OPEN PON: Seamless integration between 5G core and optical access networks

Nowadays business and users traffic demands are getting higher and higher, leaving optical fiber as the only reliable solution to meet its demands, and in access networks the dominating technology is Passive Optical Networks (PONs) where currently exists two main families of standards, the GPON (ITU-T standard) and the EPON (IEEE standard). In this work we tackle the latest version oof the GPON family, the NG-PON2. We analyse the Physical Media Dependent (PMD) and Transmission Convergence (TC) layer requirements and what is standardized in each one. We also have a look into the SDN paradigm, which decouples the control and data plane of network equipment concentrating the intellegence and complexity in a centralized controller, the OpenFlow protocol that is one of the main enablers of SDN, since it is the communication protocol betwwen the network devices and the SDN controller, and the SIEPON (IEEE 1904.1) standard which gives interoperability of the transport, service, and control planes in a multi-vendor environment. The introduction of the SDN paradigm in the xPON world is a hot research topic because it would add the total controllability of the PON infrastructure, and the coordination with the SDN-based control plane of the core networks. It would allow a centralized optimization of the different resources managed by the OLTs and a seamless coordination between OLTs and the core network. In the TC layer specifications, of NG-PON2, it is not standardized the bandwidth allocation of the system, we set ourselves to create a simple Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation (DBA) algorithm that would optimize the use of channels and wavelengths. Taking into account the NG-PON2 technology and all its features, the emerging trend to extend SDN to the optical access networks, the multi-vendor adaptation provided by the SIEPON stantdard, and the need to have a platform to develop and test DBA scheduling algorithms made that thecreation and deployment of a fully SIEPON-SDN-NG-PON2 emulation environment became the main goal of this work. To create this environment we employed the use of MikroTiks, where OpenWRT was installed as well as a set of packages that menabled the behaviour of a CPqD switch (or ofsoftswitch13), and the use of Raspberry Pis which maintained its original OS and only required the installation of a sepecific set of tools. The results obtained were quite positive confirming the possibility of not only creating but also testing different DBA scheduling algorithms in the deployed environment and matching the results expected to our created algorithm

Overview of high-speed TDM-PON beyond 50 Gbps per wavelength using digital signal processing [Invited Tutorial]

The recent evolution of passive optical network standards and related research activities for physical layer solutions that achieve bit rates well above 10 Gbps per wavelength (lambda) is discussed. We show that the advancement toward 50, 100, and 200 Gbps/lambda will certainly require a strong introduction of advanced digital signal processing (DSP) technologies for linear, and maybe nonlinear, equalization and for forward error correction. We start by reviewing in detail the current standardization activities in the International Telecommunication Union and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and then we present a comparison of the DSP approaches for traditional direct detection solutions and for future coherent detection approaches. (c) 2022 Optica Publishing Grou

Machine Learning for Multi-Layer Open and Disaggregated Optical Networks

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

A G.984 GPON Exhibiting Multi-Wavelength Protocol Functionalities

A Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) upstream-map frame- format enhancement has been developed to accommodate dynamic multi wavelength (DMW) transmission over splitter-based GPONs. Accordingly network functionality has been supported by means of an algorithm, managing bandwidth allocation among utilised wavelengths in a dynamic two dimensional protocol. Modelling of the performance characteristics of the DMW-GPON topology in OPNET has demonstrated a minimum of 100 Mbit/s bandwidth provision for each of 32 Optical Network Units (ONUs) with a maximum 0.085 s packet delay for the worst performing lower service level agreement (SLA) ONUs

Future PON Data Centre Networks

Significant research efforts have been devoted over the last decade to design efficient data centre networks. However, major concerns are still raised about the power consumption of data centres and its impact on global warming in the first place and on the electricity bill of data centres in the second place. Passive Optical Network (PON) technology with its proven performance in residential access networks can provide energy efficient, high capacity, low cost, scalable, and highly elastic solutions to support connectivity inside modern data centres. Here, we focus on introducing PONs in the architecture of data centres to resolve many issues in current data centre designs such as high cost and high power consumption resulting from the large number of access and aggregation switches needed to interconnect hundreds of thousands of servers. PONs can also overcome the problems of switch oversubscription and unbalanced traffic in data centres where PON architectures and protocols have historically been optimised to deal with these problems and handle bursty traffic efficiently. In this thesis, five novel PON data centre designs are proposed and compared to facilitate intra and inter rack communications. In addition to maximising the use of only passive optical devices, other challenges have to be addressed by these designs including off-loading the inter-rack traffic from the Optical Line Terminal (OLT) switch to avoid undesired power consumption and delays, facilitating multi-path routing, and reducing or eliminating the need for expensive tuneable lasers. The Scalability of the proposed architectures in terms of efficiently accommodating hundreds of thousands of servers is discussed. CAPEX and energy consumption of the proposed architectures are also investigated and savings compared to conventional architectures, such as the Fat-Tree and BCube, are demonstrated. The Routing and Wavelength Assignment (RWA) in intra and inter rack communication and the resource provisioning needed to cater for different applications that can be hosted in data centre are optimised using Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) models to minimise the PON designs power consumption. Furthermore, real-time energy-efficient routing and resource provisioning algorithms are developed. In addition to optimising the power consumption, delay is also considered for the delay sensitive applications that can be hosted in the proposed data centre architectures. To further reduce power consumption and overcome issues related to link oversubscription and multi-path routing, Software Defined Network (SDN) based design is proposed

