may be dropped and blocked by the first master node.
Therefore, a wavelength selective device of a master node may be configured to drop or block a wavelength depending on the time at which a wavelength is received at the master node. A wavelength selective device of a master node may be further configured to pass a wavelength, which the master node is not configured to drop or block.
As described above, reliability of FSO network links has limited the use of FSO network technology. Examples according to the present disclosure may thus increase the reliability of transmissions in an FSO network being received at their intended node.
As described above, master node 410 may be configured to receive a wavelength transmitted from a slave node travelling in both the clockwise and anti-clockwise directions around the FSO ring network 400. The master node 410 may be further configured to drop the wavelength received from one direction for further processing and block the corresponding wavelength subsequently received at the master node 410 from the opposite direction.
For example, a wavelength may first be received from the clockwise direction and dropped for further processing, whereas the corresponding wavelength subsequently received from the anti-clockwise direction may be blocked. However, in some examples, a line-of-sight (LOS) blockage or link failure may occur in one of the FSO links. For example, an LOS blockage may occur between the first network node 420a and the master node 410. In such examples, a first signal transmitted by the first slave node 420a in the clockwise direction may not be received at the master node 410.
In some examples, master node 410 may thus comprise a controller configured to monitor a first subset of wavelengths received at the first receiving module. Responsive to the first receiving module not receiving at least one first wavelength of the first subset of wavelengths, the controller is configured to: control the first wavelength selective device to block the at least one first wavelength; and control the second wavelength selective device to drop a wavelength from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the at least one first wavelength. In some examples, the controller may be further configured to: monitor the second subset of wavelengths received at the second receiving module. Responsive to the second receiving module not receiving at least one second wavelength of the second subset of wavelengths, the controller may be configured to: control the second wavelength selective device to block the at least one second wavelength and control the first wavelength selective device to drop a wavelength from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the at least one second wavelength.
For example, the first receiving module may be configured to receive wavelengths travelling to the master node 410 in the clockwise direction. The first receiving module not detecting a wavelength may be indicative of a LOS blockage or other link failure occurring in the clockwise direction towards master node 410. As the master node may also receive the corresponding wavelength from the anti-clockwise direction, the master node may thus drop the wavelength received from the anti-clockwise direction for further processing. In this way, reliability issues associated with link failures that may occur in FSO network 400 may be at least partly mitigated.
In some examples, responsive to the LOS blockage or FSO link failure being removed, a wavelength may again be received at the master node 410 travelling from the clockwise direction before the corresponding wavelength travelling in the anti-clockwise direction. As such, the controller may effectively toggle the first and second wavelength selective devices such that the wavelength first received from the clockwise direction is dropped for further processing and the wavelength subsequently received from the anti-clockwise direction is blocked.
As illustrated in
For example, the master node 410 may drop one wavelength received from the clockwise direction. The master node 410 may thus be configured to transmit an FSO signal in the anti-clockwise direction in response to the dropped wavelength, for example, as a response signal from the core network. As the wavelength may have been first received from one direction, the master node may thus determine that sending a response signal back in the direction from which the wavelength was received may enable the signal to reach the appropriate slave node with lower latency than transmitting the response signal in the same direction again.
The master node 410 may thus be configured to drop a first subset of wavelengths received in a first FSO signal, for example from the clockwise direction from a first adjacent FSO node, and drop a second subset of wavelengths received in a second FSO signal, for example, from the anti-clockwise direction from a second adjacent FSO node. Therefore, in some examples, master node 410 may comprise a first transmitting module configured to transmit a third FSO signal comprising a third set of multiplexed wavelengths and a second transmitting module configured to transmit a fourth FSO signal comprising a fourth set of multiplexed wavelengths. The third FSO signal may be transmitted in response to the first FSO signal and the third set of multiplexed wavelengths may be associated with the first set of multiplexed wavelengths and the fourth FSO signal may be transmitted in response to the second FSO signal and the fourth set of multiplexed wavelengths may be associated with the second set of multiplexed wavelengths. In some examples, the first transmitting module may be configured to transmit the third FSO signal to the first adjacent FSO ring network node, which transmitted the first FSO signal and the second transmitting module may be configured to transmit the fourth FSO signal, to the second adjacent FSO ring network node, which transmitted the second FSO signal.
