Introduction
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Introduction –
Information Transmission Channels
• Information can be transferred via,
• Wired Medium
• coaxial cable, copper wire, Unshielded Twisted Pair cable etc.
(Electrical signal based transmission).
• Optical Fiber (Light based transmission).
• Wireless Medium
• Radio Frequency or RF based wireless Systems.
• Laser Based Free Space Optical (FSO) Transmission systems.
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Introduction –
Why use Optical Communication ?
• First known case of transfer of information by light was by Alexander
Graham Bell1 in 1980. His device is called the Photophone and used
sunlight to transfer speech signals.
• Transfer of information by light has the some disadvantages, namely it is
restricted to line of sight applications and is severely affected by
environmental disturbances such as fog, dust etc.
1. A. G. Bell, ‘Selenium and the photophone’, The Electrician, pp. 214, 215, 220, 221, 1880.
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Introduction –
Example of Wired Media
• Copper based Transmission Media.
• Coaxial Cable Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable Shielded Twisted Pair Cable
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Introduction –
Examples of Wireless Media
• Radio Frequency Based Transmission Media.
• TV Antenna Parabolic Reflector Telecom Radio Tower
Antenna Antennas
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Introduction –
Examples of Optical Media
Optical Fiber Cable Optical Fiber Cable Laser Tx-Rx Device
(Single glass Core) (Multicore) (Free Space Optical
Communications)
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Introduction –
Why use Optical Communication ?
• Communications at optical frequencies allows for higher bandwidth
compared to microwave or RF communications.
• Optical communications saw major development in the 1960s with the
development of LASER and Optical fiber cables.
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Introduction –
Why use Optical Communication ?
• Lasers provide a coherent light source and the possibility of light
modulation at high optical frequencies in free space.
• Optical fibers act as dielectric waveguides for transferring light from one
point to the other. Early optical fibers had high attenuations and were not
efficient when compared to existing wired (coaxial cable) based systems.
They also had high jointing losses.
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Introduction –
Why use Optical Communication ?
• Figure 1. below shows different Electromagnetic Radiation Spectrum.
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Figure 1.
In-Class Exercise
• From figure 1. determine the optical wavelength range (Δλ) that is used for
optical communication ?
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In-Class Exercise
• From figure 1. determine the optical wavelength range (Δλ) that is used for
optical communication ?
• Answer: The optical wavelength range is from 800nm to 1700 nm.
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Introduction –
Optical Communication Spectral Bands
• Different Spectral (Wavelength) bands are used in optical communications,
BAND NAME Designation Band Wavelength (nm)
• Original band (O-Band): 1260nm to 1360nm.
• Extended Band (E-Band): 1360 nm to 1460nm.
• Short Band (S-band): 1460nm to 1530nm.
• Conventional band (C-Band): 1530nm to 1565nm.
• Long Band (L-Band): 1565nm to 1625nm
• Ultra-Long Band (U-Band): 1625nm to 1675nm.
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Introduction –
Optical Transmission Windows
• There are three wavelength windows commercially used for optical
communications due to low attenuation.
• 1st Optical Window = 850nm region.
• 2nd Optical Window = 1310nm region.
• 3rd Optical Window = 1550nm region.
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Introduction –
Optical Transmission Windows
• Early Applications in the late 1970s made use of 770nm to 910nm band
where there was a low loss window (1st optical window).
• Around the 1000nm region there was a spike in attenuation due to
absorption by water molecules. (See Figure 2. Next slide)
• Hence the only usable region was the 850nm one and is referred to as the
First Window.
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• Figure 2.: Optical Windows
Comparison.
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Introduction –
Optical Transmission Windows
• In the 1980s, Optical Fiber manufacturer were able to fabricate fibers with
low losses in the 1260nm to 1675nm region.
• This was mainly due to reducing the concentration of Hydroxyl ions and
metallic impurities in the fiber material.
