UFiber GPON - Designing a GPON

Network
Overview
This article will give the necessary information to create a functioning GPON
network using UFiber equipment and accessories. It will also give details for
planning a high-scale GPON network while considering optical power, distance,
attenuation, and bandwidth capacity.

NOTES & REQUIREMENTS:

Applicable to the latest UFiber firmware on the UF-OLT models. Please see
the Related Articles below for more information.
Devices, accessories and products related to this article:

 EdgeRouter 8 XG (ER-8-XG)
 EdgeSwitch 16 XG (ES-16-XG)
 UFiber OLT (UF-OLT)
 UFiber OLT-4 (UF-OLT-4)
 UFiber Nano ONU (UF-Nano)
 UFiber Loco ONU (UF-LOCO)
 UFiber WiFi ONU (UF-WIFI)
 UFiber B+/C+ Modules (UF-GP-B+ / UF-GP-C+)
 UFiber GPON Accessories
 Ubiquiti SFP/SFP+ Modules and Cables
 UNMS (Ubiquiti Network Management System)

Table of Contents
1. Installation Requirements and Network Design
2. Attenuation and Power Level Calculations
3. Upstream and Downstream Calculation Example
4. Planning for Capacity vs Client Quantity
5. Planning with Splitters
6. Related Articles

Installation Requirements and Network

Design
Optical Distribution Network (ODN) planning is critical to a successful GPON
implementation. It is essential to have a well-planned network design to ensure
CPEs receive a usable signal, allow for bandwidth capacity and client count on
each PON port, and save on costs. This is done by balancing optical power,
distance, attenuation, and bandwidth capacity. In the example setup below, a
UFiber OLT (UF-OLT or UF-OLT-4) is used as the core of the GPON network,
connecting the PON side to the rest of the routing and switching domain.

Example GPON topology using an ER-8-XG on the uplink side and a PLC splitter
on the PON side.

The SFP+ uplink port(s) are used to connect UFiber GPON network to the rest of
the routing and switching domain. On the uplink side, we use a high capacity
router such as an ER-8-XG, connected to the OLT using 10Gbps SFP+ fiber
modules or DAC cables.
NOTE: See the UFiber Modules and Cablesproduct page for more information
on UBNT branded SFP/SFP+ modules and DAC cables.
 On the PON side, we insert a GPON OLT SFP module (UF-GP-B+ / UF-GP-C+)
into the OLT, supporting up to 128 UFiber ONUs per PON port when using PLC
splitters. There are various options available to properly connect the OLT to the
UFiber ONUs (UF-Nano / UF-LOCO / UF-WIFI). There components that typically
make up a GPON network are:

 Feeder cable Fibercable (SC/UPC to SC/APC) connecting the OLT to a

distribution point, typically a PLC splitter.
 PLC Splitter Fiber splitter that distributes the fiber connection using
multiple available split ratios.
 Drop cable Fiber cable (SC/APC to SC/APC) providing the final link by
connecting the PLC splitter to the ONU.
 Adapters or Splices Used to inter-connect the different fiber cables and
splitters.

The simplest method of connecting UFiber equipment is to use pre-terminated

fiber cables with connectors which can simply plug into the other accessories. The
official UFiber GPON fiber cable and PLC splitter accessories use SC/UPC and
SC/APC connectors which can be used to quickly and easily set up GPON
networks. See the Accessories article for more information. There are also other
options available such as mechanical and fusion splicing. See the Fiber
Connectors and Splicing article for more information.
Using either the official accessories or other available fiber equipment, and
assuming the power level and attenuation is calculated correctly (see
the Calculation section below), the ONU will be connected. The acceptable optical
power level range at the ONU is -8 dBm to -28 dBm.
NOTE: The UF-GP-C+ module is capable of higher transmit power which
helps overcome attenuation to ensure there is an acceptable signal level at the
ONU. See our UFiber FAQ article for more information.