In some examples, the third set of multiplexed wavelengths may comprise a different set of wavelengths than the first set of multiplexed wavelengths and the fourth set of multiplexed wavelengths may comprise a different set of wavelengths than the second set of multiplexed wavelengths. In such examples, full duplex communication can thus occur over a FSO link. For example, considering the C-band spectrum comprising 96 channels, examples according to the present disclosure may thus provide 48 full duplex channels over an FSO network.
In some examples, the master node 410 may comprise a third wavelength selective device configured to select the third set of multiplexed wavelengths of the third FSO signal and the fourth set of multiplexed wavelengths of the fourth FSO signal. As described above, responsive to a LOS blockage or link failure resulting in a wavelength not being received at a first receiving module of the master node 410, which would have been dropped, the master node is configured to toggle the first and second wavelength selective devices such that the corresponding wavelength received on the second receiving module is dropped for further processing. In a similar manner, responsive to the controller not detecting at least one first wavelength of the first subset of wavelengths, the controller may be further configured to control the third wavelength selective device to remove a wavelength from the third set of multiplexed wavelengths associated with the at least one first wavelength and add a wavelength to the fourth set of multiplexed wavelengths associated with the at least one first wavelength. In some examples, responsive to the controller not detecting at least one second wavelength of the second subset of wavelengths of a second FSO signal, the controller may be further configured to control the third wavelength selective device to remove a wavelength from the fourth set of multiplexed wavelengths associated with the at least one second wavelength and add a wavelength to the third set of multiplexed wavelengths associated with the at least one first wavelength.
A wavelength transmitted by, for example, first slave node 420a, not being received at the first receiving module may be indicative that a LOS blockage or link failure has occurred in the clockwise direction around the network. As such, a corresponding wavelength transmitted from the master node 410 on the same link in the anti-clockwise direction may not be reliably received by first slave node 420a. In some examples the master node 410 may therefore be configured to add the wavelength, for transmission to the first slave node 420a, to the fourth signal transmitted in the clockwise direction around the network, as this direction of transmission may be more reliable than the anti-clockwise direction of transmission. The master node 410 may thus, at the same time, remove the corresponding wavelength from the third FSO signal transmitted in the anti-clockwise direction, as this may be a redundant transmission wasting network resources. In some examples, if the corresponding wavelength were also transmitted in the third signal, this wavelength may be received at, for example first slave node 420a, in addition to the wavelength of the fourth signal, which may thus cause interference at first slave node 420a.
FSO network node 500 comprises a first and second collimating modules configured to collimate FSO signals comprising a set of multiplexed wavelengths to downstream modules. In the illustrated example of
Active FSO network node 500 further comprises a first beam splitter 504a and a second beam splitter 504b configured to receive FSO signals from first collimating lens 502a and second collimating lens 502b, respectively. Active FSO network node 500 further comprises a first optical amplifier 506a which is configured to receive, for example, a first FSO signal from first beam splitter 504a and a second optical amplifier 506b configured to receive, for example a second FSO signal from second beam splitter 506b.
As described above, a node of an FSO network may comprise first and second receiving modules configured to receive FSO signals. In some examples, the first receiving module may comprise a first collimating module, such as first collimating lens 502a and the second receiving module may comprise a second collimating module, such as, second collimating lens 502b. In other examples, the first receiving module may comprise the first collimating module, first beam splitter 504a and first optical amplifier 506a and the second receiving module may comprise the second collimating module, second beam splitter 504b and second optical amplifier 506b. In examples according to the present disclosure, a receiving module may thus comprise a module comprised of a single element or multiple elements that may be configured to receive a FSO signal comprising a plurality of multiplexed wavelengths and transmit the FSO signal to downstream modules to carry out at least some processing of the FSO signal in the optical domain.
