Point to Point CWDM with Pass Band on SONET Ring Application

The goal is to expand the capacity of SONET fiber infrastructure to meet the increasing demand for next-generation Ethernet services. The challenges are to achieve this in the most cost-effective means possible, quickly implement the Ethernet services without interruption to the existing services, and provide future growth potential.

The solution is CWDM Multiplexing. In a typical fiber optic network, data signals are transmitted via 1310nm or 1550nm wavelengths. Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) enables multiple wavelengths to be transmitted over fiber, creating independent and simultaneous data streams of different data rates and network protocols. These wavelengths are combined (multiplexed) at the source end, then separated (de-multiplexed) at the destination end. CWDM wavelengths are also referred to as channels because data from virtually any type of communications protocol and data rates up to 10 Gigabit can be carried over a WDM network, including Ethernet ATM, TDM, SONET, Fibre Channel and Serial. The primary benefit is that the fiber bandwidth capacity is significantly increased, enabling more information to be sent over the existing fiber media.

This example shows two Gigabit point-to-point links connected over a segment of an existing SDH/SONET ring. Two 4-Channel iConverter CWDM/X modules with 1310 Pass Band (PB) ports are inserted into the SDH/SONET ring. The legacy 1310 SDH/SONET traffic continues to pass transparently through the CWDM/X devices unaffected. Two CWDM channels overlay the existing fiber link, creating two new point-to-point Gigabit Ethernet connections over the existing fiber, eliminating the need to install new fiber optic cabling.

This can be deployed in a point-to-point CWDM link as illustrated here, or new channels can traverse the entire ring. For more information on CWDM in SONET ring networks, read a Case Study, or visit the CWDM Resource Center.
Learn more about iConverter CWDM Multiplexers and OADMs