Self-stimulation signal detection in an optical transmission system

摘要

In an apparatus and method for troubleshooting a transmission system comprising optical line amplifiers (OA), optical reflections can be detected irrespective if a data signal is present or absent. Each OA is equipped with a self-stimulation signal detection unit for generating a low frequency local code unique to the transmission system and dithering the outgoing signal in a controlled manner with the local code. Each OA attempts to detect its local code in the incoming signal by comparing the energy of the transmitted and received dithers. The presence of the local code in the incoming signal initiates alarms which unequivocally identify the faulted OA. Each OA selects its local code out of a bank of local codes, according to a priority scheme and re-selects its local code in case of conflicts.