Active FSO network node 500 further comprises a first wavelength selective device, which in the illustrated example of
Active FSO network node 500 further comprises third optical amplifier 514a configured to receive the FSO signal output from first 2:1 coupler 512a, which in some examples may comprise an adapted FSO signal. Third optical amplifier 514a is thus configured to amplify an FSO signal and transmit the amplified FSO signal to second collimating lens 502b via second beam splitter 504b. Second collimating lens 502b is thus further configured to transmit the FSO signal to an FSO network node.
As described above, active FSO network node 500 further comprises a second optical amplifier 506b configured to receive, for example, a second FSO signal comprising a second set of multiplexed wavelengths from the second collimating lens 502b. Second optical amplifier 506b is further configured to transmit the amplified second FSO signal to a second wavelength selective device, which n the example of
Active FSO network node 500 further comprises fourth optical amplifier 514b configured to amplify the FSO signal output from second 2:1 coupler 512b. The amplified FSO signal is transmitted to first collimating lens 502a via first beam splitter 504a. First collimating lens 502a is thus further configured to transmit an FSO signal to an FSO network node.
As described above, a node of an FSO network may comprise first and second transmitting modules configured to transmit FSO signals. In some examples, the first transmitting module may comprise the first collimating lens 502a and the second transmitting module may comprise the second collimating lens 502b. In other examples, the first transmitting module may comprise first collimating lens 502a, first beam splitter 504a and fourth optical amplifier 514b and the second transmitting module may comprise second collimating lens 502b, second beam splitter 504b and third optical amplifier 514a. In examples according to the present disclosure, a transmitting module may thus comprise a module comprised of a single element or multiple elements that may be configured to receive a FSO signal comprising a plurality of multiplexed wavelengths and transmit the FSO signal to another FSO network node over an FSO link.
Active FSO network node 500 further comprises third 2:1 optical coupler 520, which as will be described in more detail below communicates dropped wavelengths to first waveguide grating (AWG) 522, which may be further configured to transmit dropped wavelengths for further processing. Active FSO network node 500 further comprises a third wavelength selective device, which in the example of
In one example, active FSO network node 500 comprises an active slave node, which may thus be configured to provide at least some of the functionality of any of slave nodes 420a-c described above with respect to
In such examples, first collimating lens 502a may receive a first FSO signal, comprising a first set of multiplexed wavelengths, from a first adjacent network node. The first FSO signal is transmitted to first optical amplifier 506a via first beam splitter 504a. First optical amplifier 506a is configured to amplify the first FSO signal, which is subsequently transmitted to first A-WSS 510a. First A-WSS may be configured to drop a first subset of wavelengths from the first FSO signal and the dropped wavelengths are transmitted to second 2:1 coupler 520. First A-WSS 510a may be further configured to pass at least some wavelengths of the first FSO signal, which are not part of the subsets of wavelengths which are dropped.
Third A-WSS 524 receives wavelengths from second AWG 525 to be added to the first FSO signal. First 2:1 optical coupler 512a may thus receive the wavelengths to be added from the third A-WSS 524 and adds the wavelengths to the first FSO signal. Thus, in some examples, the operation of first A-WSS 510a, first 2:1 coupler 512a and third A-WSS 524, may act on the first FSO signal to add, drop or pass a subset of wavelengths from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths to form an adapted first FSO signal.
The third optical amplifier 514a may thus amplify the adapted first FSO signal for transmission to, for example, a second adjacent FSO network node via second collimating lens 502b.
