Wavelength-Routing Capability of Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers in Dynamic Optical Networks

• Published in: Journal of lightwave technology 2006-11, Vol.24 (11), p.4296-4303
• Main Authors: Tang, J.M., Shore, K.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Add-drop multiplexers; Applied sciences; Arrayed waveguide gratings; Categories; Circuit properties; Dynamic tests; Dynamics; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fiber optic networks; High speed optical techniques; Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Mathematical models; Optical add-drop multiplexers; Optical add/drop multiplexing (OADM); Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical communication; Optical fiber communications; Optical fiber networks; Optical signal processing; Optical switches; Optical switching; Optical telecommunications; photonic network; Switching and signalling; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunication traffic; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teletraffic; Traffic control; Traffic engineering; Traffic flow; Wavelength division multiplexing; wavelength division multiplexing (WDM); wavelength routing
• ISSN: 0733-8724; 1558-2213
• DOI: 10.1109/JLT.2006.883662

According to their underlying switching technologies, reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) can be classified into three categories: Category I consists of a single large optical switch; category II is composed of a number of small optical switches aligned in parallel; and category III has a single optical switch and only one wavelength being added/dropped. To evaluate the wavelength-routing capability of ROADMs of various categories in dynamic optical networks, a theoretical routing-power model is developed, taking into account different ROADM architectures and dynamic traffic. Numerical simulations show that different category ROADMs differ considerably in their wavelength-routing capabilities, which are significantly dependent upon dynamic traffic. It is also observed that among these three ROADM architectures, category I (III) ROADMs offer the greatest (lowest) wavelength-routing capability and the lowest (highest) susceptibility to dynamic traffic. In particular, to maximize the ROADM-based network flexibility and connectivity, a set of practically applicable criteria is identified on designing/choosing optimum ROADMs for given dynamic optical networks