In the ALLEGRO project, we’re pushing the boundaries of dynamic optical networking by advancing the modeling and understanding of disaggregated ROADMs—the core enablers of flexible, scalable, all-optical routing.
📡 What do ROADMs do?
They add/drop and transparently route optical circuits across the network. Each ROADM degree acts as the ingress/egress for a distinct optical multiplex section (OMS), and may include EDFAs (boosters or pre-amps) per direction.
🔍 Key Impairments Modeled:
⚠️ Filtering Penalty (FP):
- Introduces GSNR degradation
- Accumulates over transparent light-paths
- Stochastic in nature due to frequency alignment variations
⚠️ Polarization Dependent Loss (PDL):
- Another stochastic GSNR penalty
- Originates from multiple sources across switching paths
⚠️ Additional Factors:
- Crosstalk from neighboring and dropped channels
- ASE noise from amplification stages
📈 Our Goal in ALLEGRO:
Develop a comprehensive ROADM model capturing:
✔️ Switching path and TRX GSNR degradation
✔️ Cumulative FP and its stochastic behavior
✔️ PDL statistics
✔️ Input/Output power spectral densities
💡 This work is vital to realizing adaptive, high-capacity, end-to-end optical transport, where ROADMs aren’t just passive elements—but actively modeled components in performance-aware, programmable networks.
#AllegroProject #ROADM #OpticalNetworking #GSNR #PDL #FilteringPenalty #DisaggregatedNetworks #HorizonEurope #DynamicNetworking #FutureInternet