In a similar manner, a second FSO signal comprising a second set of multiplexed wavelengths may be received at second collimating 502b from the second adjacent FSO network node. The second FSO signal may thus be amplified by second optical amplifier 506b. Second A-WSS 510b, second 2:1 coupler 512b and third A-WSS 524, may act on the second FSO signal to add, drop or pass a subset of wavelengths from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths to form an adapted second FSO signal, in a similar manner to the first FSO signal, described above.
The fourth optical amplifier 514b may thus amplify the second adapted FSO signal for transmission to, for example, a first adjacent FSO network node via first collimating lens 501b.
Thus, when active FSO node 500 is configured as a slave node, active FSO node 500 may be configured to receive, adapt and transmit FSO signals in the optical domain and avoid optical-to-electrical-to-optical conversion of a signal.
In another example, active FSO network node 500 comprises an active master node, which may thus be configured to provide at least some of the functionality of master node 410 described above with respect to
In such examples, first collimating lens 502a may receive a first FSO signal comprising a first set of multiplexed wavelengths from a first adjacent network node. The first FSO signal is transmitted to first optical amplifier 506a via first beam splitter 504a. First optical amplifier 506a is configured to amplify the first FSO signal, which is subsequently transmitted to first A-WSS 510a. In a similar manner, second collimating lens 502b may receive a second FSO signal comprising a second set of multiplexed wavelengths from a second adjacent FSO network node. Second optical amplifier 506b is configured to amplify the second FSO signal and transmit the amplified second FSO signal to second A-WSS 510b.
First A-WSS 510a may be configured to drop a first subset of wavelengths from the first FSO signal. The dropped first subset of wavelengths are received at third 2:1 coupler and transmitted to first AWG 522. First A-WSS 510a may be further configured to pass at least some wavelengths from the first FSO signal which are not part of the subset of wavelengths, which are dropped. In a similar manner, second A-WSS 510b may be configured to drop a second subset of wavelengths from the second FSO signal. The dropped second subset of wavelengths are received at third 2:1 coupler and transmitted to first AWG 522. Second A-WSS 510b may be further configured to pass at least some wavelengths from the second FSO signals which are not part of the subset of wavelengths, which are dropped.
Active FSO network node 500 further comprises controller 526, which is configured to monitor the first and second subset of dropped wavelengths received at first AWG 522. To provide loop avoidance, for a given wavelength first received and dropped from either the first or second FSO signal, controller 526 may control first and second A-WSS 510a, 510b, such that a corresponding wavelength subsequently received in the other of the first or second FSO signals is blocked, such that the subsequently received wavelength is not dropped and prevented from reaching first AWG 522. For example, controller 526 may monitor first AWG 522 and determine that a given wavelength was first received in the first FSO signal and dropped by first A-WSS 510a. The controller 526 may thus control second A-WSS 510b such that a corresponding wavelength subsequently received in the second FSO signal is blocked by second A-WSS 510b such that the corresponding wavelength is not dropped to first AWG 522. In this way, loop avoidance may be provided.
In some examples, first A-WSS 510a and second A-WSS 510b may block wavelengths by directing such blocked wavelengths to a wavelength blocker to terminate or absorb the blocked wavelengths such that they are not received at 2:1 coupler 520 and AWG 522. In such examples, first A-WSS 510a and second A-WSS 510b may comprise a wavelength blocker module, which in one example may comprise a liquid crystal. The absorption properties of the liquid crystal may be adapted depending on the wavelengths that are be blocked, dropped or passed by the first A-WSS 510a and second A-WSS 510b. First A-WSS 510a and second A-WSS 510b may thus further comprise a mirror network which may be configured to direct dropped wavelengths to 2:1 coupler 520.
As described above, with reference to
Thus, active FSO node 500 comprises second AWG 525, which may receive wavelengths to be transmitted to slave nodes in the FSO network. Controller 526 is further configured to control the third A-WSS 524 to select and multiplex the wavelengths for transmission via the first or second collimating lens 502a, 502b. Third A-WSS 524 may thus be configured to pass said wavelengths to the first 2:1 coupler 512a or the second 2:1 coupler 512b for transmission via the first or second collimating lens 502a, 502b.
