INTRODUCTION

TO FIBER OPTICS
?
World Headquarters: 55 Cabot Court
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Tel: (631) 273-0404
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Fax: +65 293 1538
Email: csiasia@commspecial.com A Communications Specialties, Inc. Education Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Brief Introduction ...........................................................2

Advantages of Fiber Optic Systems ...........................3
Optical Transmitters .........................................................5
The Optical Fiber .............................................................8
Launching the Light ...................................................8
Types of Optical Fiber ................................................9
Losses in Optical Fiber ..............................................10
Optical Fiber Bandwidth .............................................11
Fiber Optic Cable Construction ..................................12
Other Types of Fibers .................................................12
Optical Connectors ....................................................13
Optical Splices ...........................................................14
Optical Receivers .............................................................15
Designing a Fiber Optic System ......................................18
System Design Check List ...............................................19
Contact Information ....................................................20

Communications Specialties, Inc. 1

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

O ur current “age of technology” is the result of many brilliant in-

ventions and discoveries, but it is our ability to transmit information, and the
media we use to do it, that is perhaps most responsible for its evolution. Progress-
ing from the copper wire of a century ago to today’s fiber optic cable, our increas-
ing ability to transmit more information, more quickly and over longer distances
has expanded the boundaries of our technological development in all areas.
Today’s low-loss glass fiber optic cable offers almost unlimited bandwidth and
unique advantages over all previously developed transmission media. The basic
point-to-point fiber optic transmission system consists of three basic elements: the
optical transmitter, the fiber optic cable and the optical receiver. (See Figure 1.)

Signal Input Signal Output

OPTICAL
Fiber Optic Cable OPTICAL
TRANSMITTER RECEIVER

Figure 1. Basic Fiber Optic Transmission System

The Optical Transmitter: The transmitter converts an electrical analog or digital
signal into a corresponding optical signal. The source of the optical signal can be
either a light emitting diode, or a solid state laser diode. The most popular wave-
lengths of operation for optical transmitters are 850, 1300 or 1550 nanometers.
Most Fiberlink transmission equipment manufactured by
Communications Specialties operates at wavelengths of 850 or 1300nm.
The Fiber Optic Cable: The cable consists of one or more glass fibers, which act
as waveguides for the optical signal. Fiber optic cable is similar to electrical cable in
its construction, but provides special protection for the optical fiber within. For sys-
tems requiring transmission over distances of many kilometers, or where two or
more fiber optic cables must be joined together, an optical splice is commonly used.
The Optical Receiver: The receiver converts the optical signal back into a replica
of the original electrical signal. The detector of the optical signal is either a PIN-
type photodiode or avalanche-type photodiode.
Most Fiberlink receiving equipment uses PIN-type photodiodes.

2 An Introduction To Fiber Optics

Advantages of Fiber Optics Systems
Fiber optic transmission systems – a fiber optic transmitter and receiver,
connected by fiber optic cable – offer a wide range of benefits not offered
by traditional copper wire or coaxial cable. These include:

1. The ability to carry much more in- 5. Since the only carrier in the fiber is
formation and deliver it with greater light, there is no possibility of a spark
fidelity than either copper wire or co- from a broken fiber. Even in the most
axial cable. explosive of atmospheres, there is no
fire hazard, and no danger of electri-
2. Fiber optic cable can support much cal shock to personnel repairing bro-
higher data rates, and at greater dis- ken fibers.
tances, than coaxial cable, making it
ideal for transmission of serial digital 6. Fiber optic cables are virtually un-
data. affected by outdoor atmospheric con-
ditions, allowing them to be lashed di-
3. The fiber is totally immune to vir- rectly to telephone poles or existing
tually all kinds of interference, includ- electrical cables without concern for
ing lightning, and will not conduct extraneous signal pickup.
electricity. It can therefore come in
direct contact with high voltage elec- 7. A fiber optic cable, even one that
trical equipment and power lines. It contains many fibers, is usually much
will also not create ground loops of smaller and lighter in weight than a
any kind. wire or coaxial cable with similar in-
formation carrying capacity. It is easier
4. As the basic fiber is made of glass, to handle and install, and uses less duct
it will not corrode and is unaffected space. (It can frequently be installed
by most chemicals. It can be buried without ducts.)
directly in most kinds of soil or ex-
posed to most corrosive atmospheres 8. Fiber optic cable is ideal for secure
in chemical plants without significant communications systems because it is
concern. very difficult to tap but very easy to
monitor. In addition, there is absolutely
no electrical radiation from a fiber.

