Patent ID: 7031615

Claim:
An optical channel analyzing switch for selecting from among a first plurality of channels, comprising: an optical coupler for each of said first plurality of channels to receive an input optical signal and generate a pass-through output optical signal and an analyzable output optical signal; a receiver for each of said first plurality of channels coupled to receive said analyzable output optical signal and to convert said analyzable output optical signal into an analyzable electrical signal; a multiplexor coupled at a plurality of multiplexor inputs to each of said analyzable electrical signals, said multiplexor to select a multiplexor output from one of said analyzable electrical signals; a retimer coupled at said multiplexor output for generating a retimed data signal from said one of said analyzable electrical signals; and a transmitter for converting said retimed data signal such that said retimed data signal approximates said input optical signal and complies with input signal requirements of a network analyzer to which the retimed data signal is to be transmitted wherein said transmitter further compnses a cascade port coupled to said retimed data signal for coupling to a second optical channel analyzing switch having a second plurality of channels, said optical channel analyzing switch capable of multiplexing a channel from among said first plurality of channels and said second plurality of channels for coupling with said network analyzer.