METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING WDM SIGNALS BETWEEN DIFFERENT WDM COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS IN OPTICALLY TRANSPARENT MANNER

摘要

In a WDM optical communication system (400) that includes a plurality of nod es interconnected by optical links (710), a node is provided which includes an optical coupling arrangement having at least one input port for receiving a WDM signal and a plurality of output ports for selectively receiving one or more wavelength components of the WDM optical signal. The optical coupling arrangement is adaptable to reconfigure its operational state to (i) selectively direct any one of the wavelength components from the input port to any of the output ports independently of any other of the wavelength components and (ii) selectively direct any combination of two or more of the wavelength components from the input port to at least two of the output port s. At least one optical WDM interface is optically coupled to a WDM output port . The optical WDM interface is adapted to receive, at different times, a transponder (522-527) and a transmission limk through whihc a WDM signal can be communicated.