Single-fiber optical protection ring architecture suitable for asymmetric traffic

A novel ring architecture is proposed that is suitable for asymmetric traffic and allows for protection using a single fiber ring. Existing optical ring systems provide symmetric bidirectional optical path capability for use with symmetric or asymmetric traffic. Such systems are not cost-effective for asymmetric traffic such as the Internet. The proposed optical ring system accommodates wavelengths for both directions in one fiber, and employs the 1+1 optical unidirectional path-switched ring (OUPSR) protection scheme. This architecture makes it possible to augment a unidirectional optical path and a single fiber economically.