Feature Issue on
Optical Access Networks (OAN) The passive optical network (PON) is
an optical fiber based network architecture, which can provide much higher bandwidth
in the access network compared to traditional copper-based networks. Incorporating
wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) in a PON allows one to support much higher
bandwidth compared to the standard PON, which operates in the "single-wavelength
mode" where one wavelength is used for upstream transmission and a separate one is
used for downstream transmission. We present a comprehensive review of various
aspects of WDM-PONs proposed in the literature. This includes enabling device
technologies for WDM-PONs and network architectures, as well as the corresponding
protocols and services that may be deployed on a WDM-PON. The WDM-PON will become a
revolutionary and scalable broadband access technology that will provide high
bandwidth to end users.

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Wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical network (WDM-PON) technologies for broadband access: a review (Invited)

The main bandwidth bottleneck in today's networks is in the access segment. To address that bottleneck, broadband fiber access technologies such as passive optical networks (PONs) are an indispensable solution. The industry has selected time-division multiplexing (TDM) for current PON deployments. To satisfy future bandwidth demands, however, next-generation PON systems are being investigated to provide even higher performance. In this paper, we first review current TDM-PONs; we designate them as generation C. Next, we review next-generation PON systems, which we categorize into C+1 and C+2 generations. We expect C+1 systems to provide economic near-term bandwidth upgrade by overlaying new services on current TDM-PONs. For the long term, C+2 systems will provide more dramatic system improvement using wavelength division multiplexing technologies. Some C+2 architectures require new infrastructures and/or equipment, whereas others employ a more evolutionary approach. We also review key enabling components and technologies for C+1 and C+2 generations and point out important topics for future research.

/pdf/next-generation-optical-access-networks-41pmztcn8d.pdf

Next-Generation Optical Access Networks

In this paper, the authors propose a next-generation hybrid WDM/TDM optical access network architecture called Stanford University aCCESS or SUCCESS. This architecture provides practical migration steps from current-generation time-division multiplexing (TDM)-passive optical network (PONs) to future WDM optical access networks. The architecture is backward compatible for users on existing TDM-PONs, while simultaneously capable of providing upgraded high-bandwidth services to new users on DWDM-PONs through advanced WDM techniques. The SUCCESS architecture is based on a collector ring and several distribution stars connecting the CO and the users. A semipassive configuration of the Remote Nodes (RNs) enables protection and restoration, making the network resilient to power failures. A novel design of the OLT and DWDM-PON ONUs minimizes the system cost considerably: 1) tunable lasers and receivers at the OLT are shared by all ONUs on the network to reduce the transceiver count and 2) the fast tunable lasers not only generate downstream data traffic but also provide DWDM-PON ONUs with optical CW bursts for their upstream data transmission. Results from an experimental system testbed support the feasibility of the proposed SUCCESS architecture. Also, simulation results of the first SUCCESS DWDM-PON MAC protocol verify that it can efficiently provide bidirectional transmission between the OLT and ONUs over multiple wavelengths with a small number of tunable transmitters and receivers.

/pdf/success-a-next-generation-hybrid-wdm-tdm-optical-access-sapu9cdf5u.pdf

SUCCESS: a next-generation hybrid WDM/TDM optical access network architecture

WDM EPONs not only allow for cautious pay-as-you-grow upgrades of single-channel TDM EPONs but also avoid linearly increasing polling cycle times for an increasing number of ONUS. In this article, we first provide a comprehensive overview of the state of the art of TDM EPONs and recently reported dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithms, including decentralized scheduling schemes. After reviewing previous work on WDM EPONs, we address the requirements of WDM upgraded EPONs and make recommendations on an evolutionary WDM upgrade at the architecture, protocol, and dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithm levels, taking backward compatibility with MPCP and future-proofness against arbitrary WDM ONU structures into account. We describe and compare online and offline scheduling paradigms for WDM EPONs. Our simulation results indicate that online scheduling can achieve lower delays, especially at high loads. We outline areas of future research on WDM EPONs.