Controller 526 may control the third A-WSS 524 to select and multiplex wavelengths based on the first subset of wavelengths dropped by the first A-WSS 510a and the second subset of wavelengths dropped by the second A-WSS 510b.
For example, controller 526 may monitor the first subset of wavelengths dropped by the first A-WSS 510a and thus received at the first collimating lens 502a. Controller 526 may be further configured to control the third A-WSS 524 to select and multiplex a set of wavelengths for transmission in a response FSO signal to the slave nodes, generated in response to the first subset of wavelengths dropped by the first A-WSS 510a, and transmit said set of wavelengths to the second 2:1 coupler 541b for transmission to a network node via the first collimating lens 502a. In one example, as the dropped first subset of wavelengths may be first received at the first collimating lens 502a, compared to the second collimating lens 502b, the controller 526 may thus determine that the FSO link via the first collimating lens 502a for the dropped first subset of wavelengths has improved latency or is more reliable than the FSO link via the second collimating lens 502b. Thus, controller 526 may operate third A-WSS to select and multiplex wavelengths, generated in response to the dropped first subset of wavelengths, to be transmitted to second 2:1 coupler 512b for transmission to one or more slave nodes via the first collimating lens 502a. In one example, the wavelengths selected and multiplexed for transmission in response to the first subset of dropped wavelengths may be termed a third FSO signal.
In a similar manner, controller 526 may monitor the second subset of wavelengths dropped by the second A-WSS 510b. The controller 526 may thus further be configured to control the third A-WSS 524 to select and multiplex a set of wavelengths for transmission in a response FSO signal to the slave nodes, generated in response to the second subset of wavelengths dropped by the second A-WSS 510a, and transmit said response set of wavelengths to the first 2:1 coupler 512a for transmission to a network node via the second collimating lens 502b. In one example, the wavelengths selected and multiplexed for transmission in response to the second subset of dropped wavelengths may be termed a fourth FSO signal.
As described above, in some examples a LOS blockage or link failure may occur in the FSO network, resulting in a wavelength not being received at the FSO network node 500.
Thus, controller 526 may be configured to monitor the first subset of wavelengths dropped by the first A-WSS 510a and, as such, effectively monitor the first subset of wavelengths received at the first collimating lens 502a. Responsive to the controller 526 determining that at least one first wavelength of the first subset of wavelengths is not being received by the first collimating lens 502a, the controller 526 is configured to control the first A-WSS 510a to block the at least one first wavelength and control the second A-WSS 510b to drop a wavelength from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the at least one first wavelength. In this way, the wavelength no longer being received at first collimating lens 502a, may be received at the second collimating lens 502b and thus may be dropped by the second A-WSS 510b for further processing.
In a similar manner, controller 526 may be further configured to monitor the second subset of wavelengths dropped by the second A-WSS 510b and, as such, effectively monitor the second subset of wavelengths received at the second collimating lens 502b. Responsive to the controller 526 determining that at least one second wavelength of the second subset of wavelengths is not being received by the second collimating lens 502b, the controller 526 is configured to control the second A-WSS 510b to block the at least one second wavelength and control the first A-WSS 510a to drop a wavelength from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the at least one second wavelength.
Responsive to controller 526 determining that at least one wavelength of the first subset of dropped wavelengths or the second subset of dropped wavelengths is not being received at the first or second collimating lens 502a, 502b, the controller 526 may be further configured to adjust the wavelengths selected and multiplexed by the third A-WSS 524.
For example, responsive to the controller 526 not detecting at least one first wavelength of the first subset of wavelengths dropped by the first A-WSS 510a, the controller 526 may be further configured to control the third A-WSS 524 to remove a wavelength associated with the at least one first wavelength from a set of multiplexed wavelengths, for transmission in a response FSO signal, transmitted to the second 2:1 coupler 512b for transmission via the first collimating lens 502a, and add a wavelength associated with the at least one first wavelength to a set of multiplexed wavelengths, for transmission in a response FSO signal, transmitted to the first 2:1 coupler 512a for transmission via the second collimating lens 502b.
