School of Electrical and

Computer Engineering
Department of
Communication Engineering
Optical Fiber
Communication
 Chapter 3: Multiplexing Techniques and
Optical Components
 Introduction to Multiplexing
 Optical Time Division Multiplexing (OTDM)
 Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
 Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)
 Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM)
 Coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM)
 Passive optical components
 Active optical components
 Introduction to Multiplexing
 Multiplexing is a modern practical method of increasing
transmission capacity in fiber communication systems.
 It uses the principle that optical beams with different wavelengths
can propagate simultaneously over a single fiber without interfering
with one another.
 Whenever the bandwidth of a medium linking two devices is greater
than the bandwidth needs of the devices, the link can be shared.
 Bandwidth utilization is the wise use of available bandwidth to
achieve specific goals.
 Efficiency can be achieved by multiplexing; i.e., sharing of the
bandwidth between multiple users.
 Optical Time Division Multiplexing
 Multiplexer is communication devices that can combine several channel into single
channel and Demultiplexing is reconstruct lower data rate signal form multiplexed
signal.
 Today, optical fiber has been used to develop new high speed communication
systems that transmit information as light pulses, examples are multiplexers.
 Optical transmission uses pulses of light to transmit information from one place to
another through an optical fiber.


The light is converted to electromagnetic carrier wave, which is modulated to

carry information as the light propagates from one end to another.

 The development of optical fiber has revolutionized the
telecommunications industry.
 Optical fiber was first developed in the 1970s as a
transmission medium.
 It has replaced other transmission media such as
copper wire since inception, and it’s mainly used to
wire core networks.
 Today, optical fiber has been used to develop new high
speed communication systems that transmit
information as light pulses, examples are multiplexers.
Optical multiplexing and demulti-plexing allows for sending
multiple signals through a single medium as well as for
bidirectional use of that medium.
Optical Time Domain Multiplexing (OTDM)

Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM)

• Optical Time-Division Multiplexing
Based on Time-Division Multiplexing
• Wavelength-Division Multiplexing
Based on Frequency-Division Multiplexing of radio waves
 There are two type of multiplexing Electrical multiplexing and Optical
Multiplexing.
 Basic difference between Electrical multiplexing and Optical
multiplexing is shown in Figure 1 and figure 2. In figure 1. is
represent the electrical Multiplexed system.
 In this figure Thick line is represent Optical path and thin line is
represent electrical path. In Figure 1.1 multiplexing is done before the
Electrical to optical conversion (E/O). and demultiplexing is done
after Optical to electrical signal.
6.8
 If multiplexer carried n number of channel and each
have B data-rate then multiplexed channel have nB
data rate.
 These high data rate is onto to single channel.
 if full rate system is used then bandwidth mismatch is
occur at Electrical to optical conversion, Multiplexer,
demultiplxer and Optical to electrical conversion, these
band width mismatch is known as Electronics
bottleneck.
 i) limited speed of digital circuit,
 ii) limited speed of high-power amplifier and modulator
used in Electrical-to-optical converter and in Optical-to-
Electrical converter and
 iii) limited modulation bandwidth of modulator. due to
this problem maximum bit rate for electrically multiplex
system is 10Gbp.

6.9
 Electrical multiplexing has limited channel capacity,
Ethernet switches can only run at most 10 Gb/s.
 To increase this channel capacity optical multiplexing is
required.
 In Optical Multiplexing, OTDM technology can be
exploited, to switching at 100 Gb/s. OTDM light path
network has the ability for 100 Gb/s Ethernet switching.
 More modulators need to be equipped in the
transmitters, and only connections from the source
node to its downstream nodes in a super light path can
be realized.
Multiplexer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Telephony_multiplexer_system.gif
Advantage of OTDM:
 Flexible bandwidth
Overcomes non-linear effect associated with WDM
The total capacity of single-channel OTDM network =
DWDM
Less complex end node equipment
Can operate at both:

1500 nm (like WDM) due to EDFA

1300 nm

 Offers both broadcast and switched based networks

Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
• FDM divides the spectrum or carrier bandwidth in logical channels

and allocates one user to each channel.

• Independent message signals are translated into different frequency bands

using modulation techniques and the resulting signal is then transmitted

along the single channel by electromagnetic means.

• A number of signals can be carried simultaneously.

