Patent ID: 7542653

Claim:
In a mesh node of a WDM optical network, said mesh node having a plurality of optical signal directing input devices, a plurality of optical signal directing output devices, and an optical fiber organizer for interconnecting said plurality of optical signal directing input devices and said plurality of optical signal directing output devices, said optical fiber organizer comprising: a plurality of input ports, each input port connected to one of said plurality of optical signal directing input devices; a plurality of output ports, each output port connected to one of said plurality of optical signal directing output devices and corresponding to one of said plurality of input ports; a plurality of optical paths, each optical path connecting one of said plurality of input ports to one of said plurality of output ports, wherein each optical path is connected between a position on one of said plurality of input ports and one of at least three positions on one of said plurality of output ports; and wherein said optical fiber organizer has no active components.