Packet-error rate based power budget for multiple-access WDM networks with subcarrier multiplexed control packets

We present a power budget analysis for wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) optical networks employing subcarrier multiplexing (SCM) for control packets. In packets such networks, the receiver in each node employs two parallel arms for receiving control and data packets. In order to ensure identical transmission quality for both control and data packets, packets we propose to have same packet-error rate (PER) for both of them. This requires a judicious power sharing between the control-arm and the data-arm in a receiver. We present an analytical model to capture this aspect in optical multi-access WDM-SCM networks and examine the relevant power budget issues.