Abstract
The present disclosure relates to analog fault detection in amplified spontaneous emission (ASE)-loaded optical line systems, specifically addressing channel power degradation scenarios that are not detectable by conventional digital methods. The disclosed solution initiates fault detection based on integrated, filtered channel power measurements taken at the line-out location of a section multiplexer (section-mux). These measurements are back-scaled to the corresponding section-mux input and compared against forward-scaled measurements and expected channel input power. By comparing these scaled power values, the solution accurately distinguishes between upstream faults (such as incorrect transmitter frequency tuning, silent pixel failures in wavelength selective switches, or fiber impairments) and downstream faults (such as high attenuation configured within the section-mux itself or fiber degradation between WSS and booster amplifier). This method allows precise identification and isolation of fault conditions, enabling informed decisions about channel replacement with ASE to maintain spectrum integrity, while avoiding unnecessary ASE replacements that could disrupt traffic.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Anonymous, "Analog Channel Fault Detection", Technical Disclosure Commons, (July 09, 2025)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/8335