Each signal is modulated to a different carrier frequency

Carrier frequencies are sufficiently separated so signals do not overlap

(guard bands)
 Terminologies
• Channel (FDM): each modulated signal requires a certain
bandwidth centered on its carrier frequency, referred to as a
channel.
• Subcarrier: each of the multiple carriers is referred to as a
subcarrier. Its frequency is denoted by fi . fi must be chosen so
that the bandwidths of various signals do not significantly
overlap.
Figure FDM process
 Figure FDM demultiplexing example

6.16
Example
1. Five channels, each with a 100-kHz bandwidth, are to be
multiplexed together. What is the minimum bandwidth of
the link if there is a need for a guard band of 10 kHz
between the channels to prevent interference?
Solution
For five channels, we need at least four guard bands. This
means that the required bandwidth is at least 5 × 100 + 4 × 10
= 540 kHz,
as shown in Figure bellow.
Wavelength-Division Multiplexing
• Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is a modern practical
method of increasing transmission capacity in fiber communication
systems.
• It is designed to utilize the high data rate capability of fiber-optic
cable.
• Very narrow band of light signal from different source are combined to
make a wider band of light.
• At the receiver the signals are separated with the help of a
demultiplexer.
• Multiplexing and demultiplexing of light signals can be done with the
help of a prism
• From the basic knowledge of physics we know that light signal is bent
by different amount based on the angle of incidence and wavelength of
light as shown by different colors in the figure.
WDM Long-Haul Optical Fiber Transmission System

Transmitter l1 Receiver
WDM “Routers”

DEMUX
l2 MUX
Transmitter Receiver
Optical Amplifier
l3
Transmitter Erbium/Raman Optical Amplifier Receiver
• The multiplexer combines (multiplexes) data from the n
input lines and transmits over a single data link(medium).
• The demultiplexer separates (demultiplexes) the data
according to channel, and delivers data to the appropriate
output lines.
• One prism performs the role of a multiplexer by combining
lights having different frequencies from different sources.
• The composite signal can be transmitted through an optical
fiber cable over long distances, if required.
• At the other end of the optical fiber cable the composite
signal is applied to another prism to do the reverse operation,
the function of a de-multiplexer.
• Light has different wavelength (colors).

• In fiber optic mode, multiple optical carrier signals are

multiplexed into an optical fiber by using different wavelengths.

• This is an analog multiplexing technique and is done

conceptually in the same manner as FDM but uses light as
signals.
 Figure 2.1 Dividing a link into channels
 WDM is the combining of light by using different
wavelengths
To reduce the number of electrical connections.
To share the bandwidth between the users.
To increase the capacity of channel.
To increase the transmission speed.
To make cost efficiency.
Dense Wavelength Division
Multiplexing (DWDM)
• Dense WDM (DWDM) is a technology with a larger number of
wavelengths coupled into a fiber than WDM.

• An earlier WDM technology with a small number of wavelengths,

larger channel width, and channel spacing is termed coarse WDM
(CWDM).

• DWDM systems take advantage of advanced optical technology such

as tunable lasers and narrowband optical filters to generate many
wavelengths in the range around 1550 nm.

• ITU-T Recommendation G.692 defines over 80 channels, from 1530 to

1565 nm, with a spacing of 50 GHz, each channel carrying an STM-64
signal at 10 Gb/s.
• However, systems with wavelength channels of more than that have
been introduced, and systems with many more wavelengths are on
the experimenter's workbench.Initial implementations of DWDM
systems support either 8 or 16 wavelengths.

• However, current DWDM systems are capable of supporting 32 or 40

wavelengths.

• Recently, DWDM systems capable of supporting as many as 80 and

128 wavelengths have been announced Dense wavelength division
multiplexing combines many (30, 40, 50, 60, more?) onto one fiber
• Coming technologies: DWDM.
• Dense wavelength division multiplexing is WDM on steroids: closer
spacing between adjacent wavelengths (128 or so currently).
• The most important components of any DWDM system are
transmitters, receivers, Erbium-doped fiber Amplifiers, DWDM
multiplexors and DWDM de-multiplexors.

Fig 1 gives the structure of a typical DWDM system.

