Unit 1 PPT 2

Introduction to Optical
Communication
Introduction to Communication
A little bit of history
• The Morse telegraph was introduced in the 1860‘s.
Transmission rate: ∼1bit/s
Distance: Due to the application of relay stations: 1000km
• Invention of the telephone 1876.
• First coaxial cable system 1940 with the capability to transmit
300 voice channels.
• The first microwave system was put into service in 1948 with a
carrier frequency of 4GHz. Coaxial and microwave systems
were operating at 100Mbit/s. High speed coaxial systems need
repeater spacing of ∼1km.
FROM ANCIENT GREEKS
TO
21ST CENTURY
• Optical communication, also known as optical telecommunication, is
communication at a distance using light to carry information. It can be
performed visually or by using electronic devices. The earliest basic forms of
optical communication date back several millennia, while the earliest
electrical device created to do so was the photophone, invented in 1880.
• An optical communication system uses a transmitter, which encodes a

message into an optical signal, a channel, which carries the signal to its
destination, and a receiver, which reproduces the message from the received
optical signal. When electronic equipment is not employed the 'receiver' is a
person visually observing and interpreting a signal, which may be either
simple (such as the presence of a beacon fire) or complex (such as lights using
color codes or flashed in a Morse code sequence).
Introduction to Communication
Need for Fiber Optical Communication
Increase of the bit rate

distance product BL for
different communication
Technologies over time.
Ref.: G.P. Agrawal, Fiber-
Optic Comm. systems
A figure of merit of communication systems is the bit rate –

distance product,BL, where B is the bit rate and L is the
repeater spacing.
ADVANTAGES OF OPTICAL FIBERS
1. VERY HIGH INFORMATION CARRING CAPACITY.
2. LESS ATTENUATION (order of 0.2 db/km)
3. SMALL IN DIAMETER AND SIZE & LIGHT WEIGHT
4. LOW COST AS COMPARED TO COPPER (as glass is
made from sand..the raw material used to make OF is
free….)
5. GREATER SAFETY AND IMMUNE TO EMI & RFI,
MOISTURE & COROSSION
6. FLEXIBLE AND EASY TO INSTALL IN TIGHT
CONDUICTS
7. ZERO RESALE VALUE (so theft is less)
8. IS DILECTRIC IN NATURE SO CAN BE LAID IN
ELECTICALLY SENSITIVE SURROUNDINGS
9. DIFFICULT TO TAP FIBERS, SO SECURE
10. NO CROSS TALK AND DISTURBANCES
DISADVANTAGES OF OPTICAL FIBERS…
1. The terminating equipment is still costly as compared to copper equipment.
2. Of is delicate so has to be handled carefully.
3. Last mile is still not totally fiberised due to costly subscriber premises
equipment.
4. Communication is not totally in optical domain, so repeated electric –optical –
electrical conversion is needed.
5. Optical amplifiers, splitters, MUX-DEMUX are still in development stages.
6. Tapping is not possible. Specialized equipment is needed to tap a fiber.
7. Optical fiber splicing is a specialized technique and needs expertly trained
manpower.
8. The splicing and testing equipments are very expensive as compared to copper
equipments.
APPLICATIONS OF OPTICAL FIBERS…
1. LONG DISTANCE COMMUNICATION BACKBONES

2. INTER-EXCHANGE JUNCTIONS
3. VIDEO TRANSMISSION
4. BROADBAND SERVICES
5. COMPUTER DATA COMMUNICATION (LAN, WAN etc..)
6. HIGHT EMI AREAS
7. MILITARY APPLICATION
8. NON-COMMUNICATION APPLICATIONS (sensors etc…)
Evolution of Light wave systems
1. Generation: The development of low-loss fibers and
semiconductor lasers (GaAs) in the 1970‘s.
A Gallium Aresenide (GaAs) laser operates at a wavelength
of 0.8μm. The optical communication systems allowed a bit
rate of 45Mbit/s and repeater spacing of 10km.
Example of a laser diode.

(Ref.: Infineon)
Evolution of Lightwave systems
2. Generation: The repeater spacing could be increased by
operating the lightwave system at 1.3μm. The attenuation of
the optical fiber drops from 2-3dB/km at 0.8μm down to
0.4dB/km at 1.3μm. Silica fibers have a local minima at 1.3μm.
3. Generation: The transition from 0.8μm to 1.3μm leads to
the 2nd Generation of lightwave systems. The bit rate- distance
product can be further increased by using single mode fibers
instead of multi-mode fibers.
Single mode fibers have a distinctly lower dispersion than
multi mode fibers.
Lasers are needed which emit light at 1.3 μm.
3. Generation: Silica fibers have an absolute minima at
1.55μm. The attenuation of a fiber is reduced to 0.2dB/km.
Dispersion at a wavelength of 1.55μm complicates the
realization of lightwave systems. The dispersion could be
overcome by a dispersion-shifted fibers and by the use of
lasers, which operate only at single longitudinal modes. A bit
rate of 4Gbit/s over a distance of 100km was transmitted in
the mid 1980‘s.
Traditional long distance single channel fiber transmission system.

Ref.: H. J.R. Dutton, Understanding optical communications
4. Generation: The major disadvantage of the 3. Generation
optical communication system is the fact that the signals are
regenerated by electrical means. The optical signal is transferred
to an electrical signal,the signal is regenerated and amplified
before the signal is again transferred to an optical fiber.
5. Generation: The development of the optical amplifier lead to
the 4. Generation of optical communication systems.
Schematic sketch of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA).

Ref.: S.V. Kartalopoulos, Introduction to DWDM Technology
Evolution of Lightwave systems
State of the Art optical communication system: Dense Wavelength Division

Multiplex (DWDM) in combination of optical amplifiers. The capacity of optical
communication systems doubles every 6 months. Bit rates of 10Tbit/s were
realized by 2001.
Ref.: S. Kartalopoulos, WDWM Networks, Devices and Technology

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Introduction to Optical

• An optical communication system uses a transmitter, which encodes a

Increase of the bit rate

A figure of merit of communication systems is the bit rate –

1. LONG DISTANCE COMMUNICATION BACKBONES

Example of a laser diode.

Traditional long distance single channel fiber transmission system.

Schematic sketch of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA).

State of the Art optical communication system: Dense Wavelength Division

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