Attenuation and Power Level Calculations

This section focuses on attenuation, which is the most important factor in
designing a GPON network. First, we need to become familiar with sources of
attenuation so that we can use them in designing the network and calculation the
optical power level (dBm). For example, the UF-GP-B+ module starts with an
output power of +3 dBm, while supporting a Rx minimum loss of -8 dBm and a
maximum loss of -28 dBm. All of the signals must be within this range.

NOTE: There will be zero throughput if the Rx signal is outside of the

maximum/minimum loss range With GPON. This differs from AirMAX for
example, where you might see a decrease in throughput if the signal is weak.

 Common sources of attenuation are:

 Length Attenuation occurs over the distance of a fiber run per kilometer
(Km) and differs in the downstream (~0.3 dB per Km on 1490 nm) and upstream
(~0.5 dB per Km on 1310 nm) frequencies.
 Splices Each splice in a fiber optic run accounts for ~0.1 dB. This seems
minimal at first, however the count of splices in a single run can add up
considerably.
 Connectors Each connector accounts for a ~0.6 dB loss. This starts from the
SC connector at the UF-GP-B+ module and ~0.6 dB is added for each other
connector.
 Splitter Splitters are essential in a GPON networks to connect multiple
ONUs to a single PON port. See the Splitters section below for more
information on using splitters.

These are general attenuation values and different vendors may lead to different
values depending on the quality of the product. Each source of attenuation will
decrease the starting power level to be within the acceptable range for the ONUs.

ATTENTION: Connecting a UFiber ONU directly to the UF-GP-B+ in the PON

port from the OLT will potentially cause damage to the optics in the ONU
and/or the OLT because the power is too high.
The acceptable optical power for the UF-Nano is -8 dBm to -28 dBm. The output
from the UF-GP-B+ module is +3 dBm. Therefore, there must be attenuation to
provide an acceptable level at the ONU. This is also a factor in the upstream
optics where the output from the ONU at ~3 dBm would be too high and cause
damage to the UF-GP-B+ module.

Upstream and Downstream Calculation

Example
This section focuses on how to calculate the optical power the ONU and OLT will
receive. When laying out your fiber distribution network, the goal is to calculate all
attenuation in each fiber run to ensure that when connecting the ONU on the
customer’s premises it will receive a Rx value of -8 dBm to -28 dBm. It is also
important that the received signal from the ONU is also within the same range at
the OLT.

Like highlighted in the section above, the common sources of attenuation are:

 Upstream LengthLoss of ~0.5 dB per Km on 1310 nm.

 Downstream LengthLoss of ~0.3 dB per Km on 1490 nm.
 SplicesLoss of ~0.1 dB per splice.
 ConnectorsLoss of ~0.6 dB per connector.
 SplitterLoss of log10(split:ratio) x 10 = Attenuation in dB for each split.

The table below show the general attenuation loss for common splitter ratios:

Split  Formula  Loss in dB

1:2 log10 (2) x 10 -3.01dB

1:4 log10 (4) x 10 -6.02dB 

1:8 log10 (8) x 10 -9.03dB 

1:16 log10 (16) x 10 -12.04dB 

1:32 log10 (32) x 10  -15.05dB 

1:64 log10 (64) x 10 -18.06dB 

Using the below network diagram as a guideline, we can use these attenuation

sources to end up within the acceptable optical power levels.
Power level calculation example using an UF-OLT, a 1:32 PLC splitter and a UF-
Nano.

Downstream Calculation:
Source  Loss of Optical Power Calculation  Loss in dB

Length .3dB x 10Km + .3dB x 6Km -4.8dB

Splices .1dB x 2 splices -.2dB

Connectors .6dB x 4 connectors -2.4dB

Splitter 15.05dB for 1:32 splitter -15.05dB

+3 dBm starting power minus loss -19.45dBm

Upstream Calculation:
Source  Loss of Optical Power Calculation  Loss in dB

Length .5dB x 10Km + .5dB x 6Km -8dB

Splices .1dB x 2 splices -.2dB

Connectors .6dB x 4 connectors -2.4dB

Splitter 15.05dB for 1:32 splitter -15.05dB

+3 dBm starting power minus loss -22.65dBm

Both the upstream and the downstream signals are within the acceptable range.