Photonic devices for next generation fiber-to-the-home access network

It would be unaffordable if the WDM-PON technologies were directly applied for massive deployment. Hence, the potential WDM-PON is to be integrated and improved in order to adapt it for NGPON and the future 5G. The UDWDM-PON can be considered as an ultimate solution for the next-generation access network capable of providing unlimited bandwidth for each user, thanks to the coherent detection. Plenty of scientists have believed that it is crucial to increase the operating speed and maximum reach of WDM-PON, while it has no sense if people achieve them without a ordable cost. In order to apply them cost-effciently, the system should require colorless ONUs and bidirectional systems. It is desired that the whole system use modulators on a low bias consumption, even limit the number of amplifiers. However, for bidirectional transmission the backscattering effects would limit the performance if we want to reuse the carrier from OLT. So, we should design a method to separate the wavelength between upstream and downstream. The traditional UDWDM-PON uses 2 laser at ONU, in this thesis, the single-DFB based ONUs are presented with integrated devices. What is the most plausible configuration? The photonic devices such as RSOA, DEML, FML with advanced configurations are presented in this thesis with different applications. The proposed thesis includes these parts: key devices for WDM-PON and the chirp parameters of these integrated photonic devices are measured, the polarization independent RSOA with different applications is also included, demonstration of dual output DEML with bidirectional coherent UDWDM-PON transmission, mitigating residual AM of DEML for phase modulation, and fast tuning for the UDWDM channel via FML are described.Por sus altos requerimientos técnicos, sería inasumible aplicar las tecnologías WDM-PON directamente para el despliegue masivo de Fiber-to-the-Home de nueva generación. Por lo tanto, el potencial se WDM-PON se debe integrar y mejorar con el fin de adaptarlo para NGPON y el futuro 5G. Hoy dia, operadores, usuarios y científicos, ven crucial augmentar la velocitat de funcionament y el alcance de las redes de acceso PON, si bien no tiene sentido conseguirlo con un coste inasequible. El UDWDM-PON puede considerarse como una solución definitiva para la red de acceso de próxima generación, capaz de proporcionar ancho de banda ilimitado para cada usuario, gracias a la detección coherente, por lo que en esta tesis se aborda su realización con un coste e integración prácticos. Con el fin de aplicarlos de manera rentable, el sistema debería exigir a las ONU que sean idénticas, si láseres preseleccionados o incoloros, y ser bidireccionales. Se desea que el conjunto de moduladores del sistema tengan en un bajo consumo, e incluso limitar el número de amplificadores. Sin embargo, para la transmisión bidireccional los efectos de retrodispersión limitarían el rendimiento si queremos volver a utilizar la portadora generada en la OLT. Por lo tanto, debemos diseñar un método para separar la longitud de onda en las transmisiones de bajada y de retorno del usuario a la central. El tradicional UDWDM-PON utiliza 2 láseres en la ONU; en esta tesis, las ONUs usan dispositivos integrados basados en un sólo DFB. ¿Cuál es la configuración más plausible? Los dispositivos fotónicos como RSOA, DEML, FML con configuraciones avanzadas se presentan en esta tesis con diferentes aplicaciones, que resuelven distintos problemas técnicos. La tesis incluye las siguientes partes: análisis y medida de dispositivos fotónicos clave para WDM-PON con modulación de fase, la independencia a la polarización de RSOA con diferentes aplicaciones, demostración de DEML con doble salida para transmisión bidireccional coherente UDWDM-PON, mitigación de AM residual de DEML para la modulación de fase, y la sintonía rápida de canal de UDWDM a través de FML.Postprint (published version

Data transport over optical fibre for ska using advanced modulation flexible spectrum technology

