Patent ID: 7257325

Claim:
A system for monitoring multiple optical communications lines, comprising: an optical performance monitor having an input; an optical coupler having an input and an output, the output of the optical coupler directly coupled to the input of the optical performance monitor via an optical line; a first optical switch having an input for receiving a first composite optical signal and an output directly coupled to the optical coupler via a first optical line, the first optical switch having an OPEN position and a CLOSED position; a second optical switch having an input for receiving a second composite optical signal and an output directly coupled to the optical coupler via a second optical line, the second optical switch having an OPEN position and a CLOSED position, wherein one of the optical switches, either the first optical switch or the second optical switch, is in the CLOSED position at any one time; a first optical tap directly coupled to the first optical switch for receiving the first composite optical signal and splitting a portion of the first composite optical signal to the first optical switch; and a second optical tap directly coupled to the second optical switch for receiving the second composite optical signal and splitting a portion of the second composite optical signal to the second optical switch.