Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a control system for use in an optical amplifier includes a plurality of control legs, each operable to receive one of plurality of portions of an optical signal, wherein each of the plurality of portions comprises a different percentage of the optical signal. The system further includes a plurality of registers, each associated with one of the control legs and each operable to store a value proportional to the portion of the optical signal communicated in the associated control leg. The system also includes a controller operable to select one of the values stored in one of the plurality of registers and to scale that value by a scaling factor to generate a scaled value, wherein the scaling factor is determined at least in part by the percentage of the optical signal associated with that value. The controller is operable to generate, based at least in part on the scaled value, a control signal operable to affect the gain of the amplifier.