Patent ID: 7945158
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A method for evaluating an optical node, the method comprising: providing at least one open loop communication path of the node with a capability by which lasing can occur in the communication path by closing the open loop; generating amplifier spontaneous emission noise in the communication path at a level that establishes lasing in a closed loop portion of the communications path communicating the noise; operating a wavelength selective filter module to selectively pass, one at a time in the communication path, individual ones of a plurality of available selectable channels, until each separate channel has been passed in the communication; and for each channel passed in the communication path, detecting whether lasing has been established by determining whether an aggregate power at an output of the communication path exceeds a predetermined threshold value, to determine whether the optical node is operational, wherein the optical node is determined to be operational, rather than in a failure condition, when the aggregate power is determined to exceed the predetermined threshold value, thereby confirming that lasing has been established, determining an insertion loss by determining a difference between a first aggregate power at a first part of the communication path and a second aggregate power at a second part of the communication path, and automatically determining whether the insertion loss is within a predetermined range of a predetermined insertion loss.