How are fiber optic cables able to provide all of these advantages? This guide will
provide an overview of fiber optic technology – with sections devoted to each of
the three system components – transmitters, receivers, and the fiber cable itself.
An appreciation of the underlying technology will provide a useful framework for
understanding the reasons behind its many benefits.

Communications Specialties, Inc. 3

OPTICAL TRANSMITTERS SYSTEM DESIGN CHECKLIST

T he basic optical transmitter converts electrical input signals into modulated

light for transmission over an optical fiber. Depending on the nature of this
signal, the resulting modulated light may be turned on and off or may be linearly
Application (Brief description of intended use):

varied in intensity between two predetermined levels. Figure 2 shows a graphic

representation of these two basic schemes.
Analog Signal Parameters:
Input Voltage
Intensity
Input Impedance
Output Voltage
Output Impedance
Signal/Noise Ratio
On-OFF Modulation Linear Modulation
DC or AC Coupling
Bandwidth
Figure 2. Basic Optical Modulation Methods
Signal Connectors
Other Details:

Digital Signal Parameters:

The most common devices used as the are much more economical, quite lin-
light source in optical transmitters are ear in terms of light output versus elec- Compatibility (RS-232, 422, 485 etc)
the light emitting diode (LED) and trical current input and stable in terms
the laser diode (LD). In a fiber optic of light output versus ambient operat-
system, these devices are mounted in ing temperature. LDs, on the other Data Rate
a package that enables an optical fi- hand, have very small light emitting DC or AC Coupling
ber to be placed in very close proxim- surfaces and can couple many times Bit Error Rate
ity to the light emitting region in order more power to the fiber than LEDs.
to couple as much light as possible into LDs are also linear in terms of light Signal Connectors
the fiber. In some cases, the emitter is output versus electrical current input, Other Details
even fitted with a tiny spherical lens but unlike LEDs, they are not stable
to collect and focus “every last drop” over wide operating temperature
Power Supply Requirements:
of light onto the fiber and in other ranges and require more elaborate cir-
cases, a fiber is “pigtailed” directly onto cuitry to achieve acceptable stability. Voltage Available
the actual surface of the emitter. In addition, their added cost makes Current Available
them primarily useful for applications
LEDs have relatively large emitting ar- that require the transmission of sig- AC, DC
eas and as a result are not as good nals over long distances. Power Connectors
light sources as LDs. However, they
are widely used for short to moderate LEDs and LDs operate in the infra- Other Details
transmission distances because they red portion of the electromagnetic

4 An Introduction To Fiber Optics Communications Specialties, Inc. 17

spectrum so that their light output is base drive for the transistor. Overall
OPTICAL
usually invisible to the human eye. TRANSMITTERS
speed is then determined by the cir-
Their operating wavelengths are cho- cuitry and the inherent speed of the
sen to be compatible with the lowest LED or LD. Used in this manner,
transmission loss wavelengths of glass speeds of several hundred megahertz
fibers and highest sensitivity ranges of are readily achieved for LEDs and
photodiodes. The most common wave- thousands of megahertz for LDs.
lengths in use today are 850 nanom- Temperature stabilization circuitry for
eters, 1300 nanometers, and 1550 na- the LD has been omitted from this
nometers. Both LEDs and LDs are example for simplicity. LEDs do not
available in all three wavelengths. normally require any temperature sta-
bilization.
LEDs and LDs, as previously stated,
are modulated in one of two ways; Linear modulation of an LED or LD
on and off, or linearly. Figure 3 shows is accomplished by the operational
simplified circuitry to achieve either amplifier circuit of figure 3B. The in-
method with an LED or LD. As can verting input is used to supply the
be seen from Figure 3A, a transistor modulating drive to the LED or LD
is used to switch the LED or LD on while the non-inverting input supplies
and off in step with an input digital a DC bias reference. Once again,
signal. This signal can be converted temperature stabilization circuitry for
from almost any digital format by the the LD has been omitted from this
appropriate circuitry, into the correct example for simplicity.