A wavelength not being received at, for example, the first collimating lens 502a may be indicative of a LOS blockage or link failure in the FSO network via the first collimating lens 502a. Therefore, responsive to a wavelength not being received at the first collimating lens 502a, controller 526 may be configured to control third A-WSS 524 to add a wavelength, for transmission in a response FSO signal, to a set of wavelengths to be transmitted via the second collimating lens 502b as the FOS link provided by the second collimating lens 502b may be more reliable than the first collimating lens 502a, in some examples. Controller 526 may thus further control the third A-WSS 524 to remove a wavelength from a set of wavelengths, for transmission in a response FSO signal, via first collimating lens 502a, as transmission of the wavelength via the first collimating lens 502a and the second collimating lens 502 may cause interference at a slave node configured to receive (i.e. drop) the wavelength.
In a similar manner, responsive to the controller 526 not detecting at least one second wavelength of the second subset of wavelengths dropped by the second A-WSS 510b, the controller 526 may be further configured to control the third A-WSS 524 to remove a wavelength associated with the at least one second wavelength from a set of multiplexed wavelengths transmitted to the first 2:1 coupler 512a for transmission via the second collimating lens 502b, and add a wavelength corresponding to the at least one second wavelength to a set of multiplexed wavelengths transmitted to the second 2:1 coupler 512b for transmission via the first collimating lens 502a.
As described above, controller 526 may thus be configured to toggle the wavelengths dropped or blocked by first A-WSS 510a and second A-WSS 510b, and toggle the wavelengths selected for transmission via the first collimating lens 502a and second collimating lens 502b by third A-WSS 524, responsive to a wavelength not being received at either of first collimating lens 502a or second collimating lens 502b by monitoring the wavelengths dropped by first A-WSS 510a or second A-WSS 510b. In some examples, this control of the first A-WSS 510a, second A-WSS 510b and third A-WSS 524 by controller 526 may be termed a ‘lambda interlocking’ mechanism in which the operations of first A-WSS 510a, second A-WSS 510b and third A-WSS are controlled based on monitoring the wavelengths dropped by the first A-WSS 510a and the second A-WSS 510b.
Active FSO node 500 further comprises first optical power distribution (PD) monitoring module 528a and first optical tracking system 530a. First optical PD monitoring module 528a and first optical tracking system 530a may be configured to adjust the alignment and positioning of first collimating lens 502a, for example, to help ensure that an FSO signal is received at the centre of the first collimating lens 502a, such that the FSO signal is received with the maximum possible optical power. Active FSO node 500 further comprises second optical PD monitoring module 528b and second optical tracking system 530b. In a similar manner to first optical PD monitoring module 528a and first optical tracking system 530a, second optical PD monitoring module 528b and second optical tracking system 530b may be configured to adjust the alignment and positioning of second collimating lens 502b.
Passive FSO network node 600 further comprises a number of elements in common with active FSO network node 500, which are labelled with corresponding reference numerals. Elements present in passive FSO network node 600, which are also present in active FSO network node 500 may operate in substantially the same way as described above with reference to
In one example, first collimating lens 502a may be configured to receive a first FSO signal and second collimating lens 502b may be configured to receive a second FSO signal. Passive node 600 may thus comprise a first optical amplifier 506a configured to amplify the first FSO signal and a second optical amplifier 506b configured to amplify the second FSO signal.
Passive node 600 further comprises a first wavelength dropping module which in the illustrated example of
Passive node 600 further comprises a first optical coupling module, which in the illustrated example of
First optical splitter 610a and first 2:1 coupler 612a may thus be configured to act on a first FSO signal comprising a first set of multiplexed wavelengths and configured to add wavelengths to and/or drop wavelengths from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths to form an adapted first FSO signal. The adapted first FSO signal may thus be transmitted by the second collimating lens 502b for transmission to an FSO network node.
