Dr.

Michal Lucki

XE32OKS/AE2M32OSS Module 9
Optical communication systems, Optical systems and networks
Passive Optical Networks (PON)
Optical Transport Hierarchy (OTH)
All-optical interferometric demultiplexers
Trends in fiber optics

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

Dr. Michal Lucki

XE32OKS/AE2M32OSS Lecture 9
Optical communication systems, Optical systems and networks

Passive Optical Networks (PON)

Optical Transport Hierarchy (OTH)
All-optical interferometric demultiplexers
Trends in fiber optics

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

Optical Access Networks (OAN)

OAN - Optical Access Networks
AON - Active Optical Networks
PON - Passive Optical Networks
BPON - Broadband PON
EPON - Ethernet PON
GPON - Gigabit PON

Passive Optical Networks (PON) versus Active Optical Networks (AON)

Multipoint networks can be classified according to the functionality of splitters in a following fashion:
PON (Passive Optical Network) splitters split optical power to many channels. In CWDM signals can be
split by optical fitering by using so-called add-drop multiplexors
AON (Active Optical Network) it employs active network components to interconnect network
elements
Note: pay attention to distinguish between AON and OAN, it is confusing

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

Specification of optical signals in Optical Access Networks

Optical system is composed of three function blocks:

Optical transmitter is composed of two key block:

Optical detector, preamplifier, decision circuits

Signal reception:

Excitation circuits and the radiation sources

Optical receiver is composed of four function blocks:

Optical transmitter, transmission medium (optical fiber or free space), and optical receiver

Direct detection IM/DD (Intensity Modulation and Direct Detection), the generated power is
proportional to modulation signal, at the side of receiver it is converted into electrical domain
Coherent detection received radiation is combined with local-generated laser radiation and sent to a
photo detector, which produces mixed electric signal. An electric filter is used to select specific frequency
products from the spectrum. Coherent systems offer specific selectivity and better SNR properties,
however, they are not very popular in commercial systems because they are very complicated and
expensive.

Modulation of optical signals: multistate discrete modulations:

Detection of a carrier phase (PSK Phase Shift Keying, DPSK Differential Phase Shift Keying), amplitude
(ASK Amplitude Shift Keying, PAM Pulse Amplitude Modulation), or both (QPSK Quadrature Phase
Shift Keying, QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), or OFDM - Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiplexing

[L. Boh: Optick komunikan systmy, VUT v Praze, 2010]

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

Specification of optical signals in Optical Access Networks

Simplex transmission with SDM (Space Division Multiplexing), for each direction of transmission there is one fiber
Duplex transmission with WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing), signals are transmitted in one fiber, one
direction of transmission is in the area of 1310 nm, the opposite direction is in the area of 1550 nm
Duplex transmission with FDM (Frequency Division Multiplexing), signals are transmitted in one fiber, directions of
transmission are around one wavelength and they are separated by frequency spacing
Short Haul max. attenuation 16.5 dB in CWDM, min. attenuation 5 dB, reach 30 50 km for P2P
Long Haul max. attenuation 25.5 dB in CWDM, min. attenuation 14 dB, reach 50 80 km for P2P
Typical attenuation of CWDM network elements is 3.5 7.5 dB. EDFA can extend the reach.

IEEE 802.3ah

Optical connection: P2P, reach: 10 km

100BASE-BX10-D/U (Downstream OLT, Upstream ONU) - 1 SMF

100BASE-LX10 - 2 SMFs
1000BASE-BX10-D/U (Downstream OLT, Upstream ONU) - 1 SMF
1000BASE-LX10 - 2 SMFs (or 2 MMF eventually, but the reach is then 550 m)

Optical connection: P2MP - EPON

1000BASE-PX10-D/U (Downstream OLT, Upstream ONU) - 1 SMF, reach: 10 km

1000BASE-PX20-D/U (Downstream OLT, Upstream ONU) - 1 SMF, reach: 20 km

For comparison: metalic line:

10PASS-TS-O/R (Short haul, Central Office/Remote unit) - 10 - 100 Mbps 1 pair of VDSL, reach: 750 m
2BASE-TL-O/R (Long haul, Central Office/Remote unit) - 2 -5.696 Mbit/s 1 pair of SHDSL, reach: 2.7 km