• This region contains the Second (1310nm) and Third Optical (1550nm)
window with a spike in attenuation at approximately 1400nm.
• New light sources and optical amplifiers were also developed for these
wavelengths. 16
• Attenuation Vs Wavelength.
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• Responsivity Vs Wavelength.
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• Optical devices wavelength
Ranges
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In-Class Exercise
• From Previous slide determine the Optical band of a PDFA ?
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In-Class Exercise
• From Previous slide determine the Optical band of a PDFA ?
• Answer: O-Band
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Introduction –
Applications of Optical Networks
• Over time there have been massive improvement in Laser and optical fiber
technologies. This has allowed us to implement these in commercial
applications nowadays.
• Some Application areas where Optical Fiber systems are used,
• Wavelength Routing networks.
• Undersea Fiber Optic Cables (eg. SEA-ME-WE)
• Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing DWDM.
• Metropolitan Area Networks.
• Local Area Network. 22
Introduction –
Applications of Optical Networks
• Wavelength Routing Networks
• Multiprotocol Lambda Switching (MPλS). Switching of different
wavelengths onto different interfaces.
• A switch is used to convert an incoming wavelength on an incoming
interface to an outgoing wavelength on the outgoing interface.
• The MPλS protocol requires mapping the incoming λ and incoming
interface to the outgoing λ and out going interface.
• This evolved to GMPLS. Covers λ-switching, Fiber Switching, TDM, Layer
2 switching.
• A Label is an arbitrary tag for a data packet.
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Introduction –
Applications of Optical Networks
• Undersea Fiber Optic Cables (eg. SEA-ME-WE)
• SEA = South East Asia.
• ME = Middle East.
• WE = Western Europe.
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Introduction –
Applications of Optical Networks
• Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing.
• It refers to switching individual wavelengths of light onto separate
paths (Optical Fibers) for onward routing. Add-Drop Multiplexers are
used for this purpose.
• Many Wavelengths are multiplexed onto the same fiber and are
demultiplexed at the receiver.
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Advantages of Optical Fiber Communication
• Enormous potential bandwidth: The optical carrier frequency in the range
1013 Hz to 1016 Hz (generally in the near infrared around 1014 Hz or 105
GHz) yields a far greater potential transmission bandwidth than traditional
Wired cable systems.
• Electrical isolation: Optical fibers which are fabricated from glass, or
sometimes a plastic polymer, are electrical insulators and therefore, unlike
their metallic counterparts, they do not exhibit earth loop and interface
problems.
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Advantages of Optical Fiber Communication
• Immunity to interference and crosstalk: Optical fibers form a dielectric
waveguide and are therefore free from electromagnetic interference
(EMI), radio-frequency interference (RFI), or switching transients giving
electromagnetic pulses (EMPs).
• Ruggedness and flexibility. Although protective coatings are essential,
optical fibers may be manufactured with very high tensile strengths. The
fibers may also be bent to quite small radii or twisted without damage.
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Advantages of Optical Fiber Communication
• Signal security: The light from optical fibers does not radiate significantly
and therefore they provide a high degree of signal security. Signal security.
The light from optical fibers does not radiate significantly and therefore
they provide a high degree of signal security.
• Low transmission loss: The development of optical fibers over the last 20
years has resulted in the production of optical fiber cables which exhibit
very low attenuation or transmission loss in comparison with the best
copper conductors.
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Advantages of Optical Fiber Communication
• System reliability and ease of maintenance: These features primarily stem
from the low-loss property of optical fiber cables which reduces the
requirement for intermediate repeaters or line amplifiers to boost the
transmitted signal strength.
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Disadvantages of Optical Fiber Communication
• Difficult to Splice: Joining/splicing two optical fibers produces a splice loss
at the joint which can be significant if the splicing is not done properly.
• Cannot be Curved: The Optical fiber cables cannot be sharply curved. They
can break if bent sharply.
• Costly to Install: In certain applications the capital expenditure to install an
optical fiber network can be high.
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