TELECOM

ENGINEERING
LAB REPORT-
06

BY
OMAR FARUK
Title: Study of Optical Fibre Communication.

Introduction:

An optical fibre is a structure that is designed to guide light over a distance or path that is
not necessarily straight. Optical fibre accomplishes light confinement by the total internal
reflection of the light that is coupled into the end of the fibre. Typical fibres for
telecommunication or data transmission are made from high purity glass in round fibre
geometry. They can be made of plastics as well. Optical fibre does not necessarily need to
be circular in geometry. Planar or flat slabs of fibres are used for a variety of applications.

The objectives of this experiment are:

1) To observe practical fiber optical communication process by recording signals of
light source and light detector
2) To design transmitter and receiver of fiber optic communication link

Theory and Methodology:

Fiber optic communication transmits information with light wave over the hair thin glass
fiber. As light is the carrier of data, fiber optic link work faster than other types
transmission link. Fiber optic transmission link even allows to send data at terabit rate.

To transmit data over the fiber link, source information signal (analog/digital) is to be
converted to light wave. This conversion is performed by the electronic device LED/
LASER (it is also called light source). Light source element is coupled with the fiber by
coupler so that maximum light energy is entered through the core of the fiber. At the
destination end, the light signal incoming from the fiber link is received by the light
detector (PIN/APD) that actually converts back the light energy into electrical energy.
Output signal of light detector is amplified by the amplifier to increase power of the signal.

Basic block diagram of the fiber communication system is illustrated in Fig. 1. LASER
source generates very focused and concentrated light signal. It can be used in wide area
transmission link. LED produces light beam of spontaneous emission and its optical power
is comparatively low. LED is therefore is not capable to work in very long distance
network range. It is used only in local area network.

APD (Avalanche Photodiode) is capable to use in long distance communication network as

ensures very high quantum efficiency in its conversion from optical to electrical energy.
Optical fiber is of two types: Single mode and multimode fiber. Single mode fiber has high
performance than that of multimode fiber. So it is preferred for long range and broadband
communication system.
 Information Signal Light Source
signal Processing (LED
(Analog/Digital) unit /LASER)

Fiber cable

Light
Signal shaper
Detector Amplifier (APD/PIN
Diode)

Fig. 1: Block diagram of Fiber Optic Communication System

Apparatus:

Modicom6 Board

Precautions:

Have your instructor check all your connections after you are done setting up the circuit
and make sure that you apply only enough voltage to turn on the chip, otherwise it may get
damaged.

Experimental Procedure:

(a) Digital Communication:

1) Power supplies were connected to the MODICOM 6 Board.

2) Ensure that all switched faults are off.

 3) Switch EMITTER l’s driver to digital mode. It will ensure that fast changing digital
signals applied to the driver cause EMITTER LED to switch quickly between on
and off state.

4) The connection was completed and the power was turn on.

5) The Function Generator block will work as the transmitter. The square wave output
of this block will be applied to the input of Emitter circuit 1. Compare the output
of Emitter circuit 1 with its input.

6) Monitor both inputs to comparator l (t.p.13 & 14). Slowly adjust the comparator’s
BIAS preset until the DC level on the (-) input (t.p.13) is midway between the
high and low levels of the signal on the (+) input (t.p.14). Explain the reason
behind it.

7) The output of comparator was observed and compare it with the original digital
signal.

(b) Frequency Modulation

1) Power supplies was connected to the MODICOM6 board.

2) Ensure that all switched faults are off

3) Switch EMITTER l’s driver to digital mode. It will ensure that fast changing digital
signals applied to the driver cause EMITTER LED to switch quickly between on
and off state.

4) The connection was completed and the power was turned on.

5) Turn the 1 kHz preset on the Function Generator block to the fully clockwise
position.

6) The output of VCO was examined.

7) Examine the output of the photo-detector. An APD is used as photo-detector in this

board.

8) Monitor both inputs to comparator (t.p.13 & 14). Adjust the comparator’s BIAS
preset until the DC level on the (-) input (t.p.13) is midway between the high and
low levels of the signal on the (+) input (t.p.14).

9) Now observe the output of Phase-Locked Loop Detector. Then observe the output
of the ac amplifier. Adjust the Gain adjust I preset until the signals att.p.28 and the
original ac signal are equal in amplitude. Explain the function of the Phase-
Locked Loop Detector in extracting the ac signal.
 10) The fibre was flexed carefully (no twisting or hard bending of the wire, otherwise
the glass will break) and observe whether it affects the obtained output. The
output amplitude is independent of the bend radius of the cable and of the length
of the cable, provided that the detector’s output is large enough to cross the
comparator’s threshold level.

Questions for report writing:

1) Explain the working principle of an optical fibre.

Ans: Light travels down a fiber-optic cable by bouncing repeatedly off the walls.
Each tiny photon (particle of light) bounces down the pipe like a bobsleigh going
down an ice run. Now you might expect a beam of light, traveling in a clear glass
pipe, simply to leak out of the edges. But if light hits glass at a really shallow angle
(less than 42 degrees), it reflects back in again—as though the glass were really
a mirror. This phenomenon is called total internal reflection. It's one of the things
that keeps light inside the pipe. The other thing that keeps light in the pipe is the
structure of the cable, which is made up of two separate parts. The main part of the
cable—in the middle—is called the core and that's the bit the light travels through.
Wrapped around the outside of the core is another layer of glass called the cladding.
The cladding's job is to keep the light signals inside the core. It can do this because
it is made of a different type of glass to the core. (More technically, the cladding has
a lower refractive index.)
2) Explain the function of LED in this experiment? Would it be better if we have
applied the analog signal directly to the LED?
Ans : LED is used so that maximum light energy is entered through the core of the
fiber.Analog applications require close attention to linearity. Nonlinearity in LEDs causes
harmonic distortion in the analog signal that is transmitted over an analog fiber optic link
3) Explain the function of the photo-detector (PD). Name some other PDs which could
have been used.
Ans: The function of a photodetector is to detect the intensity of laser light and
take that information and transfer it to a format usable by other products. A
photodector transfers the information into electrical energy. Active-pixel
sensor,LED, Photoresistors, Photodiodes are the PDs we have used.

Discussion and Conclusion:

The experiment was done carefully. Different kinds of wave shape have seen on this
experiment. The curve was different to each other each of their working characteristics.
Some error was occurred on the waveshaper because of the error in the apparatus.But on the
whole the experiment was done successfully
References:
1. Frenzel, Louis, “Communication Electronics, principles and applications”
2. B. Forouzan, “Data Communication and Networking”
3. Telecommunication Lab Manual of AIUB