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

Passive Optical Networks PON

EPON
1.25 Gbps in accordance with 1000BASE-PX. For upstream (from user to provider), the wavelength of
1310 nm is used, for downstream, it is 1490 nm.
Type 1 max. reach is 10 km, 16 ONT
Type 2 max. reacj 20 km
APON
ITU-T G.983 specifies the transmission of ATM cells in PON at the transmission speed of 155.52 Mbps
(symmetric transmission) or 622.08 Mbps only for downstream (asymmetric transmission).
BPON
622.04 Mbps was added for so-called BPON (Broadband PON). Two fibers are used for both directions
of transmission or there is one fiber combined with WDM: 1260 - 1360 nm uplink, 1480 - 1500 nm
downlink.
Optionally 1539 - 1565 nm is for 16 + 16 DWDM channels with the 0.8 nm channel spacing, 1550 1560 nm is for distribution of video
GPON
ITU-T G.984 Gigabit PON with nominal rate of 1.244 and 2.488 Gbps (max. 128 users).
Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

Dr. Michal Lucki

XE32OKS/AE2M32OSS Lecture 9
Optical communication systems, Optical systems and networks
Passive Optical Networks (PON)

Optical Transport Hierarchy (OTH)

All-optical interferometric demultiplexers
Trends in fiber optics

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

Optical Transport Hierarchy OTH transport modules withour multiplex

Signals of optical hierarchy are known as OTM (Optical Transport Module). The simpliest option
(zero level) assumes no wavelength multiplex
Hierarchic level

Transmission rate [Mbps]

It can transmit

OTM-0.1

2488.32

STM-16

OTM-0.2

9953.28

STM-64

OTM-0.3

39813.12

STM-256

Optical transport modules with wavelength multiplex

Optical transport modules are denoted as OTM-n.m, where n is the number of channels (operating
wavelengths) and m expresses the type of signal. Different basic rates can be multiplied, potential
combinations refer to OTM-n.123 (2.5; 10; 40 Gbps).
Hierarchic level

Transmission rate [Mbps]

It can transmit

OTM-n.1

n x 2488.32

n x STM-16

OTM-n.2

n x 9953.28

n x STM-64

OTM-n.3

n x 39813.12

n x STM-256

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

Multiplex scheme of Optical Transport Module OTM

OTM is similar to STM in SDH (ITU-T G.709) . OTM transmits Optical Carrier Group OCG (similar to AUG
in SDH). Particular OCC (Optical Channel Carrier) carry OCh (Optical Channel). Optical channels
transmit OTU (Optical Channel Transport Unit)
An OTU frame is done in electric
domain, but it is no a disadvantage,
because this makes the process
independent on SDH and creates the
perspective for direct packet
incorporation.

OPU - OTU the signal is processed in the electric domain, beginning from OCh block, it is processed in
the optical domain. Overal transmission rate of transmitted data is derived from the speed of STM-1
being 155.52 Mbps.
Note:
Optical Channel Payload Unit (OPU) it is possible to map asynchronous / bit-synchronous signals with constant bit rate (CBR) typically
STM; for bit-synchronous mapping there is no stuffing, ATM cells, GFP frames (Generic Framing Procedure).
ODU (Optical Channel Data Unit) is created by adding 3x14 bytes of an overhead ODU-OH.
OTU (Optical Channel Transport Unit) is created by adding an overhead (first 14 bytes of a frame), which provide FAS synchronization and the
indication of errors. FEC (Forward Error Correction) is used for error correctionby usin a Reed-Solomon core.
The code can correct 128 error bytes in each row. The OUT frame contains 4x4080=16320 bytes, from which 4x3808=15232 bytes is an
information field.

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

Multiplex scheme

OTM has its parallel at SDH in STM

SDH signals are mapped to OPU
OPU - OTU signal is processed in electrical dommain
OCh transmits Optical Channel Transport Unit (OTU)
Bbeginning from OCh-block, optical signal is being processed (creation of OTU frame in electrical
domain makes SDH independent on OTU)

Particular Optical Channel Carrier (OCC) carries Optical Channels (OCh)

OTM transmits Optical Carrier Groups (OCG), in OCG, there is multiplexing of channels carrying
signals at different transmission rates.
Total transmission rate of data can be derived from STM-1 155.52 Mbps, description of particular bytes is in
ITU-T G.709

