Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a receive signal quality of a new subcarrier group in an optical network, including a system in which each leaf node may report a current transmission output power to a hub node when it is determined that a receive signal quality of each of a plurality of subcarrier groups is within a required signal quality margin. A new leaf node may begin transmitting a new subcarrier group at a gradually increasing transmission output power until it reaches the required receive signal quality margin. The new leaf node gradually increases the transmission output power of the new subcarrier group until the hub node determines that any of the plurality of subcarrier groups and the new subcarrier group reached a maximum transmission output power or the signal quality of one or more of the plurality of subcarrier groups and the new subcarrier group begins to degrade.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for optimizing signal quality in an optical network having two or more hub nodes continuously outputting optical signals to a plurality of leaf nodes. Each of the plurality of leaf nodes may receive a combined optical signal from the hub nodes and determine an optical power and a signal quality of one optical subcarrier group and send a correction signal to the hub node that sent the subcarrier group. The hub nodes may send a power optimization request comprising the optical power and signal quality of each subcarrier group to a network controller. The network controller may use the optical power and signal quality to determine a power update for an optical power of the subcarrier group(s) and send the power update to the hub node transmitting the subcarrier group. The hub node may adjust the optical power based on the power update.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for optimizing an optical signal in an optical network having a hub node configured to receive an optical signal comprising a plurality of subcarrier groups each having a signal quality and a transmission output power, including a method that may comprise: determining, a first subcarrier group of the plurality of subcarrier groups with a lowest signal quality lower than a required signal quality margin; determining, a second subcarrier group of the plurality of subcarrier groups that has a highest transmission output power margin, Determining, that the transmission output power margin of the second subcarrier group is above a level needed to increase the lowest signal quality by a required signal quality increase; and sending signals to a first leaf node and a second leaf node causing the first leaf node to swap transmission positions of the first subcarrier group and the second subcarrier group.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides signal management with unequal eye spacing by: determining a dispersion slope of a channel between a transmitter and a receiver based on a temperature of the transmitter and a wavelength used by the transmitter to transmit signals over the channel; determining maximum and minimum powers for transmission over the channel; assigning a plurality of rails to a corresponding plurality of power levels, wherein amplitude differences between adjacent rails of the plurality of rails are based on the dispersion slope and produce a first eye pattern with a first Ratio of Level Mismatch (RLM) less than one; encoding, by the transmitter, data onto a conditioned signal according to the plurality of rails; and transmitting the conditioned signal over the channel, so that the conditioned signal demonstrates a second eye pattern with a second RLM greater than the first RLM when received at the receiver.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides signal management with unequal eye spacing by: determining a dispersion slope of a channel between a transmitter and a receiver based on a temperature of the transmitter and a wavelength used by the transmitter to transmit signals over the channel; determining maximum and minimum powers for transmission over the channel; assigning a plurality of rails to a corresponding plurality of power levels, wherein amplitude differences between adjacent rails of the plurality of rails are based on the dispersion slope and produce a first eye pattern with a first Ratio of Level Mismatch (RLM) less than one; encoding, by the transmitter, data onto a conditioned signal according to the plurality of rails; and transmitting the conditioned signal over the channel, so that the conditioned signal demonstrates a second eye pattern with a second RLM greater than the first RLM when received at the receiver.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides signal management with unequal eye spacing by: sending, from a local transmitter, first and second signals with different first and second known eye patterns to a remote receiver over a channel; sending temperature data of the local transmitter and operating wavelength data of the first and second signals to the remote receiver over the channel; receiving, from the remote receiver, tuning parameters based on a dispersion of the channel based on a first difference between the first known eye pattern as transmitted and as received and a second difference between the second known eye pattern as transmitted and as received; and adjusting transmission rail values used to encode data for transmission over the channel by the local transmitter based on the tuning parameters to produce a conditioned signal for transmission with an unequally spaced eye pattern.

Abstract: A power supply for a pump laser in a distributed Raman amplifier is modulated with a small amount of amplitude modulation. This amplitude modulation transfers to the traffic wavelengths and is detected at a Raman amplifier control system. The Raman amplifier control system decodes the modulation and determines the amount of modulation transferred to the traffic. Given knowledge of the signal level of the modulation that was applied the gain of the distributed Raman amplifier may be determined. The Raman amplifier control system may then control the power supplied to the pump laser to result in a specific gain, thus providing closed loop control.