06-02-2009 04:20 AM
Hi folks
I'm doing some research for a future implementation of CWDM in our infrastructure and came across CWDM-MUX8A today. Seems to me it's a new unit sporting among other features a monitor port.
Could this port be used to tap one or several of the wavelengths and if so, what equipment is required?
Regards
Fredrik
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06-02-2009 08:16 AM
The monitor port on the CWDM-MUX8A will have all of the multiplexed optical aggregate traffic on it - e.g., all the individual ITU grid wavelengths that your have running on your line side of the CWDM system. Typically those wavelengths have been groomed for multiplexing via a transponder card and wrapped in something like a G.709 OTN transport protocol.
Looking at the monitor signal with anything other than an optical power meter for level checks would require an analyzer device that is able to separate and analyze the aggregated wavelengths.
That is not your typical protocol analyzer you may be familiar with from the LAN world but rather an optical test set. Something like the Anritsu MP1590b (http://www.us.anritsu.com/products/MP1590B_MP1591A_Network-Performance-Tester_ARSPG_ARQQSidZ656.aspx) or Agilent J7232A (http://www.trs-rentelco.com/Model/AT_J7232A.aspx). Just to rent one of these runs US$4000-5000 per month.
You are better off for most purposes using the limited troubleshooting / monitoring functionality built into the last bit of active electronics - e.g., the transponder cards. They will be monitoring the power level and basic error correction techniques done by the encapsulation protocol and report errors or alarms to the chassis control card and, optionally, to your element manager (e.g., CTC or CTM in the Cisco world).
06-02-2009 04:31 AM
i dont think you can monitor the actual CWDM since they are just a passive device. you might be able to do it on devices connected to the CWDM since they are lighting up the fiber... you can on the ONS DWDM's.
06-02-2009 04:48 AM
The product specs talk about using the monitor ports along with a "spectrum analyzer", that indicates that the monitor port is some sort of tap coming of the dark fiber connection.
06-02-2009 05:40 AM
The monitor ports are provided to allow access to the light signals on the fiber for troubleshooting purposes. Connecting an optical spectrum analyzer to these ports will enable you to view the individual wavelengths and their relative power levels; from either the transmit fiber or receive fiber.
The insertion loss of the monitor ports is extremely high (23db vs 2.2db for the add/drop ports) so the light available at these ports is low. Not very usable for networking purposes.
What were you thinking of using the monitor ports for other than monitoring/troubleshooting?
Hope this helps!
06-02-2009 05:49 AM
I'm looking for the possibility to tap network traffic to an analysis engine.
06-02-2009 05:53 AM
Then the monitor ports are what you want to use.
06-02-2009 06:05 AM
Based on the conversation so far, could you please describe how I can use the monitor port to analyze the traffic? What other equipment is required?
06-02-2009 08:16 AM
The monitor port on the CWDM-MUX8A will have all of the multiplexed optical aggregate traffic on it - e.g., all the individual ITU grid wavelengths that your have running on your line side of the CWDM system. Typically those wavelengths have been groomed for multiplexing via a transponder card and wrapped in something like a G.709 OTN transport protocol.
Looking at the monitor signal with anything other than an optical power meter for level checks would require an analyzer device that is able to separate and analyze the aggregated wavelengths.
That is not your typical protocol analyzer you may be familiar with from the LAN world but rather an optical test set. Something like the Anritsu MP1590b (http://www.us.anritsu.com/products/MP1590B_MP1591A_Network-Performance-Tester_ARSPG_ARQQSidZ656.aspx) or Agilent J7232A (http://www.trs-rentelco.com/Model/AT_J7232A.aspx). Just to rent one of these runs US$4000-5000 per month.
You are better off for most purposes using the limited troubleshooting / monitoring functionality built into the last bit of active electronics - e.g., the transponder cards. They will be monitoring the power level and basic error correction techniques done by the encapsulation protocol and report errors or alarms to the chassis control card and, optionally, to your element manager (e.g., CTC or CTM in the Cisco world).
06-04-2009 12:10 AM
As mentioned in the other post you can use this monitor port to connect to network performance tester if u have 1 monitor port for each wavelength of CWDM-MUX8A.
But if there is only one monitor port for multiplexed signal then you need something like this( as that netwrok performance tester can be used for SONET/SDH signal not CWDM signal as per my understanding). Though you dont need Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA)this for daily use. OSA can be used to check the wavlength accuracy of each siganl in your CWDM/DWDM siganl
http://www.us.anritsu.com/products/MS9780A_Optical-Spectrum-Analyzer_ARSPG_ARQQSidZ677.aspx
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