Patent ID: 7046429

Claim:
A method of real time control of power per optical channel in a multi-channel optical communication line formed by a group of optical elements connected in a chain by fiber spans, wherein the group of elements comprises one or more optical fiber amplifiers (OFA), and wherein each of the spans is characterized by its span loss, while each of the OFA is characterized by its gain and its designed output power per channel, the method comprises the following steps performed in real time: calculating, for a particular optical amplifier (OFA) in the line, an expected total input power value (EIP), based on a number of parameters stated by a preliminary design of the line, and a number of parameters changeable during operation and including at least up-to-date number of active optical channels (NOC) and up-to-date number of preceding optical amplifiers (NOA) for said OFA, measuring a real total input power (MIP) at said particular optical amplifier, and if a difference between the expected total input power EIP and the real total input power MIP at said particular OFA exceeds a predetermined value, adjusting the gain of said OFA to maintain its output power per channel constant.