+
Input

Input

3A 3B

Figure 3. Methods of Modulating LEDs or Laser Diodes

Communications Specialties, Inc. 5

Digital on/off modulation of an LED or LD can take a number of forms. The
simplest, as we have already seen, is light-on for a logic “1”, and light-off for
a logic “0”. Two other common forms are pulse width modulation and pulse
rate modulation. In the former, a constant stream of pulses is produced with
one width signifying a logic “1” and another width, a logic “0”. In the latter,
the pulses are all of the same width but the pulse rate changes to differentiate
between logic “1” and logic “0”.

Intensity

Linear On-Off Pulse Width Pulse Rate

.Figure 4. Various Methods to Optically Transmit Analog Information

Analog modulation can also take a – on the order of 1,000,000 GHz.

number of forms. The simplest is in- The output bandwidth of the light
tensity modulation where the bright- produced by LEDs and Laser diodes
ness of an LED is varied in direct is quite wide. Unfortunately, today’s
step with the variations of the trans- technology does not allow this band-
mitted signal. In other methods, an width to be selectively used in the
RF carrier is first frequency modu- way that conventional radio fre-
lated with another signal or, in some quency transmissions are utilized.
cases, several RF carriers are sepa- Rather, the entire optical bandwidth
rately modulated with separate sig- is turned on and off in the same way
nals, then all are combined and that early “spark transmitters” (in
transmitted as one complex wave- the infancy of radio), turned wide
form. portions of the RF spectrum on and
off. However, with time, research-
Figure 4 shows all of the above
ers will overcome this obstacle and
modulation methods as a function of
“coherent transmissions”, as they
light output.
are called, will become the direc-
The equivalent operating frequency tion in which the fiber optic field
of light, which is, after all, electro- progresses.
magnetic radiation, is extremely high
6 An Introduction To Fiber Optics
THE OPTICAL FIBER
Launching the Light

O nce the transmitter has converted

the electrical input signal into
whatever form of modulated light is
When the proximity type of coupling
is employed, the amount of light that
will enter the fiber is a function of one
desired, the light must be “launched” of four factors: the intensity of the
into the optical fiber. LED or LD, the area of the light emit-
ting surface, the acceptance angle of
As previously mentioned, there are
the fiber, and the losses due to reflec-
two methods whereby light is coupled
tions and scattering. Following is a
into a fiber. One is by pigtailing. The
short discussion on each:
other is by placing the fiber’s tip in
very close proximity to an LED or LD.

Intensity: The intensity of an LED or LD is a function of its design and is

usually specified in terms of total power output at a particular drive current. Some-
times, this figure is given as actual power that is delivered into a particular type of
fiber. All other factors being equal, more power provided by an LED or LD trans-
lates to more power “launched” into the fiber.
Area: The amount of light “launched” into a fiber is a function of the area of the
light emitting surface compared to the area of the light accepting core of the fiber.
The smaller this ratio is, the more light that is “launched” into the fiber.
Acceptance Angle: The acceptance angle of a fiber is expressed in terms of
numeric aperture. The numerical aperture (NA) is defined as the sine of one half
of the acceptance angle of the fiber. Typical NA values are 0.1 to 0.4 which
correspond to acceptance angles of 11 degrees to 46 degrees. Optical fibers will
only transmit light that enters at an angle that is equal to or less than the accep-
tance angle for the particular fiber.
Other Losses: Other than opaque obstructions on the surface of a fiber, there is
always a loss due to reflection from the entrance and exit surface of any fiber. This
loss is called the Fresnell Loss and is equal to about 4% for each transition between air
and glass. There are special coupling gels that can be applied between glass surfaces
to reduce this loss when necessary.

Communications Specialties, Inc. 7

Types of Optical Fiber

There are two types of fiber constructions in use today: step index and graded
index. As Figure 5 illustrates, light propagates through these different types of
fiber in two different ways.

