Nortel Networks Corporation

Ciena Corporation

Northern Telecom Limited

Rockstar Consortium US LP

Ciena Luxembourg S.a.r.l.

Ronald Joseph Gagnon

Kim Bryon Roberts

David Wright Martin

Luca R Diaconescu

Sebastien Gareau

Alan Glen Solheim

Mohammed Ismael Tatar

Mark Stephen Wight

David John Nicholson

Andrew McCarthy

Timothy James Armstrong

James St Harley

Malcolm Betts

Roland A Smith

Eric Maniloff

Paul Allen Bottorff

James A Shields

Manoj Verghese

Roger Carroll

Patrice Brissette

Paul A Smeulders

Blake Toplis

Nazib A Moledina

Yuet C Lee

Andrew Mccarty

Systems and methods for Optical Transport Network (OTN) transmission include an adaptation circuit configured to receive a plurality of signals each from a corresponding optical modem of a plurality of optical modems, wherein each of the plurality of signals was received by the corresponding optical modem, and reassemble the plurality of signals into an Optical Transport Network (OTN) signal.

OTN adaptation for support of subrate granularity and flexibility and for distribution across multiple modem engines

Systems and methods for Optical Transport Network (OTN) transmission include receiving an OTN client signal for transmission via a plurality of line side modems; segmenting the OTN client signal into a plurality of flows; providing the plurality of flows to the plurality of line side modems, wherein the OTN client signal is a single client which is transmitted optically via the plurality of line side modems which are each different line interfaces. The OTN client can be an Optical channel Transport Unit (C=100)&#xd7;n (n=1, 2, 3, . . . ) OTUCn.

Systems and methods for Optical Transport Network (OTN) adaptation to provide sub-rate granularity and distribution include segmenting an OTN signal into N flows of cells with associated identifiers, based on tributary slots of the OTN signal, wherein N&#x2265;0, and wherein the cells do not include unallocated payload from the OTN signal; switching the cells to a scheduler; and scheduling, from the scheduler, the cells for a line side modem.

Bit-transparent muxing of an input signal for transport through an optical communications network is disclosed. A stuffing ratio is based on a line rate of the input signal and a data rate of a fixed length container. A number (NFS) of fixed stuffs is computed based on the stuffing ratio. The input signal and NFS fixed stuffs are inserted into the payload of the container, and the computed number of NFS are stored in the container's overhead. In some embodiments, the container is an overclocked OTU-(OTU+) frame having a line rate of 44.6 Gb/s. This enables bit-transparent mux/demux of four nominal 10 Gig signals having line rates within a range of between 7.6 Gb/s and 10.4 Gb/s, or a single nominal 40 Gig signal having a line rate within a range of between 38.8 Gb/s and 41.6 Gb/s.

Multi-rate transparent MUX for optical communications networks

A high-speed Ethernet using Thin SONET technology as the physical layer carrier makes use the large embedded base of SONET equipment, and is a step forward in integrating WANs, MANs and LANs. The HS Ethernet also takes advantage or current SONET functionality, such as framing, scrambling, integrity, etc. FEC fields are provided in the TOH for achieving a high level of error correction. The HS Ethernet frame comprises a length-type field generated at the PCS sublayer and a HEC field generated at the PMA layer. The frames are routed within a network using the source address, the destination address and a label.

High speed Ethernet based on SONET technology

Bit-transparent muxing of an input signal for transport through an optical communications network is provided. A fixed length container of the optical communications network is defined, which includes an overhead and a payload. A stuffing ratio (&#x3b1;) is based on a line rate of the input signal and a data rate of the container. A number (N) of fixed stuffs is computed based on the stuffing ratio (&#x3b1;). The input signal and Nfixed stuffs are inserted into the payload of the container, and the computed number Nstored in the container's overhead.

Each data lane connected to a FPGA and forming part of a SFI channel may be trained independently to enable the outputs from the FPGA to be aligned. In operation, a known fixed pattern is repeated on each of the data lanes with the exception of the data lane being trained. The short fixed pattern is smaller than an SERDES capture range so that the SERDES may temporarily lock onto the short fixed pattern for all data lanes other than the lane being trained. Training data is then transmitted on the lane being trained and the preskew delay for that lane is adjusted until the receiving component indicates that the lanes are aligned. This process may iterate to find acceptable preskew delay values for all lanes. By training the lanes one at a time and using a short repeating pattern on the untrained lanes, the SERDES may register that the untrained lanes are operating correctly so that the feedback from the SERDES is related only to the lane being trained.