WDM Ethernet passive optical networks

We discuss a wavelength-division-multiplexed-based passive-optical-network (PON) architecture that allows for incremental upgrade from single-channel time-division multiple-access PONs in order to provide higher bandwidth in the access network. Various dynamic-wavelength and bandwidth-allocation algorithms (DWBAs) for wave-division multiplexed PON are presented; they exploit both interchannel and intrachannel statistical multiplexing in order to achieve better performance, especially when the load on various channels is not symmetric. Three variants of the DWBA are presented, and their performance is compared. While the first variant incurs larger idle times (and, hence, poor performance), the other two algorithms achieve better but different performance with critical dissimilarities. Our analysis also focuses on the fair assignment of excessive bandwidth in the upstream direction to highly loaded optical network units. We compare the performance of DWBA to another algorithm that relies on static-channel allocation. Furthermore, a study is presented wherein the number of wavelengths increases, and a comparison with interleaved polling with adaptive cycle time is shown. We use extensive simulations throughout this paper

Dynamic Wavelength and Bandwidth Allocation in Hybrid TDM/WDM EPON Networks

This article proposes and demonstrates a WDM-based access network that directly connects end users over a wide area to the center node and provides guaranteed full-duplex Gigabit Ethernet access services to each of over 100 users. The center node employs an optical carrier supply module that generates not only the optical carriers for the downstream signals but also those for the upstream signals. The latter are supplied to optical network units (ONUs) at users' homes/buildings via the network. Since the ONUs simply modulate the optical carriers supplied from the center node via the network, they are wavelength-independent.

A WDM-based optical access network for wide-area gigabit access services

Cost-reduction in an optical communication unit is achieved by using spectrum-sliced modulated broadband light for transmitting upstream signals, instead of using laser light. An optical communication system includes at least one pair of optical communication units that each has a bi-directional network interface in which physical bit rates of transmission signals and reception signals are identical, an optical transmitter, and an optical receiver, and that performs bi-directional transmissions via at least one optical fiber. One optical communication unit includes a physical bit rate down-converter that lowers the physical bit rate of transmission signals from the bi-directional network interface and outputs to the optical transmitter, and the other optical communication unit includes a physical bit rate up-converter that raises the physical bit rate of signals received by the optical receiver and outputs to the bi-directional network interface. These optical communication units are also applicable to wavelength-division multiplexing systems.

Optical communication system, optical communication unit, and optical transceiving package

This paper presents a detailed study on superdense wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) transmission of spectrum-sliced incoherent light used for a wide-area access network. The transmission performance possible with this approach is evaluated numerically with regard to the following items: the transmission limit due to the chromatic dispersion, optimized signal-to-noise ratio design for the optical spectral width taking into account the adjacent-channel crosstalk, and the nonlinear effect generated by four-wave mixing at around the zero-dispersion wavelength. Superdense WDM transmission is also performed experimentally using 25-GHz channel-spaced, 15-GHz wide, up-to 156-Mb/s signals through up to 120 km of dispersion-shifted fiber.

Super-dense WDM transmission of spectrum-sliced incoherent light for wide-area access network

An optical modulation apparatus is provided which implements a stable amplifying function by reducing the effect of reflected light rays form end faces of a bidirectional optical amplifier by imposing a numerical limitation on the relationship between the gain of the bidirectional optical amplifier and the loss of the optical modulator, or by inserting a polarization rotation section in a reflection type optical modulator including the bidirectional optical amplifier or in a multi-wavelength collective optical modulation system combining the multiple optical modulators. An optical modulation apparatus is provided which implements a stable amplifying function and cost reduction by reducing the effect of reflected light rays by interposing optical isolators at every alternate SOAs in a transmission-type optical modulation apparatus including a plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) connected in a multistage fashion.

Optical modulating device

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To demultiplex multiple wavelength light having bandwidths more than the free spectral range (FSR) of an arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) into individual wavelength channels, and suppress power level deviation between each wavelength channels. SOLUTION: A demultiplexer is constituted of a group demultiplexer 31 which demultiplexes the multiple wavelength light into wavelength groups each having a plurality of wavelength channels, and a plurality of channel demultiplexers 32-1 through 32-m which demultiplex each wavelength group into light containing a plurality of wavelength channels. A multiplexer is constituted of a plurality of channel multiplexers 34-1 through 34-m which multiplex modulation signal light of each wavelength channel on a wavelength group-by-group basis, and a group multiplexer 35 which multiplexes the wavelength-multiplexed signal light in each wavelength group output from each channel multiplexer. The FSR of the group multiplexer/demultiplexer is set more than the bandwidth of the multiple wavelength light. As a channel multiplexer/ demultiplexer, there is employed an AWG of which FSR is approximately full width at half maximum (FWHM) of transmission characteristic of each port in the group multiplexer/demultiplexer.

Koji Akimoto

Papers

A WDM-based optical access network for wide-area gigabit access services

Optical communication system, optical communication unit, and optical transceiving package

Super-dense WDM transmission of spectrum-sliced incoherent light for wide-area access network

Optical modulating device

Multiple-wavelength optical modulation circuit and wavelength-multiplexing optical signal transmission apparatus