Multiplexing Techniques

in Optical Networks: WDM

Dr Manoj Kumar
Professor & Head(ECE)
DAVIET, Jalandhar

Multiple Access Methods

TDMA Time Division Multiple Access
Done in the electrical domain

SCMA Sub Carrier Multiple Access

FDM done in the electrical domain

CDMA Code Division Multiple Access

Not very popular

WDMA Wavelength Division Multiple

Access (The most promising)

Sub Carrier Multiplexing

Widely used in CATV distribution

A Closer Look.
Baseband
Data

Baseband-RF
Modulation

RF-Optical
Modulation

Two different Modulations

for each RF Carrier !

Baseband
Data

RF-Baseband
Demodulation

Gain
BPF
1.8 GHz

Optical - RF
Demodulation
200 THz

Transm
itting
End

Single
Mode
Fiber

Receiving
End

Sub Carrier
Multiplexing
Unmodulated
(main) carrier
f2

f2
f1

f1

f0

Frequency

Sub-carriers

Each modulating RF carrier will look like a subcarrier

Unmodulated optical signal is the main carrier
Frequency division multiplexed (FDM) multi
channel systems also called as SCM

Sub Carrier Multiplexing

Ability to both analog and digitally
modulated sub-carriers
Each RF carrier may carry voice, data,
HD video or digital audio
They may be modulated on RF carriers
using different techniques
Performance analysis is not
straightforward

CATV Distribution
50-88 MHz and 120-550 MHz spectrum is
allocated for CATV
Either AM or FM technique for RF Optical
conversion
AM: Simple implementation, but SNR > 40 dB
for each channel, high linearity required
FM: The information is frequency modulated
on RF before intensity modulating the laser,
better SNR and less linearity requirement

TDMA
Signals are multiplexed in time
This could be done in electrical domain
(TDMA) or optical domain (OTDMA)
Highly time synchronized
transmitter/receiver
Stable and precise clocks
Most widely used (SONET, GPON etc.)

Wavelength Division multiplexing

Each wavelength is like a separate channel (fiber)

SONET

TDM Vs WDM

Wavelength Division Multiplexing

Passive/active devices are needed to

combine, distribute, isolate and amplify
optical power at different wavelengths

Why WDM?
Capacity upgrade of existing fiber
networks (without adding fibers)
Transparency: Each optical channel can
carry any transmission format (different
asynchronous bit rates, analog or digital)
Scalability Buy and install equipment for
additional demand as needed
Wavelength routing and switching:
Wavelength is used as another
dimension to time and space

Evolution of the Technology

Review of Modes
Multimode Fiber: There are several electromagnetic modes that are stable within the fiber,
Ex: TE01, TM01
The injected power from the source is distributed
across all these modes
WDM is not possible with multimode fibers
Single Mode Fiber: Only the fundamental mode will
exist.
All the coupled energy will be in this mode. This
mode occupies a very narrow spectrum making
Wavelength Division Multiplexing possible

Multimode Laser Spectrum

Multimode Lasers
are not suitable
for DWDM systems
(two wide spectrum)

Photo detector Responsivity

Photo detectors are
sensitive over wide
spectrum (600 nm).
Hence, narrow optical
filters needed to
separate channels
before the detection
in DWDM systems

Optical
Amplifiers
are key in
DWDM
systems

WDM, CWDM and DWDM

WDM technology uses multiple wavelengths to
transmit information over a single fiber
Coarse WDM (CWDM) has wider channel spacing (20
nm) low cost
Dense WDM (DWDM) has dense channel spacing (0.8
nm) which allows simultaneous transmission of 16+
wavelengths high capacity

WDM and DWDM

First WDM networks used just two wavelengths,
1310 nm and 1550 nm
Today's DWDM systems utilize 16, 32,64,128 or
more wavelengths in the 1550 nm window
Each of these wavelength provide an
independent channel (Ex: each may transmit 10
Gb/s digital or SCMA analog)
The range of standardized channel grids
includes 50, 100, 200 and 1000 GHz spacing
Wavelength spacing practically depends on:
laser linewidth
optical filter bandwidth

ITU-T Standard Transmission DWDM

windows

c
2

Principles of DWDM

BW of a modulated laser: 10-50 MHz 0.001 nm

Typical Guard band: 0.4 1.6 nm
80 nm or 14 THz @1300 nm band
120 nm or 15 THz @ 1550 nm
Discrete wavelengths form individual channels that
can be modulated, routed and switched individually
These operations require variety of passive and
active devices

c
2

Ex. 10.1

Nortel OPTERA 640 System

64 wavelengths each carrying 10 Gb/s

Key components for WDM

Passive Optical Components
Wavelength Selective Splitters
Wavelength Selective Couplers
Active Optical Components
Tunable Optical Filter
Tunable Source
Optical amplifier
Add-drop Multiplexer and De-multiplexer

DWDM Limitations
Theoretically large number of channels
can be packed in a fiber

For physical realization of DWDM

networks we need precise
wavelength selective devices
Optical amplifiers are imperative to
provide long transmission
distances without repeaters

Types of Fiber
Dispersion Optimized Fiber:
Non-zero dispersion shifted fiber (NZ-DSF) 4
ps/nm/km near 1530-1570nm band
Avoids four-way mixing

Dispersion Compensating Fiber:

Standard fiber has 17 ps/nm/km; DCF has -100
ps/nm/km
100 km of standard fiber followed by 17 km of
DCF zero dispersion

Summary
DWDM plays an important role in high
capacity optical networks
Theoretically enormous capacity is possible
Practically wavelength selective (optical
signal processing) components decide it
Passive signal processing elements like FBG
are attractive
Optical amplifications is imperative to realize
DWDM networks