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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Optical Channel Payload Unit (OPU)

It is possible to map the following tributory signals:

asynchronous/ bit-synchronous mapping of signals with constant bit rate (CBR) typically
STM; for bit-synchronous mapping there is no stuffing
ATM cells
GFP frames (Generic Framing Procedure) with the length of 4 65535 bytes with 4 stuff
bytes at maximum
Unspecified signals (bit streams)

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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Optical Channel Data Unit (ODU)

ODU (Optical Channel Data Unit) is created by adding 3x14 bystes of overhead ODU-OH
The OverHead supports tantem connections of TCM signals
OverHead contains service channel for the managements
Provides the indication of errors by BIP-8 method
Provides the indication of defects for the opposite muldex BDI (Backward Defect Indication) and
BEI (Backward Error Indication), as well as the indication of the access point, at which the
corresponding ODU unit was created

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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Optical Channel Transport Unit (OTU)

Optical Channel Transport Unit OUT (not OChTU) comes into existence by adding the following
overhead OTU-OH
OTU-OH is created by 14 bytes at the beginning of a frame, providing frame synchronization FAS,
and the following level of error indication.
The other part of the OverHead, containing 256 bytes provides Forward Error Correction (FEC ) by
using RS code (Reed-Solomon)
RS code can correct 128 error bytes at once
OTU contains 4x4080=16320 bytes, from which
4x3808=15232 bytes is an information field
destined for example for a complete STM frame.

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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Multiplexers and demultiplexers in WDM

Demultiplexing can be done by using:

- the system of optical filters,
- AWG - Arrayed Waveguide Grating,
- FBG - Fiber Bragg Grating
- all-optical demultiplexers basing on
interferometry
In P2P configuration, WDM is used to increase the
transmission speed. In P2MP configuration, WDM is
used to increase the speed and to add and drop
signals at multiplexors
A filter operating as a demultiplexer is transparent for
the first optical channel. All the other channels are
reflected and brought to the following filter, which is
transparent for some other channel. The process is
repeated until one channel is left, which is detected
by the last receiver.

Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers in link topology

Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers in ring topology

with system backup
Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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Dr. Michal Lucki

XE32OKS/AE2M32OSS Lecture 9
Optical communication systems, Optical systems and networks
Passive Optical Networks (PON)
Optical Transport Hierarchy (OTH)

All-optical interferometric demultiplexers

Trends in fiber optics

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

15

All-optical Mach-Zehnder demultiplexer

Optical data pulse entering a Mach-Zehnder
Interferometer (MZI) is splitted at the first splitter
into two branches. Splitted pulses are copies of the
original pulse. One pulse is propagated in the arm
with Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA), the
other is propagated in a reference arm. If there are
no control pulses in SOA, both data pulses interfere
at the output splitter. By the property of the splitter,
the resultant pulse is transmitted to Output 2.
There is no signal at Output 1 .
A control pulse sent to SOA has as its aim to change the density of states and thus to increase the
refractive index. It means that the phase velocity of a pulse going through SOA is changed and there will
be a phase shift between the pulse in the reference arm and the arm with SOA. In an ideal case, the
phase shift is and the data pulse will be directed to Output 1 instead of Output 2. For a phase shift
being <, the resultant pulse is splitted again and some part of the energy goes to Output 1, the
remaining energy goes to Output 2.
This example describes the principle of operation of a simple OTDM demultiplexer. More sophisticated
demultiplexors use two SOA placed in both arms. (it is so-called symmetric MZI).
[A. Kumpera, www.access.feld.cvut.cz - optick st - Celooptick interferometrick spnae]
Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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All-optical Sagnac-type switch

Sagnac Interferometer - SI switch (know also as SLALOM) is created by a fiber loop, containing SOA and
an input-optput beam splitter. The principle of operation is similar to the operation of MZI. On the
contrary to MZI, data pulse and its copy are propagated in one fiber in opposite directions. Such
configuration ensures an ideal symmetry of an interferometer (the loop replaces the presence of two
different arms in MZI).
Data pulse is splitted into two pulses that are propagated in the
opposite directions. If there is no control pulse in SOA, both pulses
pass the same optical paths and interfere at a beam splitter. By the
property of used beam splitter, the resultant pulse goes back to
Input port.
To start switching, certain asymmetry must be introduced. The
position of SOA cannot be in the half of the loop. The asymmetry
is responsible for the time delay between entering both data
pulses into SOA so that only one pulse can enter SOA, when there
is a control pulse.
Since control pulse is sent to SOA, there is an additional phase
shift between the two data pulses, which causes that the pulse
created by the constructive interference is sent to Output.
[A. Kumpera, www.access.feld.cvut.cz - optick st - Celooptick interferometrick spnae]
Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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Dr. Michal Lucki

