Optical Communication

This figure shows the differences how optical systems can use analog or digital optical transmission. This diagram shows that analog optical signals convert electrical signals into a proportional level (intensity) of light energy through a linear optical light source. This analog signal travels through the fiber until it reaches a linear optical detector. The linear optical detector converts the received light energy into a proportional amount of electrical signal recreating the original electrical signal. This examples shows that a digital optical system first only transmits digital pulses. If the signal is in analog form, it must first be converted to a digital signal. Digital optical systems use a light source that creates optical pulses (On or Off levels). These light pulses travel down the optical line until it is received by a light detector. The light detector only has to determine if a pulse is present or not. This creates an output digital signal. To convert a digital signal to an analog form, a digital to analog converter is used.

Optical Transmission Diagram

Absorption
Absolute Measurements
Acceptance Angle
Access Network - AN
Actual Measured Loss
Advanced Intelligent Network - AIN
Amplitude Modulation - AM
Aerial Cable
Amplifier Nonlinearity
Angstrom
Angular Misalignment
Angular Mismatch
Armored Cable
Asynchronous Transfer Mode - ATM
ATM Passive Optical Network - APON
Attenuation
Avalanche Photodiode - APD
Average Power
Axial Ray
Axis
Back Reflection
Back Wrapping
Backbone
Backbone Network
Backhaul
Backscattering
Backshell
Bandwidth - BW
Bandwidth Distance Product - BWDP
Baseband Channel
Baseband Signal
Baud - Bd
Biconic Connector
Bidirectional Transmission
Bistable Optics
Blown in Fiber - Blown Fiber
Break Out Cable - Break-Out
Buffer Coating
Buffer Tube
Buried Cable
Central Buffer Tube - CBT
Chromatic Dispersion
Cladding
Cladding Non-circulatory
Cladding Diameter
Cladding Mode
Cladding Ray
Cleaving
Coherence
Coherent
Coherent Network
Coherent Pulse
Complex Wave
Connector Induced Optical Fiber Loss
Continuous Wave - CW
Continuous Wave Laser
Core Diameter
Core Size
Core Switch
Cut Off Wavelength
Cutback Gamma
Dark Fiber
Dark Fiber Facilities
Connector Loss
Contact Connector
Continuity Test
Critical Angle
Dense Wave Division Multipliexing - DWDM
Differential Mode Attenuation - DMA
Dispersion
Distributed Feedback Laser - DFB
Duct
Dust Cap
Dynamic Range - DR
Electromagnetic Spectrum - EMS
Epoxy
Expanded Beam Coupling
Expansion Loop
Extrinsic Loss
Fan Out Cable - Fan-Out
FDDI Connector
Fiber Channel
Fiber Distributed Data Interface - FDDI
Fiber To The Curb - FTTC
Fiber To The Home - FTTH
Fresnel Reflection
Fusion Splice
Gigabit Ethernet - GE
Cable Hanger
Hard Clad Silica Fiber - HCS
Heat Shrink Tubing
Index Matching Gel
Index Of Refraction
Inner Duct - Innerduct
Inner Jacket
Insertion Loss
Intrinsic Loss
Kellems Grip®
Kevlar®
Laser Diode - LD
Lateral Misalignment
Lateral Separation
LC Connector
Light Amplification Stimulated Emission of Radiation - LASER
Light Propagation
Light Ray
Light Source
Liquid Crystal Polymer - LCP
Loose Tube Cable
Material Dispersion
Material Safety Data Sheet - MSDS
Mechanical Splice
Microbend Loss
Microbending
Mid Span Splice
Modal Dispersion
MT-RJ Connector
MU Connector
Multimode Fiber
National Electrical Code - NEC
Non-Contact Connectors
Normalized Measurements
Numerical Aperture - NA
Optical Add Drop Multiplexer - OADM
Optical Amplifier - OA
Wave Division Multiplexing - WDM
 

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Fiber Optic Basics This book covers the fundamentals of fiber optic communication systems and how they are installed. It starts with the optical principles, describes optical network equipment and components, how to install optical cable, identifies the basic processes for splicing fiber and attaching optical connectors and provides an overview of optical testing. $34.99 Printed, $29.99 eBook

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