Dsc Communications Corporation

Fujitsu Corporation

Daniel P Lyon

Stephen A Deschaine

Richard Schroder

E Lawrence Read

Michael J Hanlon

Sharlene C Lin

Gary D Hanson

Sanjay Gera

Catherine Yuan

Vikas Mittal

Systems and methods for identifying a fault location in an optical network are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for identifying a fault location in an optical network comprises monitoring, by a network element, an eastward optical path and a westward optical path for faults. The method further comprises transmitting, by the network element, a first data packet along the eastward path and a second data packet along the westward path. The first and second data packets comprise an eastward fault indicator and a westward fault indicator comprising information associated with any eastward or westward faults occurring on the eastward or westward paths. The fault indicators indicate the existence of an eastward or westward fault and the network element that detected the fault.

Identifying fault locations in a network

In the inbound direction, a tributary processor (32) includes an SPE encoder/decoder for extracting a synchronous payload envelope (SPE) from an STS-1P signal. A path terminator (62) may extract DS3 signals or a matrix payload envelope (MPE) from the STS-1P SPE. A DS1/DS3 extractor (68) generates DS1 signals from either the DS3 or MPE signals. An MPE mapper (70) creates MPE signals from the DS1 signals. A wideband stage interface (74) converts the MPE signals into matrix transport format (MTF) signals for cross-connection in a wideband center stage matrix (22). In the outbound direction, the wideband stage interface (74) receives MTF signals from the wideband center stage matrix (22) and generates MPE signals therefrom. The MPE signals are sent through the MPE mapper (70) in order to extract DS1 signals. The DS1 signals are converted to DS3 signals or another MPE mapping by the DS1/DS3 extractor (68). The path terminator receives DS3 or MPE signals for conversion into an STS-1P SPE. The SPE encoder/decoder creates the STS-1P signals from the STS-1P SPE for transmission to the appropriate interfaced subsystem or network.

Processor device for terminating and creating synchronous transport

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Richardson, TX, United States of America

Daniel P Lyon