Stackable ROADM with optical amplifier for use in IP-over-CWDM networks

A stackable module with a bidirectional CWDM amplifier has been proposed to introduce the optical amplifier into an S-ROADM for use in an IP-over-CWDM ring network, and the performance was evaluated experimentally. Packet transfer changes were monitored during the lightpath reconfigurations, including 2 lightpaths which needed optical amplifications. The result clarified that the lightpaths were reconfigured successfully, including the remote activation of the amplifiers. As a result, the stackable feature of the amplifier module enables us to provide the cost-effective introduction into the network on an implement-it-when-necessary based service in a fully compatible way with the existing stackable ROADM modules, when constructing the S-ROADM with an amplifier. Therefore, the amplifier module can be used in the same way as the ROADM modules to construct the S-ROADM, providing manually adding capability of the amplifier to in-service networks. Thus, the amplifier module has a big advantage to use it flexibly and economically in the IP-over-CWDM networks.