Patent ID: 7962036

Claim:
A fiber optic network, comprising: a network module including a star coupler for receiving a signal from each of a number of nodes and outputting a combined signal, including the received signals, to the number of nodes; and the number of nodes optically connected to the network module, the number of nodes each including: a transmit module including a first adjustable optical amplifier and a number of optical emitters; a receive module including a second adjustable optical amplifier and a number of receivers; and a controller coupled to the transmit and receive modules for adjusting the first and second optical amplifiers in response to the combined signal; wherein the controller: diagnoses hard faults and latent faults associated with the fiber optic network; adjusts the first optical amplifier such that a number of channels corresponding to a signal transmitted by the transmit module are at a particular power level; and adjusts the second optical amplifier such that each of a number of channels corresponding to the combined signal are at a particular power level within an operating range of the number of receivers.