Patent ID: 7016105
Filing Date: 2006-03-21
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A method of managing a first optical amplification device for a wavelength division multiplex optical fiber transmission system, said first amplification device being disposed to receive a multiplex signal formed of a plurality of channels and comprising a variable optical attenuator and a first optical amplifier connected downstream of said optical attenuator, which method includes the steps of: measuring the power of the signal received at the input of the first amplification device, continuously controlling the gain of said first amplifier as a function of the measured power in accordance with an amplification curve adapted to take account of variations of said measured power caused only by variations in the number of channels present at the input of the first amplification device, determining the optical attenuation AttSpan between the first optical amplification device and a second optical amplification device connected upstream of the first optical amplification device, and satisfying the equation AttSpan+AttVOA=K by controlling the attenuation value AttVOA of said variable optical attenuator, where AttSpan is the attenuation in decibels between said amplification devices, AttVOA is the attenuation in decibels of said optical attenuator of said first optical device, and K is a predetermined constant.