Flexible Spectrum Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (DWDM) optical fibre networks are next-generation technology for handling extremely high data rates of the kind produced by MeerKAT and SKA.We optimise the flexible spectrum for real-time dynamic channel wavelength assignment, to ensure optimum network performance. We needed to identify and develop novel hardware and dynamic algorithms for these networks to function optimally to perform critical tasks. Such tasks include wavelength assignment, signal routing, network restoration and network protection. The antennas of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) network connect to the correlator and data processor in a simple point-to-point fixed configuration. The connection of the astronomer users to the data processor, however, requires a more complex network architecture. This is because the network has users scattered around South Africa, Africa and the whole world. This calls for upgrade of the classical fixed wavelength spectrum grids, to flexible spectrum grid that has improved capacity, reliable, simple and cost-effectiveness through sharing of network infrastructure. The exponential growth of data traffic in current optical communication networks requires higher capacity for the bandwidth demands at a reduced cost per bit. All-optical signal processing is a promising technique to improve network resource utilisation and resolve wavelength contention associated with the flexible spectrum. Flexible Spectrum Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (DWDM) optical fibre networks are next-generation technology for handling extremely high data rates of the kind produced by MeerKAT and SKA. Each DWDM channel is capable of 10 Gbps transmission rate, which is sliceable into finer flexible grid 12.5 GHz granularity to offer the network elastic spectrum and channel spacing capable of signal routing and wavelength switching for the scalability of aggregate bandwidth. The variable-sized portions of the flexible spectrum assignment to end users at different speeds depend on bandwidth demand, allowing efficient utilisation of the spectrum resources. The entire bandwidth of dynamic optical connections must be contiguously allocated. However, there is an introduction of spectrum fragmentation due to spectrum contiguity related to the optical channels having different width. Thus large traffic demands are likely to experience blocking regardless of available bandwidth. To minimise the congestion and cost-effectively obtain high performance, the optical network must be reconfigurable, achievable by adding wavelength as an extra degree of freedom for effectiveness. This can introduce colourless, directionless and contentionless reconfigurability to route individual wavelengths from fibre to fibre across multiple nodes to avoid wavelength blocking/collisions, increasing the flexibility and capacity of a network. For these networks to function optimally, novel hardware and dynamic algorithms identification and development is a critical task. Such tasks include wavelength assignment, signal routing, network restoration and network protection. In this work, we for the first time to our knowledge proposed a spectrum defragmentation technique through reallocation of the central frequency of the optical transmitter, to increase the probability of finding a sufficient continuous spectrum. This is to improve network resource utilisation, capacity and resolve wavelength contention associated with a flexible spectrum in optical communication networks. The following chapter provides details on a flexible spectrum in optical fibre networks utilising DWDM, optimising transmitter-receivers, advanced modulation formats, coherent detection, reconfigurable optical add and drop multiplexer (ROADM) technology to implement hardware and middleware platforms which address growing bandwidth demands for scalability, flexibility and cost-efficiency. A major attribute is tunable lasers, an essential component for future flexible spectrum with application to wavelength switching, routing, wavelength conversion and ROADM for the multi-node optical network through spectrum flexibility and cost-effective sharing of fibre links, transmitters and receivers. Spectrum slicing into fine granular sub-carriers and assigning several frequency slots to accommodate diverse traffic demands is a viable approach. This work experimentally presents a spectral efficient technique for bandwidth variability, wavelength allocation, routing, defragmentation and wavelength selective switches in the nodes of a network, capable of removing the fixed grid spacing using low cost, high bandwidth, power-efficient and wavelength-tunable vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) transmitter directly modulated with 10 Gbps data. This to ensure that majority of the spectrum utilisation at finer channel spacing, wastage of the spectrum resource as caused by the wavelength continuity constraint reduction and it improves bandwidth utilisation. The technique is flexible in terms of modulation formats and accommodates various formats with spectrally continuous channels, fulfilling the future bandwidth demands with transmissions beyond 100 Gbps per channel while maintaining spectral efficiency

Data transport over optical fibre for ska using advanced modulation flexible spectrum technology