Passive node 600 further comprises a second wavelength dropping module, which in the illustrated example of
Passive node 600 further comprises a second optical coupling module, which in the illustrated example of
Second optical splitter 610a and second 2:1 coupler 612b may thus be configured to act on a second FSO signal comprising a second set of multiplexed wavelengths and configured to add wavelengths to and/or drop wavelengths from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths to form an adapted second FSO signal. The adapted second FSO signal may thus be transmitted by the first collimating lens 502a for transmission to an FSO network node.
As described above, passive node 600 may be configured to transmit the same wavelengths in each direction around an FSO ring network. As such, AWG 525 may thus be configured, for example with a bi-splitter prism, to transmit the same wavelengths to first and second 2:1 couplers 612a, 612b, to be added to the adapted first and second FSO signals, respectively. Thus, in some examples, passive node 600 may comprise a splitter configurable to add the subset of wavelengths to the first set of multiplexed wavelengths to form the adapted first FSO signal and configurable to add the subset of wavelengths to the second set of multiplexed wavelengths to form the adapted second FSO signal. Passive node 600 may further comprise a mirror system configured to direct the wavelengths to first and second 2:1 couplers 612a, 612b.
The method 700 comprises, in step 710, monitoring the first subset of wavelengths received at the first receiving module and, in step 720, monitoring the second subset of wavelengths received at the second receiving module. The method 700 further comprises, in step 730, blocking, using the first wavelength selective device, a third subset of wavelengths from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the second subset of wavelengths dropped by the second wavelength selective device and, in step 740, blocking, using the second wavelength selective device, a fourth subset of wavelengths from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the first subset of wavelengths dropped by the first wavelength selective device.
In some examples, the method 700 may further comprise, responsive to not receiving at least one first wavelength of the first subset of wavelengths at the first receiving module, blocking, using the first wavelength selective device, the at least one first wavelength; and dropping, using the second wavelength selective device, a wavelength from the second set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the at least one first wavelength.
In some examples, the method 700 may further comprise responsive to not receiving at least one second wavelength of the second subset of wavelengths at the second receiving module, blocking, using the second wavelength selective device, the at least one second wavelength; and dropping, using the first wavelength selective device, a wavelength from the first set of multiplexed wavelengths corresponding to the at least one second wavelength.
Examples according to the present disclosure thus provide an FSO network comprising FSO network nodes that are configured to add and drop wavelengths from FSO signals solely in the optical domain. This avoids optical-to-electrical-to-optical conversion of the FSO signals at a node, thus improving the efficiency of an FSO network. Due to the functionality to drop and add wavelengths to an FSO signal, examples according to the present disclosure, thus provide asymmetric FSO multicasting over a single protected wavelength.
Examples according to the present disclosure further provide a master FSO network node, which is operable to control first and second wavelength selective devices to provide loop avoidance thus mitigating for interference that may be caused by a loop. The discrete optical components of a master FSO network node according to the present disclosure are configurable to provide loop avoidance, which has traditionally been difficult to configure in integrated optical systems.
The master node, according to examples of the present disclosure, is further configured to improve the reliability of the FSO network by providing a mechanism to switch to an alternative FSO link in the event of a LOS blockage or link failure. In response to not receiving a given wavelength at the master node from one receiving module, the master node is configured to drop a corresponding wavelength received at a second receiving module for further processing. The improved reliability of an FSO network according examples of the present disclosure may thus provide a more versatile FSO network, which may be deployed in future networks, such as 6G networks.
It should be noted that the above-mentioned examples illustrate rather than limit the disclosure, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim, “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality, and a single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several units recited in the claims. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed so as to limit their scope.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/079577 | 10/25/2021 | WO |