Coarse Wavelength Division
Multiplexing (CWDM)
• Coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) is a wavelength
division multiplexing (WDM) technology that combines multiple
signals at various wavelengths for simultaneous transmission over
fiber cables.
• WDM or Dense WDM (DWDM) made a tremendous impact on the
long haul portion of the network by reducing the cost of bandwidth.
• CWDM is primarily deployed as Customer Premises Equipment (CPE),
or in the metro, access portion of the network.
• CWDM is used for storage area networking applications
• While DWDM systems are optimized for capacity, CWDM is optimized
for cost.
• It allows for any protocol to be transported over the link, as long as it
is at a specific wavelength (i.e. T1 over fiber at 1570 nm transported
alongside 10 Gbps Ethernet at 1590 nm).
o Coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) is highly economical
when compared to DWDM, as there is no need to stabilize the laser
nor is there a need for an external modulator.
o By adjusting the drive current, the laser can be directly modulated.
CWDM functions between 1265 and 1625 nm compared with
DWDM's tighter range of 1530 to 1620 nm.
o Although DWDM rules the long-haul network sector, CWDM is all set
to help carriers take full advantage of their network capacity in the
regional, metro and access network sectors.
o When compared to DWDM, CWDM supports fewer wavelengths;
however, it is offered at a fraction of the cost of DWDM.
o This makes CWDM perfect for those areas having average traffic
growth projections.
CWDM highlights:
 As many as 16 CWDM wavelengths over a single pair of fiber
•CWDM channel spacing is 20 nm
•Distances as high as 120 km
•Scalable by hybrid CWDM/DWDM
 A highly cost-effective WDM solution

CWDM applications:
 Fiber exhaust relief
• In LAN and SAN connections
• Cost-effective WDM deployments in metro networks
• Main office to client-premise interconnection
Passive Optical Components
• Passive devices operate completely in the optical domain to split and
combine light streams.

• Coupler: versatile device used as a building block for several other

optical devices

• Isolator: used in systems at the output of amplifiers and lasers to

prevent reflections

• Filter: to multiplex and de-multiplex wavelengths in a WDM system,

and to provide equalization of the gain and filtering of noise in optical
amplifier.
Couplers/ Splitters
• When two waveguides are placed in proximity to each other, light
“couples” from one waveguide to the other.
• A directional coupler is used to combine and split signals
in an optical network.
• A 2×2 coupler consists of two input ports and two
output ports.
• The most commonly used couplers are made by fusing
two fibers together in the middle—these are called fused
fiber couplers.
• A 2×2 coupler, takes a fraction α of the power from
input 1 and places it on output 1 and the remaining
fraction 1-α on output 2.
 P1  P0 cos2 (z )

P2  P0 sin 2 (z )

Coupler
characteristics

: Coupling Coefficient
• Similarly, a fraction1-α the power from input 2 is distributed to output
1 and the remaining power to output 2.
• We call α the “coupling ratio”.

• The coupler can be designed to be either wavelength selective or

wavelength independent (sometimes called wavelength flat) over a
usefully wide range.
• Wavelength- independent device, α is independent of the
wavelength.

• Wavelength selective device, α depends on the wavelength.

• 3 dB coupler, a coupler can be used to distribute an input signal

equally among two output ports if the coupling length(l), is adjusted
such that half the power from each input appears at each output.
Such a coupler is called a 3 dB coupler.
Isolators and Circulators
• Isolators, main function is to allow transmission
in one direction through it but block all
transmission in the other direction.
• Isolators are used in systems at the output of
optical amplifiers and lasers primarily to prevent
reflections from entering these devices, which
would otherwise degrade their performance.
Filter, Multiplexer and Router
• The two key parameters of an isolator are its insertion loss, which is
the loss in the forward direction and which should be as small as
possible, and its isolation, which is the loss in the reverse direction and
which should be as large as possible.

• A circulator is similar to an isolator, except that it has multiple ports,

typically three or four.

• In a three-port circulator, an input signal on port 1 is sent out on port

2, an input signal on port 2 is sent out on port 3, and an input signal
on port 3 is sent out on port 1.

• Circulators are useful to construct optical add/drop elements.

• Circulators operate on the same principles as isolators.

 Active Optical Components
• Active components require some type of external energy either to
perform their functions.
• These devices include variable optical attenuators, tunable optical
filters, dynamic gain equalizers, optical add/ drop multiplexers,
polarization controllers, and dispersion compensators.
• Many types of active optical components are based on using micro-
electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology.
• A simple example of a MEMS actuation method.

• The top shows an “off” position

• the bottom shows an “on” position.
Thank You