Flexible Spectrum Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (DWDM) optical fibre networks are next-generation technology for handling extremely high data rates of the kind produced by MeerKAT and SKA.We optimise the flexible spectrum for real-time dynamic channel wavelength assignment, to ensure optimum network performance. We needed to identify and develop novel hardware and dynamic algorithms for these networks to function optimally to perform critical tasks. Such tasks include wavelength assignment, signal routing, network restoration and network protection. The antennas of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) network connect to the correlator and data processor in a simple point-to-point fixed configuration. The connection of the astronomer users to the data processor, however, requires a more complex network architecture. This is because the network has users scattered around South Africa, Africa and the whole world. This calls for upgrade of the classical fixed wavelength spectrum grids, to flexible spectrum grid that has improved capacity, reliable, simple and cost-effectiveness through sharing of network infrastructure. The exponential growth of data traffic in current optical communication networks requires higher capacity for the bandwidth demands at a reduced cost per bit. All-optical signal processing is a promising technique to improve network resource utilisation and resolve wavelength contention associated with the flexible spectrum. Flexible Spectrum Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (DWDM) optical fibre networks are next-generation technology for handling extremely high data rates of the kind produced by MeerKAT and SKA. Each DWDM channel is capable of 10 Gbps transmission rate, which is sliceable into finer flexible grid 12.5 GHz granularity to offer the network elastic spectrum and channel spacing capable of signal routing and wavelength switching for the scalability of aggregate bandwidth. The variable-sized portions of the flexible spectrum assignment to end users at different speeds depend on bandwidth demand, allowing efficient utilisation of the spectrum resources. The entire bandwidth of dynamic optical connections must be contiguously allocated. However, there is an introduction of spectrum fragmentation due to spectrum contiguity related to the optical channels having different width. Thus large traffic demands are likely to experience blocking regardless of available bandwidth. To minimise the congestion and cost-effectively obtain high performance, the optical network must be reconfigurable, achievable by adding wavelength as an extra degree of freedom for effectiveness. This can introduce colourless, directionless and contentionless reconfigurability to route individual wavelengths from fibre to fibre across multiple nodes to avoid wavelength blocking/collisions, increasing the flexibility and capacity of a network. For these networks to function optimally, novel hardware and dynamic algorithms identification and development is a critical task. Such tasks include wavelength assignment, signal routing, network restoration and network protection. In this work, we for the first time to our knowledge proposed a spectrum defragmentation technique through reallocation of the central frequency of the optical transmitter, to increase the probability of finding a sufficient continuous spectrum. This is to improve network resource utilisation, capacity and resolve wavelength contention associated with a flexible spectrum in optical communication networks. The following chapter provides details on a flexible spectrum in optical fibre networks utilising DWDM, optimising transmitter-receivers, advanced modulation formats, coherent detection, reconfigurable optical add and drop multiplexer (ROADM) technology to implement hardware and middleware platforms which address growing bandwidth demands for scalability, flexibility and cost-efficiency. A major attribute is tunable lasers, an essential component for future flexible spectrum with application to wavelength switching, routing, wavelength conversion and ROADM for the multi-node optical network through spectrum flexibility and cost-effective sharing of fibre links, transmitters and receivers. Spectrum slicing into fine granular sub-carriers and assigning several frequency slots to accommodate diverse traffic demands is a viable approach. This work experimentally presents a spectral efficient technique for bandwidth variability, wavelength allocation, routing, defragmentation and wavelength selective switches in the nodes of a network, capable of removing the fixed grid spacing using low cost, high bandwidth, power-efficient and wavelength-tunable vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) transmitter directly modulated with 10 Gbps data. This to ensure that majority of the spectrum utilisation at finer channel spacing, wastage of the spectrum resource as caused by the wavelength continuity constraint reduction and it improves bandwidth utilisation. The technique is flexible in terms of modulation formats and accommodates various formats with spectrally continuous channels, fulfilling the future bandwidth demands with transmissions beyond 100 Gbps per channel while maintaining spectral efficiency

Advances in Optical Amplifiers

Optical amplifiers play a central role in all categories of fibre communications systems and networks. By compensating for the losses exerted by the transmission medium and the components through which the signals pass, they reduce the need for expensive and slow optical-electrical-optical conversion. The photonic gain media, which are normally based on glass- or semiconductor-based waveguides, can amplify many high speed wavelength division multiplexed channels simultaneously. Recent research has also concentrated on wavelength conversion, switching, demultiplexing in the time domain and other enhanced functions. Advances in Optical Amplifiers presents up to date results on amplifier performance, along with explanations of their relevance, from leading researchers in the field. Its chapters cover amplifiers based on rare earth doped fibres and waveguides, stimulated Raman scattering, nonlinear parametric processes and semiconductor media. Wavelength conversion and other enhanced signal processing functions are also considered in depth. This book is targeted at research, development and design engineers from teams in manufacturing industry, academia and telecommunications service operators

Feature Papers in Eng

This Special Issue is a collection of high-quality reviews and original papers from editorial board members, guest editors, and leading researchers discussing new knowledge or new cutting-edge developments in the field of engineering