Abstract:
A method of transmitting digital signals over an optical transmission system is described. The method comprises the following steps: generating a signal according to the differential phased shift keying (DPSK) format, forwarding the DPSK signal to an optical delay filter, and using an output signal of the optical delay filter as a signal according to the phase shaped binary transmission (PSBT) format.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a method of transmitting digital signals over an optical transmission system. The invention is based on a priority application EP 04 290 973.9 which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,416 discloses a method of transmitting digital signals over an optical transmission system using phase modulation. To compensate the chromatic disperson produced by a fiber, a phase-shift is applied to the optical signal within each time cell in which the respective binary digit is low and within each time cell that precedes or follows a time cell in which the binary digit is high. This method is known as phase-shaped binary transmission (PSBT) and falls into the category of duobinary non-return-to-zero modulation formats.  
         [0003]     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,416, the phase-shift is generated by an electrical control circuit and an optical phase modulator. The electrical control circuit requires a low-pass filter, e.g. a Bessel filter. The phase modulator may comprise a Mach Zehnder type interferometer.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of transmitting digital signals over an optical transmission system using the phase-shaped binary transmission format of U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,416 and requiring less components compared to the prior art.  
         [0005]     The invention solves this object by a method of transmitting digital signals over an optical transmission system comprising the following steps: generating a signal according to the differential phased shift keying (DPSK) format, forwarding the DPSK signal to an optical delay filter, and using an output signal of the optical delay filter as a signal according to the phase shaped binary transmission (PSBT) format, by an optical transmitter for an optical transmission system for transmitting digital signals comprising: means for generating a signal according to the differential phased shift keying (DPSK) format, an optical delay filter for receiving the DPSK signal and for generating an output signal according to the phase shaped binary transmission (PSBT) format and by an optical transmission system for transmitting digital signals comprising: means for generating a signal according to the differential phased shift keying (DPSK) format, an optical delay filter for receiving the DPSK signal and for generating an output signal according to the phase shaped binary transmission (PSBT) format.  
         [0006]     The invention first generates a signal according to the differential phased shift keying (DPSK) format. Then, this DPSK signal is forwarded to an optical delay filter. And then, the invention uses an output signal of the optical delay filter as a signal according to the phase shaped binary transmission (PSBT) format.  
         [0007]     Compared to the prior art, the invention does not require an electrical low-pass filter or the like. As a result, the invention provides the advantage that the PSBT signal is generated with less components.  
         [0008]     In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the optical delay filter is a Mach Zehnder filter wherein the PSBT signal is provided at a constructive port of the Mach Zehnder filter. Thus, a very effective solution is provided for generating the PSBT signal.  
         [0009]     In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the optical delay filter has a time delay xT, with x being a value between 0.5 and 1.0 and T being the time duration of a time cell of a single binary digit. In particular, in connection with a bit rate of 43.06 GBit/sec, the optical delay filter has a time delay of 0.86T. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     Further features, applications and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention which are shown in the drawings. There, all described and shown features themselves or in any combination represent the subject matter of the invention, independently of their wording in the description or their representation in the drawings and independently of their combination in the claims or the dependencies of the claims.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic block diagram of a first embodiment of a method of transmitting digital signals over an optical transmission system according to the invention, and  FIG. 2  shows a schematic block diagram of a second embodiment of a method of transmitting digital signals over an optical transmission system according to the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     In  FIG. 1 , a signal according to the known, so-called differential phased shift keying (DPSK) format is generated by a block  10 . The block  10  is followed by a block  15 . Both blocks  10 ,  15  may be part of an optical transmitter or an optical transmission system for transmitting digital signals.  
         [0013]     The block  10  comprises a light emitting source  11  for generating an optical signal, and an optical modulator  12  for receiving and influencing the optical signal. Two electrical encoders  13 ,  14  are provided which receive a binary input signal E with a given bit rate, e.g 43.06 GBit/sec, and which influence the optical modulator  12  with their output signals E′, E″.  
         [0014]     The optical modulator  12  outputs an optical signal depending on the signals E′, E″ received from the two encoders  13 ,  14 . In order to generate a signal in the differential phased shift keying format, the two encoders  13 ,  14  comprise the required algorithms. In  FIG. 1 , the two encoders  13 ,  14  work according to a so-called push-pull method. It is mentioned that the two encoders  13 ,  14  may be replaced by a single encoder comprising corresponding algorithms.  
         [0015]     At the output of the optical modulator  12 , a signal according to the differential phased shift keying format is present, i.e. a DPSK signal.  
         [0016]     The block  15  comprises a passive optical delay filter  16 , in particular a Mach Zehnder filter. The optical delay filter  16  receives the output signal of the optical modulator  12 . The two channels of the optical delay filter  16  have a given optical time delay xT, with x being a value between 0.5 and 1.0 and T being the time duration of a time cell of a single binary digit.  
         [0017]     With e.g. the above-mentioned given bit rate of 43.06 GBit/sec and a grid value of 50 GHz according to the ITU standard (ITU=international telecommunication union), the value x is selected to be 0.86, i.e. the time delay between the two channels of the optical delay filter  16  is 0.86T.  
         [0018]     The optical delay filter  16  provides two output ports, a constructive port CP and a destructive port DP. At the constructive port CP of the optical delay filter  16 , a signal according to the phase-shaped binary transmission format of U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,416 is present, i.e. a PSBT signal. At the destructive port, a duobinary return-to-zero signal is generated.  
         [0019]     The PSBT signal of the constructive port CP of the optical delay filter  16  has proved to provide a very good resistance with regard to chromatic dispersion produced by a fiber. The method of generating the afore-mentioned PBST signal has proved to be very effective, in particular it does not require an electrical filter within the encoders  13 ,  14 .  
         [0020]     In  FIG. 2 , a signal according to the differential phased shift keying (DPSK) format is generated several times for different wavelengths λ 1  to λ 2N+1  of the light emitting source  11 . For that purpose, an equal number of identical blocks  10  is provided. With regard to these blocks  10 , reference is made to  FIG. 1  and the above description. The output signals of the number of blocks  10 , i.e. the DPSK signals corresponding to the different wavelengths λ 1  to λ 2N+1 , are multiplexed by two multiplexers  21 ,  22  relating to the two polarizations of the optical signals. The output signals of these two multiplexers  21 ,  22  are forwarded to a block  25  which comprises a passive optical delay filter  26 , in particular a Mach Zehnder filter.  
         [0021]     The optical delay filter  26  of  FIG. 2  is similar to the optical delay filter  16  of  FIG. 1  with the only difference that the optical delay filter  26  of  FIG. 2  receives not only one, but two DPSK signals, i.e. the two output signals of the two multiplexers  21 ,  22 .  
         [0022]     At the constructive port CP of the optical delay filter  26 , a signal according to the phase-shaped binary transmission format of U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,416 is present, i.e. a PSBT signal. The method of generating the afore-mentioned PBST signal for different wavelengths λ 1  to λ 2N+1  of the light emitting source has proved to be very effective, in particular it only requires a single optical delay filter.