FIBRE OPTIC

COMUNICATIONS
AN INTRODUCTION
 OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM:
• An optical fiber transmission link comprises the
elements shown in fig.
• The key sections are a transmitter consisting of a light
source and its associated drive circuitry.
• The receiver consisting of a photo detector plus
amplification and signal restoring circuitry.
• Additional components include optical amplifiers,
connectors, splices, couplers, and regenerators ( for
restoring the signal-shape characteristics).
• The cabled fiber is one of the most important
elements in an optical fiber link.
 OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
• Analogous to copper cables, optical fiber cables can
be installed either aerially, in ducts, undersea or
buried directly in the ground.
• Shorter segments tend to be used when the cables
are pulled through ducts.
• Longer lengths are used in aerial, direct-burial or
undersea applications.
• Splicing together individual cable sections forms
continuous transmission lines for these long-
distance links.
• For undersea installations, the splicing and repeater
—installation functions are carried out on board a
specially designed cable-laying ship.
 OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
• Data is transmitted by sending Laser Light through glass fiber.
• This distinguishes them from traditional communication
systems, which transmit Electrical Signals along copper wires.
• Although optical hardware and transmission media are more
expensive but they can handle higher capacity loads at
significantly faster speeds.
• After decades of developments, optical fiber communication
system has emerged as a better alternative to traditional copper
cabling or wireless communications.
• It offers much greater capacity and higher transmission speeds.
 OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
• It is able to handle multiple transmissions
simultaneously.
• An optical fiber communication system involves the
various components as shown in fig.
• The task of transmitter us to get the electrical signal as
input, convert it into optical signal and send it through
optical fiber cable.
• The working of various elements are discussed below:
• The Signal:
• An optical signal is produced by switching ON and
OFF a laser beam which consists of a series of pulses.
 OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
• The speed of pulses depends on the rate of switching the
Laser Beam ON and OFF, and amount of spreading of pulses
during transmission.
• The effect of spreading of pulses during transmission is
called dispersion.
• The dispersion causes difficulties in distinguishing the
adjacent pulses at receiver end.
• For reducing dispersion effects, different types of fiber can
be combined.
• For achieving high data rates and multiple channel
transmission, sophisticated components are required.
• For limiting dispersion, semiconductor lasers which is used
to generate the light pulses must emit a very narrow range of
wavelengths.
 OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
REGENERATOR:
• A good optical fiber cable can transmit optical signals
more than 100 Kms without amplification.
• So for longer transmission a regenerator is used.
A Regenerator involves following steps:
• Receiving of signal.
• Converting it into electrons
• Amplification of signal
• Converting back to light
• Retransmission of the signal
 OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
• When a signal has to travel for a longer distance. It is
passed through an Optical Amplifier.
• The Optical Amplifier multiplies the strength of the
optical signal.
• Most widely used optical amplifier are made by
doping fibers with erbium atom.
• Erbium is a rare earth element, which absorbs light
energy to amplify weak signals.
• With the use of optical amplifier, the signal can be
transmitted for thousands of kilometers.
 OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
RECEIVER:
• Likewise other communication systems, in optical fiber
communication, the optical signal is attenuated and
distorted due to various losses.
• A Photodiode is used at the receiver to detect the
weaker optical signal.
• There is more complexity in the designing of receiver
in comparison to transmitter.
• The performance of a receiver depends upon the type of
the photo detector.
• There are different types of photodiodes are used for
different range of wavelength i.e. Silicon photodiodes
(800-900nm), Pin photodiode & Avalanche photodiode
(1300-1550-1630 nm)
 OPTICAL FIBER NETWORKING &
COMPONENTS

DRIVE LIGHT
CIRCUIT SOURCE

DRIVE
CIRCUIT

ELECTRONICS

OPTICAL
TRANSMITTER

SIGNAL
PHOTO
OPTICAL RESTORER
DETECTOR
AMPLIFIER
ADVANTAGES OF OPTICAL FIBER
COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
• Very high capacity due to very wide bandwidth.
• Very high speed (optical signals travel with speed
of light).
• Low attenuation (0.15db/km).
• Light in weight, as it is very small in size.
• Repeaters are required after a long distances.
(upto 100 km)
• Chances of further increase in capacity even after
commissioning.
• DWDM Scheme can be used for increasing
transmission capability.
 ADVANTAGES OF OPTICAL FIBER
COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
• It is safer since there are no chances of short
circuiting or earth leakage.
• There is no radiation or induction effect found in
optical fiber.
• It is economical.
• No modulation is required as in electrical signals.
• Optical signals travels through glass fiber, which is
covered by protective layers, it is free from any
external noise.
 n1 = 1.48
n2 = 1.46

1
REFLECTED RAYS
INCIDENT RAYS 1
2 ¢i
n1 3
3
2

¢r 1
n2
REFRACTED RAYS
(principal of total internal reflection)
 The Optical Fibre

Refractive index

8-10 µ m 125 µ m
Core

Cladding
Light propagation in fibre
Light propagation in fibre
 Light propagation in fibre

2
3

3
2
1
 Light propagation in fibre

2
3

3
2
1
 Cabling of fibre :
• Cabling is to protect the fiber during
transportation, installation & operation.
• Cabling protects the optical fibres from
mechanical damage and environmental
degradation.
• Resembles conventional metal cables
externally.
• There are a variety of cable design available
and irrespective of their design fibre optic
cables have the following parts in common :
• Buffer : to protect fibre from outside stress;
materials used - nylon, plastic.
 Cabling of fibre :
• Strength member ; to reduce stress due to
pulling, shearing, and bending; materials used-
textile fiibres (kevlar), or steel.
• Cable filling compound: to prevent moisture
intrusion and migration in the cable.
• Cable jacket : to protect the fibre against cut
and abrasion; material used-polyethylene
polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride or teflon.
 CLASSIFICATION OF OPTICAL
FIBRE
Material Classification
• Allfused-silica-glass fibre: have silica-core and
silica-cladding.
• Plasti-clad-silica (PCS) fibre: have silica core and
plastic cladding.
• All-plastic fibre : have both core and cladding
made up of plastic.

Modal classification :
• Similar to metallic wave guides, there are stable
propagation states of electromagnetic waves in
an optical fibre called modes.
CLASSIFICATION OF OPTICAL
FIBRE
• Fibers can be classified based on number of modes
available for propagation :
- single-mode (SM) fibre.
- Multi-mode (MM) fibre.
Classification based on refractive index profile :
• step index (SI)
• Graded index (GRIN) fibre.
2a 8 - 12 µ m 125 µ m

a) Single mode step-index fiber

2a 50 - 200µ m 125-400µ m

b) Multi mode step-index fiber

2a 50 µ m 125-400µ m

C) Multi mode GRIN fiber

 NUMERICAL APERTURE
Input
Pulse Output
Pulse

Multi Mode Step Index

Multi Mode Graded Index

Single Mode Step Index