Prototype reconfigurable OADMs emerge

摘要

ptical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs) enable channels to be added or dropped from a group of channels in a DWDM network. Most of the OADMs in operation today are two-, four-, or eight-channel "fixed" devices, meaning they are pre-programmed to add or drop specific wavelengths. Several companies are now developing a new class of OADM, reconfigurables (ROADMs), which will enable automatic provisioning "on the fly" using either software-controlled switching or a tunable-filter mechanism.