New optical amplifier placement schemes for broadcast networks

WDM optical broadcast networks (based on the passive-star coupler) may enco unter large splitting and attenuation losses that need to be compensated fo r using optical amplifiers, such as EDFAs. However, optical amplifiers are costly, so their total count in the network should be minimized. This study will examine three different such amplifier-placement schemes. The first a pproach utilize fewer amplifiers than previous schemes that do not add spec ial hardware to avoid the near-far effect. The second study considers a bid irectional-link network and it can use fewer amplifiers than a comparable u nidirectional-link network. The third study minimizes the number of amplifi ers when the amplifiers are equipped with special hardware to avoid the nea r-far effect, i.e., amplifiers are equipped with attenuators/filters to equ alize amplifier input power on different wavelengths.