Step
Step Index

Graded

Graded Index

Figure 5, Light Propogation Through Step and Graded Index Fibers

As shown in the drawing, step index Optical fiber is commonly character-

fiber consists of a core of low loss ized in terms of the core/cladding di-
glass surrounded by a cladding of even mensions, which are given in microns.
lower refractive index glass. This dif- Currently, there are three popular sizes
ference in refractive index between in general use although other sizes do
the two types of glass causes light to exist for special applications. These
continually “bounce” between the are 50/125 and 62.5/125 multimode fi-
core/cladding interface along the en- ber and 8-10/125 single-mode fiber.
tire length of the fiber. In graded in- The 50 and 62.5 micron core fibers
dex fiber, only one type of glass is are usually driven by LEDs, and most
used, but it is treated so that the index commonly used for short and medium
of refraction gradually decreases as length point-to-point transmission sys-
the distance from the core increases. tems. The 8-10 micron core fiber is
The result of this construction is that driven by a laser diode and is most
light continuously bends toward the often used for long distance telecom-
center of the fiber much like a con- munications purposes.
tinuous lens.

8 An Introduction To Fiber Optics

Losses in Optical Fiber

Other than the losses exhibited when Most general purpose optical fiber ex-
coupling LEDs or LDs into a fiber, hibits losses of 4 to 6 dB per km (a
there are losses that occur as the light 60% to 75% loss per km) at a wave-
travels through the actual fiber. length of 850nm. When the wave-
length is changed to 1300nm, the loss
The core of an optical fiber is made
drops to about 3 to 4 dB (50% to 60%)
of ultra-pure low-loss glass. Consid-
per km. At 1550nm, it is even lower.
ering that light has to pass through
Premium fibers are available with loss
thousands of feet or more of fiber
figures of 3 dB (50%) per km at
core, the purity of the glass must be
850nm and 1 dB (20%) per km at
extremely high. To appreciate the pu-
1300nm. Losses of 0.5 dB (10%) per
rity of this glass, consider the glass in
km at 1550 nm are not uncommon.
common windowpanes. We think of
These losses are primarily the result
windowpanes as “clear,” allowing light
of random scattering of light and ab-
to pass freely through, but this is be-
sorption by actual impurities within the
cause they are only 1/16 to ¼ inch
glass.
thick. In contrast to this clear appear-
ance, the edges of a broken window- Another source of loss within the fi-
pane look green and almost opaque. ber is due to excessive bending, which
In this case, the light is passing edge- causes some of the light to leave the
wise into the glass, through several core area of the fiber. The smaller the
inches. Just imagine how little light bend radius, the greater the loss. Be-
would be able to pass through a thou- cause of this, bends along a fiber op-
sand feet of window glass! tic cable should have a turning radius
of at least an inch.

Optical Fiber Bandwidth

All of the above attenuation factors result in simple attenuation that is indepen-
dent of bandwidth. In other words, a 3 dB loss means that 50% of the light will be
lost whether it is being modulated at10Hz or 100 MHz. There is an actual band-
width limitation of optical fiber however, and this is measured in MHz per km.
The easiest way to understand why this loss occurs is to refer to Figure 6 (next
page).

Communications Specialties, Inc. 9

As Figure 6 illustrates, a ray of light that enters a fiber relatively straight or at a
slight angle (M1) has a shorter path through the fiber than light which enters at an
angle close to the maximum acceptance angle (M2). As a result, different rays
(or modes) of light reach the end of fiber at different times, even though the
orginal source is the same LED or LD. This produces a “smearing” effect or
uncertainty as to where the start and end of the pulse occurs at the output end of
the fiber - which in turn limits the maximum frequency that can be transmitted. In
short, the less modes, the higher the bandwidth of the fiber. The way that the

