QUESTIONS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13-1. Define a fiber-optic system.

13-2. What is the relationship between information capacity and bandwidth?
13-3. What development in 1951 was a substantial breakthrough in the field of fiber optics? In 1960? In
1970?
13-4. Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of fiber-optic cables and metallic cables.
13-5. Outline the primary building blocks of a fiber-optic system.
13-6. Contrast glass and plastic fiber cables.
13-7. Briefly describe the construction of a fiber-optic cable.
13-8. Define the following terms: velocity of propagation, refraction, and refractive index.
13-9. State Snell's law for refraction and outline its significance in fiber-optic cables.
13-10. Define critical angle
13-11. Describe what is meant by mode of operation; by index profile.
13-12. Describe a step-index fiber cable; a graded-index cable.
13-13. Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of step-index, graded-index, single-mode, and
multimode propagation.
13-14. Why is single-mode propagation impossible with graded-index fibers?
13-15. Describe the source-to-fiber aperture.
13-16. What are the acceptance angle arid the acceptance cone for a fiber cable?
13-17. Define numerical aperture.
13-18. List and briefly describe the losses associated with fiber cables.
13-19. What is pulse spreading?
13-20. Define pulse spreading constant.
13-21. List and briefly describe the various coupling losses.
13-22. Briefly describe the operation of a light-emitting diode.
13-23. What are the two primary types of LEDs?
13-24. Briefly describe the operation of an injection laser diode.
13-25. What is lasing?
13-26. Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of LDs and LEDs.
13-27. Briefly describe the function of a photodiode.
13-28. Describe the photoelectric effect.
13-29. Explain the difference between a PN diode and an APD.
13-30. List and describe the primary characteristics of light detectors.

PROBLEMSS------------------------------------------------------------------------

13-1. Determine the wavelengths in nanometers and angstroms for the following light frequencies
a. 3.45 x 10 14 Hz
b. 3.62 x 10 14 Hz
c. 3.21 x 10 14 Hz
13-2. Determine the light frequency for the following wavelengths:
a. 670 nm
b. 7800Å
c. 710 nm
13-3. For a glass (n = 1.5)/quartz (n = 1.38) interface and an angle of incidence of 35 o, determine the
angle of refraction.
13-4. Determine the critical angle for the fiber described in problem 13-3.
13-5. Determine the acceptance angle for the cable described in problem 13-3.
13-6. Determine the numerical aperture for the cable described in problem 13-3.
13-7. Determine the maximum bit rate for RZ and NRZ encoding for the following pulse-spreading
constants and cable lengths:
a. At = 10 ns/m, L = 100 m
b. At = 20 ns/m, L = 1000 m
c. At = 2000 ns/km, L = 2 km
13-8. Determine the lowest light frequency that can be detected by a photodiode with an energy gap = 1.2
eV.
13-9. Determine the wavelengths in nanometers and angstroms for the following light frequencies.
a. 3.8 x 10 14 Hz
b. 3.2 X 10 14 Hz
c. 3.5 x 10 14 Hz
13-10. Determine the light frequencies for the following wavelengths:
a. 650 nm
b. 7200 Å
c. 690 nm
13-11. For a glass (n = 1.5)/quartz (n = 1.41) interface and an angle of incidence of 38o, determine the
angle of refraction.
13-12. Determine the critical angle for the fiber described in problem 13-11.
13-13. Determine the acceptance angle for the cable described in problem 13-11.
13-14. Determine the numerical aperture for the cable described in problem 13-11.
13-15. Determine the maximum bit rate for RZ and NRZ encoding for the following pulse-spreading
constants and cable lengths:
a. At = 14 ns/m, L = 200 m
b. At = 10 ns/m, L = 50 m
c. At = 20 ns/m, L = 200 m
13-16. Determine the lowest light frequency that can be detected by a photodiode with an energy gap =
1.25 eV.
13-17. Determine the optical power received in dBm and watts for a 24-km optical fiber link with the
following parameters:
LED output power of 20 mW
Six 4-km sections of optical cable each with a loss of 0.6 dB/km
Three cable-to-cable connectors with a loss of 2.1 dB each
No cable splices
Light source-to-fiber interface loss of 2.2 dB
Fiber-to-light detector loss of 1.8 dB
No losses due to cable bends