Method and apparatus for aligning multiple outputs of an FPGA

A system for performing Bit Interleaved Parity-8 (BIP-8) computation on large concatenated payloads, in a processing node of an optical communications networks. The BIP-8 computation system comprises storage means associated with each processing strip for allowing the comparison between calculated and transmitted frame error check values to be delayed.

Pointer processing and path BIP-8 computation for large concatenated payloads

A method of transmitting path overhead data between an ingress section and an egress section of a network element is described. A portion of the path overhead data is inserted into one or more predetermined bytes of the transport overhead of the data frame before transmission to the egress section. Consequently, the egress section does not require a pointer processor to retrieve the desired path overhead data. Elimination of the pointer processor results in reduced complexity and cost for the network element. The method can be applied to tandem connection monitoring (TCM) and other processes in which path overhead data are transferred.

Tandem connection monitoring implementing sink functionality on egress without an egress pointer processor

A data processing equipment having an input to receive an input stream of data frames. The data frames contain a repeating trace message, each instance of the trace message being divided in fragments distributed over a series of data frames. The data processing equipment further includes a trace message processor receiving the repeating trace message in the input stream. The trace message processor performs a first action when the input stream carries less than N consecutive anomalous instances of the trace message and a second action different from the first action when the input stream carries N or more consecutive anomalous instances of the trace message.

Data processing equipment with multi-function trace message processor

A synchronizer/de-synchronizer maps continuous format signals of an arbitrary rate into frames of pre-selected single common rate, such as SONET frames, with no bits changed and very little jitter or wander added. In this way, the continuous format signal may be carried transparently as a tributary of a SONET network. Each frame comprises a definite number of fixed stuff bits, including transport overhead bits and reminder fixed stuff bits. A frame also comprises an adjustable number of adaptive stuff bits, resulting from the phase difference between the arbitrary rate and the common rate. A mapping function is performed in a tributary unit shelf of a SONET transport shelf, and the reverse mapping function is performed in a similar way at the far end of a SONET connection. The stuff bits are spread uniformly within the frame.

Mapping arbitrary signals

A serial data stream is mapped through a cross-connect via two or more parallel independent shelves. The serial data stream is split into at least two sub-streams. If the lead frame of a sub-stream contains a concatenation indicator, it is replaced by a valid payload pointer, and a spilt indicator is inserted into the frame. Each of the sub-streams is then mapped through the cross-connect via a respective parallel independent shelf. Finally, the sub-streams are recombined to form an output serial data stream equivalent to the original serial data stream. If the lead frame of a sub-stream contains a split indicator, a concatenation indicator is inserted into the corresponding frame of the output serial data stream to restore the concatenation of the original serial data stream. Otherwise, a payload pointer within the lead frame is replaced by a valid payload pointer in the corresponding frame of the output data stream.

Cross-connection of high bandwidth signal traffic across independent parallel shelves

An OP-N connection is mapped through a communications network between first and second end-nodes via at least one intermediate node. The integrity and validity of the OP-N connection can be determined independently of SONET/SDH lines, sections or paths mapped through the network, and potentially utilizing bandwidth of the OP-N connection. Validation of the OP-N connection can be accomplished by inserting performance monitor (PM) information into a data signal at the first end-node. In some embodiments, the PM information is inserted into an unused portion of the transport overhead (TOH) of a SONET/SDH data signal. At each intermediate node between the first and second end-nodes, the PM information is extracted from the data signal, buffered while the data signal is pointer processed, and the reinserted before forwarding the data signal. Finally, a the second end-point, the PM information is extracted and examined. Multiple levels of OP-N connections are supported, with each level being provided with a respective set of PM information.

Validation of a connection between arbitrary end-nodes in a communications network

A signal processor is adapted for aligning two or more hyper-concatenated data streams, each data stream being conveyed within a respective parallel channel and having substantially equivalent bit and frame rates. The signal processor comprises a respective channel processor for each channel for processing a respective data stream. Each channel processor includes a framer, a memory, an interface, and an output timer. The framer generates a local strobe signal indicative of a timing of incoming frames of the respective data stream. The memory buffers incoming bits of the respective data stream. The interface selectively sends the local strobe signal to, and receives a master strobe signal from, an adjacent channel processor. The output timer controls a timing of outgoing bits of the respective data stream based on a selected one of the local and master strobe signals.

Growing community of inventors

Nepean, Canada

Ronald Joseph Gagnon