Core Cladding Layer

M1

M2

Figure 6, Different Light Path Lengths Determine the Bandwidth of a Fiber

number of modes is reduced is by of fiber increases, its bandwidth will

making the core of the fiber as small decrease proportionally. For example,
as possible. Single-mode fiber, with a a fiber cable that can support 500
core measuring only 8 to 10 microns MHz bandwidth at a distance of one
in diameter, has a much higher band- kilometer will only be able to support
width because it allows only a few 250 MHz at 2 kilometers and 100
modes of light to propagate along its MHz at 5 kilometers.
core. Fibers with a wider core diam-
eter, such as 50 and 62.5 microns, al-
Because single-mode fiber has such a
low many more modes to propagate
high inherent bandwidth, the “bandwidth
and are therefore referred to as “mul-
reduction as a function of length” fac-
timode” fibers.
tor is not a real issue of concern when
using this type of fiber. However, it is a
Typical bandwidth for common fibers
consideration when using multimode fi-
range from a few MHz per km for
ber, as its maximum bandwidth often
very large core fibers, to hundreds of
falls within the range of the signals most
MHz per km for standard multimode
often used in point-to-point transmission
fiber, to thousands of MHz per km for
systems.
single-mode fibers. And as the length

10 An Introduction To Fiber Optics

Fiber Optic Cable Construction
Fiber optic cable comes in all sizes Around the loose tube is a braided
and shapes. Like coaxial cable, its Kevlar yarn strength member which
actual construction is a function of its absorbs most of the strain put on the
intended application. It also has a simi- fiber during installation. Finally, a PVC
lar “feel” and appearance. Figure 7 outer jacket seals the cable and pre-
is a sketch of a typical fiber optic vents moisture from entering.
cable.
Basic optical fiber is ideal for most
The basic optical fiber is provided with inter-building applications where ex-
a buffer coating which is mainly used treme ruggedness is not required. In
for protection during the manufactur- addition to the “basic” variety, it is also
ing process. This fiber is then enclosed available for just about any applica-
in a central PVC loose tube which al- tion, including direct buried, armored,
lows the fiber to flex and bend, par- rodent resistant cable with steel outer
ticularly when going around corners jacket, and UL approved plenum
or when being pulled through conduits. grade cable. Color-coded, multi-fiber
cable is also available.

Outer PVC Jacket Kevlar Yarn Strength Member

Central PVC Tube Actual Optical Fiber

Figure 7, Construction of a Typical fiber Optic Cable

Other Types of Fibers

Two additional types of fiber – very large core diameter silica fiber and fiber
made completely of plastic – are normally not employed for data transmission.
Silica fiber is typically used in applications involving high-power lasers and sen-
sors, such as medical laser surgery.
All-plastic fiber is useful for very short data links within equipment because it
may be used with relatively inexpensive LEDs. An isolation system for use as
part of a high voltage power supply would be a typical example of an application
for plastic fiber.
Communications Specialties, Inc. 11
Optical Connectors

Optical connectors are the means by which fiber optic cable is usually connected
to peripheral equipment and to other fibers. These connectors are similar to their
electrical counterparts in function and outward appearance but are actually high
precision devices. In operation, the connector centers the small fiber so that its
light gathering core lies directly over and in line with the light source (or other

Fiber Cable
Hex Shaped
Crimp Ring
Threaded Cap

High Precision
Alignment Sleeve Round Center Pin

Optical Fiber
Access Hole
Retaining "C" Ring

Figure 8, Construction of SMA Connector

fiber) to tolerances of a few ten thou- for telecommunications purposes, this

sandths of an inch. Since the core size connector uses a twist lock type of
of common 50 micron fiber is only design and provides lower overall
0.002 inches, the need for such ex- losses than the SMA. A typical mated
treme tolerances is obvious. pair of ST connectors will exhibit less
than 1 dB (20%) of loss and does not
There are many different types of op-
require alignment sleeves or other
tical connectors in use today. The
similar devices. The inclusion of an
SMA connector, which was first de-
“anti-rotation tab” assures that every
veloped before the invention of single-
time the connectors are mated, the fi-
mode fiber, was the most popular type
bers always return to the same rota-
of connector until recently. Figure 8
tional position assuring constant, uni-
shows an exploded view of the parts
form performance.
of this connector.
ST connectors are available for both
The most popular type of multimode
multimode and single-mode fibers, the
connector in use today is the ST con-
primary difference being the overall
nector. Initially developed by AT&T
tolerances. Note that multimode ST

12 An Introduction To Fiber Optics

 Center Pin With Knurled Cap With
Fiber Access Hole Bayonet Lock

Anti-rotation Tab Fiber Cable strain Relief

Figure 9, Major Features of the "Industry Standard" ST Connector

connectors will only perform properly with multimode fibers. More expensive
single-mode ST connectors will perform properly with both single-mode and mul-
timode fibers. The installation procedure for the ST connector is very similar to
that of the SMA and requires approximately the same amount of time. Figure 9
shows some of the major features of the typical ST connector.

