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CHAPTER 19 Optical Communication

This chapter discusses optical communication and fiber optic networks. It explains that light is used to transmit data through either open air or fiber optic cables. Fiber optic cables are made of thin glass or plastic and can transmit data at very high speeds while maintaining efficiency. The chapter describes the basic components of an optical communication system including transmitters, receivers, and modulation of light to transmit digital data. It notes that fiber optic networks are widely used for long-distance calling and internet backbones, and are being adopted for local area networks to support higher speeds driven by increased internet usage and video streaming.

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99 views3 pages

CHAPTER 19 Optical Communication

This chapter discusses optical communication and fiber optic networks. It explains that light is used to transmit data through either open air or fiber optic cables. Fiber optic cables are made of thin glass or plastic and can transmit data at very high speeds while maintaining efficiency. The chapter describes the basic components of an optical communication system including transmitters, receivers, and modulation of light to transmit digital data. It notes that fiber optic networks are widely used for long-distance calling and internet backbones, and are being adopted for local area networks to support higher speeds driven by increased internet usage and video streaming.

Uploaded by

Garcia Patrick
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PRINCIPLES OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS (4th Edition)

By LOUIS E. FRENZEL JR.

CHAPTER 19

Optical Communication

Light is used in optical transmission networks to relay data from one location to

another. Light, like radio waves, is a form of electromagnetic radiation. Infrared light is

widely being used as a data carrier in networking systems today. Open room or a

special light-carrying cable known as a fiber-optic cable serve as the transmitting

medium. Since light has such a high frequency, it can handle exceptionally high data

transfer speeds while maintaining excellent efficiency.

The branch of physics dealing with light, its action patterns, and properties is

known as optics. Optics is a field of optics concerned with the behavior and properties

of light, as well as its relationships with matter and the instruments used to observe it.

The information to be conveyed is carried by light in optical transmission networks. Free

room, as for radio waves, or a special light "pipe" or waveguide, such as fiber-optic

cable, may be used as the medium. While all media are used, fiber-optic cable is much

more feasible and widespread.

A fiber-optic cable is a thin glass or plastic cable that serves as a light conduit.

It's a long, thin strand of glass or plastic fiber, not a hollow tube, that carries light. The

cross section of fiber cables is spherical, with a diameter of just a fraction of an inch.

Fiber optic cables can be as small as a human hair. At one end of the fiber, a light
source is mounted, and light passes through it and out the other end. The laws of optics

determine how light travels through the fiber.

The transmitter, which consists of a carrier generator and a modulator, is the first

component of an optical communication device. The carrier is a light beam that is

normally modulated by using digital pulses to transform it on and off. The most basic

transmitter is a light source. The receiver, also known as a light detector, transforms the

received light into an electric signal. Wide-area networks, such as long-distance calling

service and the Internet backbone, are the main uses for fiber-optic networks. Fiber-

optic infrastructure has been introduced into metropolitan-area networks, storage-area

networks (SANs), and local-area networks (LANs) as speeds and costs have risen.

Higher network speeds have become important as the Internet has expanded

and the need for more Internet access has risen. The majority of the demand stems

from the huge rise in video streaming over the Internet, as well as the significant

expansion of cellular networks and the resulting demand for faster speeds. Gigabit

Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet protocols and equipment have been adopted by local

area networks. Long-haul fiber networks have also tried to catch up with cost hikes to

40 and 100 gigabits per second schemes. Many people, however, believe that the

networks are still not fast enough. The 400 Gbps and 1 Tbps systems are also in the

works.

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