Patent ID: 8014668

Claim:
A system for measuring chromatic dispersion in a link of an optical network, comprising: a processing unit; a probing-signal generator comprising: at least one laser source for producing a probing optical signal where during each of successive time intervals within a prescribed period said probing optical signal has a predefined wavelength selected from a set of prescribed wavelengths; and an amplitude modulator for intensity modulating said probing optical signal with a periodic tone of a predetermined frequency; a plurality of probing-signal detectors, each detector comprising: a demodulator for detecting segments of said periodic tone during successive time intervals; a circuit for measuring phase differences between said segments; and a transmitter for sending an output of said circuit to said processing unit; wherein said processing unit determines chromatic dispersion between wavelengths corresponding to successive time intervals according to: said phase differences; said set of prescribed wavelengths; and said predetermined frequency.