Optical Splices
While optical connectors can be used of the fiber are held together by fric-
to connect fiber optic cables together, tion or compression, and the splice as-
there are other methods that result in sembly features a locking mechanism
much lower loss splices. Two of the so that the fibers remained aligned.
most common and popular are the me-
A fusion splice, by contrast, involves
chanical splice and the fusion splice.
actually melting (fusing) together the
Both are capable of splice losses in
ends of two pieces of fiber. The re-
the range of 0.15 dB (3%) to 0.1 dB
sult is a continuous fiber without a
(2%).
break. Fusion splices require special
In a mechanical splice, the ends of expensive splicing equipment but can
two pieces of fiber are cleaned and be performed very quickly, so the cost
stripped, then carefully butted together becomes reasonable if done in quan-
and aligned using a mechanical assem- tity. As fusion splices are fragile, me-
bly. A gel is used at the point of con- chanical devices are usually employed
tact to reduce light reflection and keep to protect them.
the splice loss at a minimum. The ends

Communications Specialties, Inc. 13

OPTICAL RECEIVERS

T he basic optical receiver converts

the modulated light coming from
the optical fiber back into a replica of
an excessively noisy output signal or
no signal at all. The only time any sort
of receiver “mismatching” might be
the original signal applied to the trans- considered is when there is so much
mitter. excessive loss in the fiber that the
extra 5 to 15 dB of light coupled into
The detector of this modulated light is
a multimode fiber by a single-mode
usually a photodiode of either the PIN
light source is the only chance to
or the Avalanche type. This detector
achieve proper operation. However,
is mounted in a connector similar to
this is an extreme case and is not nor-
the one used for the LED or LD. Pho-
mally recommended.
todiodes usually have a large sensi-
tive detecting area that can be sev- As in the case of transmitters, optical
eral hundred microns in diameter. This receivers are available in both analog
relaxes the need for special precau- and digital versions. Both types usu-
tions in centering the fiber in the re- ally employ an analog preamplifier
ceiving connector and makes the stage, followed by either an analog or
“alignment” concern much less criti- digital output stage (depending on the
cal than it is in optical transmitters. type of receiver).
Since the amount of light that exits a Figure 10 (next page) is a functional
fiber is quite small, optical receivers diagram of a simple analog optical re-
usually employ high gain internal am- ceiver. The first stage is an operational
plifiers. Because of this, for any given amplifier connected as a current-to-volt-
system, it is important only to use the age converter.
size fiber specified as appropriate.
Otherwise, overloading of the optical This stage takes the tiny current from
receiver may occur. If, for example, the photodiode and converts it into a volt-
a transmitter/receiver pair designed age, usually in the millivolt range. The
next stage is a simple operational volt-
for use with single-mode fiber were
age amplifier. Here the signal is raised
used with multimode fiber, the large
to the desired output level.
amount of light present at the output
of the fiber (due to over-coupling at
the light source) would overload the
receiver and cause a severely distorted
output signal. Similarly, if a transmit-
ter/receiver pair designed for use with
multimode fiber were used with single-
mode fiber, not enough light would
reach the receiver, resulting in either
14 An Introduction To Fiber Optics
 Current-to-Voltage Post Amplifier
Converter

-
-

Photo-
Diode
+ + Output

Figure 10, Basic Analog Fiber Optic Receiver

Current to voltage
Converter
Comparator

Output

Trigger Level

Photo- +Vcc
Diode

Figure 11, Basic Digital Fiber Optic Receiver

Figure 11 is a functional diagram of a Additional stages are often added to

simple digital optical receiver. As in the both analog and digital receivers to pro-
case of the analog receiver, the first vide drivers for coaxial cables, protocol
stage is a current-to-voltage converter. converters or a host of other functions
The output of this stage, however, is fed in efforts to reproduce the original sig-
to a voltage comparator, which produces nal as accurately as possible.
a clean, fast rise-time digital output sig- It is important to note that while fiber
nal. The trigger level adjustment, when optic cable is immune to all forms of
present, is used to “touch up” the point interference, the electronic receiver is
on the analog signal where the compara- not. Because of this, normal precautions,
tor switches. This allows the symmetry such as shielding and grounding, should
of the recovered digital signal to be be taken when using fiber optic elec-
trimmed as accurately as desired. tronic components.

