CONFIGURABLE OPTICAL ADD/DROP DEVICE

摘要

An add/drop device is described that allows channels from a multi-channel optical path to be dropped to a device and a new or modified channel to be added to the multi-channel optical path. The device thereby has access to a channel from the multi-channel optical path without having access to all of the channels. In one embodiment, the add/drop device of the invention includ es one or more intermediate ports (330, 340) and a switch (360). The intermedia te ports (330, 340) communicate the channels not dropped by the add/drop device and the switch (360) selectively optically couples the dropped channel eithe r to the device or to be added back into the multi-channel path. The switch al so selectively optically couples the new or modified channel to be added to the multi-channel path. The one or more intermediate ports (330, 340) allow multiple add/drop devices to be optically coupled together to provide a configurable add/drop mechanism.