ATTENTION: The bandwidth will not increase with a better optical power

value. Think of this as either on when inside the range or off when outside the
range. The UF-Nano has a built in display showing the optical power levels of
both Rx and Tx to easily identify whether the level is in the acceptable range.

Planning for Capacity vs Client Quantity

When planning your network it is important to plan for future customers and
calculate the available bandwidth on each PON port compared to the client count.
There is often a mix of many clients with relatively low bandwidth needs of around
50 to 100 Mbps, and a smaller amount of clients requiring 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps
bandwidth.

High bandwidth design example:

For highest capacity of bandwidth, connecting a single ONU to a single PON port
could provide a single client 20km away with the full bandwidth of the PON port.
Keep in mind that each of the eight PON ports on the UF-OLT can provide 2.488
Gbps downstream and 1.244 Gbps upstream. In the rare case that a single ONU
is used on a single PON port keep in mind that the bandwidth will be limited by
the 1 Gbps LAN copper port on the ONU.
High capacity design example:
For highest capacity of clients. A PLC splitter with a 1:128 ratio connected to a
PON port could provide 128 clients with equal bandwidth of about 19 Mbps
download and 9 Mbps upload when the clients are all within a range of ~8Km.
NOTE:The distance here is decreased from the max 20Km to 8Km due to the
attenuation loss ratio of the splitter, fiber length, connectors, and splices. The
distance could vary when cascading multiple splitters to give the same
bandwidth to customers at a further distance. See the Splitters section for more
details.

Planning with Splitters

When designing your network it is important to utilize splitters to reduce costs,
greater customer reach and for future expansion. The example below shows a
good mix of splitters to cover customer locations while still keeping the values in
the acceptable range.

In this illustration, we will calculate the power from the OLT to the ONU and the
ONU to the OLT to be sure each customer will have a usable signal. Remember
to always calculate in both the upstream and downstream directions.
 Example GPON network using multiple PLC splitter ratios.

Downstream Calculation:
ONU Source  Loss of Optical Power Calculation  Loss in dB

Length .3dB x 20Km -6dB

Splices .1dB x 4 splices -.2dB

ONU1

Connectors .6dB x 4 connectors -2.4dB

Splitters 3.01dB for splitter -3.01dB

+3 dBm starting power minus loss -8.81dBm

ONU2 Length .3dB x 16Km -4.8dB

 Splices .1dB x 8 splices -.8dB

Connectors .6dB x 6 connectors -3.6dB

Splitters 3.01dB + 6.02dB for splitters -9.03dB

+3 dBm starting power minus loss  -15.23dBm

Length .3dB x 13Km -3.9dB

Splices .1dB x 12 splices -1.2dB

ONU3

Connectors .6dB x 8 connectors -4.8dB

Splitters 3.01dB + 6.02dB + 9.03dB for splitters -18.06dB

+3 dBm starting power minus loss -24.96dBm

Upstream Calculation:
ONU Source  Loss of Optical Power Calculation  Loss in dB

Length .5dB x 20Km -10dB

Splices .1dB x 4 splices -.2dB

ONU1

Connectors .6dB x 4 connectors -2.4dB

Splitters 3.01dB for splitter -3.01dB

+3 dBm starting power minus loss -12.81dBm

Length .5dB x 16Km -8dB

Splices .1dB x 8 splices -.8dB

ONU2

Connectors .6dB x 6 connectors -3.6dB

Splitters 3.01dB + 6.02dB for splitters -9.03dB

+3 dBm starting power minus loss -18.43dBm

ONU3 Length .5dB x 13Km -6.5dB

Splices .1dB x 12 splices -1.2dB

Connectors .6dB x 8 connectors -4.8dB

Splitters 3.01dB + 6.02dB + 9.03dB for splitters -18.06dB

+3 dBm starting power minus loss -27.56dBm