| Abstract: | The introduction of optical technologies in the path layer of the transport network allows the network communication capacity and nodes throughput to be greatly increased. Optical networks covering large geographic areas and information super highways are coming in the not too distant future. For these reasons it is necessary to analyze the transmission of high-speed signals that transport high volumes of traffic throughout large-area networks. Simulation is an effective tool for this analysis, allowing one to take into account the complex nonlinear behavior of the long optical links and of some optical devices as wavelength converters. This article discusses two different approaches to the simulation of transmission through optical networks: the semi-analytical approach and the complete simulation. Advantages and disad vantages of each approach are considered, and the results obtained by different simulation software implementing the two approaches are compared. |
