OPTICAL COMMUNIACTIONS

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS UNIT WISE

UNIT I
1. Describe the basic block diagram of a optical communication system and explain how it
differs from conventional co-axial cable communication system.
2. Determine the normalized frequency at 0.82 m for a step index fiber having 25 m core
radius, n1 = 1.48 and n2 = 1.46. How many modes propagate in this fiber at 0.82 m? What
percentage of optical fiber power flows in cladding?
3. Discuss the advantages of optical fibers over conventional coaxial cables
4. Discuss the mode theory of circular waveguide
5. Draw the block diagram of a fiber communication system
6. Explain about cylindrical fibers with neat diagrams
7. Distinguish between optical fiber communication system and conventional
communications system
8. Calculate the numerical aperture of step index fiber having n1=1.48 and n2=1.46.What is
maximum entrance angle for this fiber,if the outer medium is air with n=1.00
9. What are the modes supported by an optical fiber?
10. Differentiate between A) Skew rays and Meridional rays B) Step index and Graded
index fibers
11. Define Numerical Aperture .Compute the number of modes supported by a step index
fiber of 50/125 m dimensions,NA=0.24 at a wavelength of 850nm.
12. Give the advantages of fiber optic communiation
13. Explain how light propagates in step index and graded index fibers

UNIT II
1. Explain in detail about single mode fibers with diagrams
2. Explain about graded index fibers with diagrams
3. Describe the sample characteristics of PMMA and PFP polymer optical fiber
4. Explain phase and group velocity
5. What is Mode Field Diameter of step index fiber
6. Determine the core diameter of a step index fiber with n1=1.482 and n2=1.47 to
support only a single mode transmission
7. List the materials used for core and cladding of optical fibers
8. Discuss various plastic optical fiber materials
9. List out the requirements for selecting materials in optical fibers and also explain
about the following: (a) Halide glass fibers. (b) Active glass fibers. (c) Plastic glass
fiber.
10. Explain in brief about the fabrication process of A) OVPO B) PCVD C) VAD
D) MCVD
11. Explain the mechanical properties of optical fibers
12. Draw and explain the structure of optical fiber cables and its functions

UNIT III
1. Discuss different mechanisums causing scattering losses in SiO2 fiber as a function of
operating wavelengths.
2. A K2O - SiO2 glass core optical fiber has an attenuation resulting from rayleigh
scattering of 0.46 dB Km-1 at a wavelength of 1 m. The glass has an estimated fictive
temperature of 758 K, isothermal compressibility of 8.4 10-11 m2N-1 and a photo
elastic coefficient of 0.245. Determine the refractive index of glass core.
3. How do you find whether an optical fiber link is limited by attenuation or by dispersion?
Explain clearly.
4. Derive an expression for pulse spreading in a step index multimode fiber due to
intermodal dispersion
5. Two step index fibers one of which is of monomode type and the other one in the
multimode type have the following parameters. The monomode fiber has a core diameter
of 8 m and core refractive index of 1.5. The relative refractive index difference
between operating wavelengths is 1.55m.Calculate the critical radius of curvature at
which bending loss occur in the fiber.
6. Explain about intrinsic and extrinsic absorption exists in optical fibers
7. Explain about the following: (i) Material dispersion. (ii) Wave guide dispersion
8. What are dispersion mechanisms causing pulse broadening in an optical fiber? Elaborate
how material dispersion results in signal distortion?
9. Compute the amount of intermodal delay in a 3km step index multimode fiber with
NA=0.22 and n1=1.48
10. Explain material dispersion and waveguide dispersion
11. Explain fiber birefringence and polarization maintaining fibers.
12. What is modal noise and explain
13. Define and distinguish between the different types of signal distortion in optical fibers
14. Write notes on broadening of the pulse in the fiber dispersion
15. Wxplain the bending losses in optical fibers

UNIT IV
1. Two multimode step index fibers have NAs of 0.2 and 0.4 respectively and both have the
same core refractive index which is 1.48. Estimate the insertion loss at a joint in each
fiber caused by a 50 angular misalignment of the fiber core axes. It may be assumed that
the medium between the fibers in air.
2. Explain the intrinsic coupling losses at fiber joint due to mismatch of core diameter, NA
and refractive index profile difference.
3. Illustrate various types of misalignments in losses while splicing and joining optical
fibers
4. Write about optical isolators and circulators
5. Explain about fiber couplers

6. Explain clearly about the mechanical misalignments.

7. Explain about fiber splicing
8. What is splicing? Describe any one splicing procedure?
9. Explain about WDM couplers
10. Explain in brief about fiber connectors