Patent ID: 7254341

Claim:
An optical communication system, comprising: a first transponder operable to receive from a multiple span communication link an optical signal and to convert the optical signal into an electrical signal, the optical signal comprising a plurality of optical signal wavelengths, wherein the optical signal experiences at least partial dispersion compensation from an optical dispersion compensating element as it traverses the communication link; an electronic dispersion compensation module coupled to the transponder, the electronic dispersion compensation module operable to provide electronic dispersion compensation to at least a portion of the electrical signal to at least partially compensate for at least a portion of a residual dispersion for which the optical dispersion compensating element did not compensate; and a controller coupled to the electronic dispersion compensation module, the controller operable to generate at least one control signal identifying an amount of residual dispersion in the electrical signal for which the electronic dispersion compensation module did not compensate, to communicate the control signal to the electronic dispersion compensation module, to generate a feedback signal identifying the amount of residual dispersion in the electrical signal for which the electronic dispersion compensation module did not compensate, and to communicate the feedback signal to a second transponder, the second transponder operable to generate the optical signal received by the first transponder based at least in part on the feedback signal, and wherein the electronic dispersion compensation module uses the control signal to post-compensate for the amount of residual dispersion in the optical signal.