Communications Specialties, Inc. 15

DESIGNING A FIBER OPTIC SYSTEM

W hen designing a fiber optic sys-

tem, there are many factors
that must be considered – all of which
3. Determine the special modifications
(if any) necessary (such as imped-
ances, bandwidths, special connec-
contribute to the final goal of ensur- tors, special fiber size, etc.).
ing that enough light reaches the re-
ceiver. Without the right amount of 4. Calculate the total optical loss (in
light, the entire system will not oper- dB) in the system by adding the cable
ate properly. Figure 12 identifies many loss, splice loss, and connector loss.
of these factors and considerations. These parameters should be available
from the manufacturer of the electron-
The following step-by-step procedure ics and fiber.
should be followed when designing any
system. 5. Compare the loss figure obtained
with the allowable optical loss budget
1. Determine the correct optical trans- of the receiver. Be certain to add a
mitter and receiver combination based safety margin factor of at least 3 dB
upon the signal to be transmitted (Ana- to the entire system.
log, Digital, Audio, Video, RS-232,
RS-422, RS-485, etc.). 6. Check that the fiber bandwidth is
adequate to pass the signal desired.
2. Determine the operating power
available (AC, DC, etc.).

Input Electrical Signal Output Electrical Signal

Optical
Splice
Loss

Optical Optical
Transmitter Receiver
F/O Cable F/O Cable
to Splice from Splice
Loss Loss

Transmitter Launch Received Receiver

Power Power Power Power
Supply Supply

Figure 12, Important Parameters to Consider When Specifying F/O Systems

If the above calculations show that the fiber bandwidth you plan to use is inad-
equate for transmitting the required signal the necessary distance, it will be nec-
essary either to select a different transmitter/receiver (wavelength) combination,
or consider the use of a lower loss premium fiber.

16 An Introduction To Fiber Optics

SYSTEM DESIGN CHECKLIST
Application (Brief description of intended use):

Analog Signal Parameters:

Input Voltage
Input Impedance
Output Voltage
Output Impedance
Signal/Noise Ratio
DC or AC Coupling
Bandwidth
Signal Connectors
Other Details:

Digital Signal Parameters:

Compatibility (RS-232, 422, 485 etc)

Data Rate
DC or AC Coupling
Bit Error Rate
Signal Connectors
Other Details

Power Supply Requirements:

Voltage Available
Current Available
AC, DC
Power Connectors
Other Details

Communications Specialties, Inc. 17

Fiber Optic Requirements:
Transmission Distance
Optical Wavelength
Required Loss Budget
Optical Connectors
Fiber Type
Fiber Length
Installation Environment

General Requirements:
Housing Size
Mounting Method
Environment
Operating Temperature Range
Storage Temperature Range
Other Details

Additional Comments:

18 An Introduction To Fiber Optics

CONTACT COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALTIES

We hope this guide has helped you to better understand the basics of a fiber
optic technology system design. The specification check sheet on the preceding
pages can be used to help collect and organize the necessary information when
actually designing a system.
Remember, if you ever have any questions about how to proceed, please con-
tact Communications Specialties at (631) 273-0404 for additional guidance,
you may contact us via email at info@commspecial.com or visit our web site:
www.commspecial.com.

55 Cabot Court Hauppauge, NY 11788

Phone: (631) 273-0404
Fax: (631) 273-1638

Singapore Office:
180B Bencoolen Street
#05-01 The Bencoolen
Singapore 189648
Phone: +65 6837 8790
Fax: +65 6333 0501

http://www.commspecial.com
info@commspecial.com

Communications Specialties, Inc. 19

20 An Introduction To Fiber Optics