XE32OKS/AE2M32OSS Lecture 9
Optical communication systems, Optical systems and networks
Passive Optical Networks (PON)
Optical Transport Hierarchy (OTH)
All-optical interferometric demultiplexers

Trends in fiber optics

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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Trends and goals of optical systems

The increase of transmission capacity and the maximum reach, which is a priority for vast networks,
and undersea connections
The conception of all-optical networks, in which routing and signal processing is done in an optical
domain.
The avoidance of dispersion compensation, amplitude amplification etc.) the use of more
complicated modulation formats, more immune to errors for 100 Gbps systems the Dual
Polarization Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying DP-DQSK is combined with Forward Error
Correction FEC and the Electronic Dispersion Compensation EDC.
First optical systems were designated for digital voice services e.g. SDH (Synchronous Digital
Hierarchy), as according to ITU-T G.707 a SONET (Synchronous Optical Networking).
Currently optical networks cover data networks with protocol architecture TCP/IP based on packet
transmission of information.
SDH and SONET dont satisfy the principles of packet transmission
There is idea of IP over WDM so that the SDH level is not necessary and packets are transmitted in
optical domain.

[L. Boh: Optick komunikan systmy, VUT v Praze, 2010]

Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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Why are the results of research implemented in commerce with delay?

In 2001, the NEC company (one of the world's leading providers of Internet) implemented a
11 Tbps transmission by using DWDM technology in laboratory conditions (in-situ) at the distance
of 100 km. There were 273 wavelengths, each channel had the speed of 40 Gbps.
In 2006, a Japan enterprise NTT achieved the speed of 14 Tbps at the distance of 160 km by using
140 DWDM channels, each operating at 100 Gbps. In addition, it was stated that the bandwidth
was used in 10%, which means that in the future, the resultant speed could be even much higher.
Commercial DWDM systems exhibit the speed of about 2.4 Tbit/s = 40 - 60 DWDM channels,
each channel operating at the speed of 10 - 40 Gbps per channel.
Usually, the results of research are implemented in commerce 5-10 years later. The reasons are
following:

A strong commercial partner must be found

Equipment and network elements used in laboratory conditions cannot be used in practice, for example
for outside installations because of limited reliability
Serial production must be running (the price, properties and dimensions of a product must be optimized)
Only solutions that are economically successful (they can earn money) can be implemented
Proposed solutions must be standardized (for example by ITU-T), which means long negotiations and
providing the compatibility with existing installations.
[L. Boh: Optick komunikan systmy, VUT v Praze, 2010]
Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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Selected ITU-T recommendations

G.694.2. Spectral grids for WDM applications: CWDM wavelength grid. 12-2003.
G.695. Optical interfaces for CWDM . 07-2004.
G.983.1. Broadband optical access systems based on Passive Optical Network (PON). 10-1998.
G.983.2. ONT management and control interface specification for B-PON. 06-2002.
G.983.3. A broadband optical access system with increased service capability by wavelength allocation.
03-2001
G.983.4. A broadband optical access system with increased service capability usny dynamic bandwidth
assignment. 11-2001.
G.983.5. A broadband optical access system with enhanced survivability. 01-2002.
G.983.6. ONT management and control interface specifications for B-PON systm with protection
features. 06-2002.
G.983.7. ONT management and control interface specification for dynamic bandwidth assignment (DBA)
B-PON systm. 11-2001.
G.983.8. B-PON OMCI support for IP, ISDN, video, VLAN tagging, VC crossconnections and other select
functions. 03-2003.
G.984.1. Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Networks (GPON): General characteristics. 03-2003.
G.984.2. Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Networks (GPON): Physical Media Dependent (PMD) layer
specification. 03-2003.
G.985. 100 Mbit/s point-to-point Ethernet based optical access systm. 03-2003.
End of presentation, end of lectures
Ing. Michal Lucki, PhD.

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