BECE318L – Optical Fiber Communications

Winter(2024-25)
Course Instructor

D r. T. I l a v a r a s a n
⦁ Associate Professor
⦁ School of Electronics Engineering
⦁ Mail:ilavarasan.t@vit.ac.in
⦁ Contact:+91-9790040384
⦁ Cabin :AB2G02 –OpticalCommunicationLab

2 Dr. T.Ilavarasan, Associate Professor,SENSE, VIT

Guidelines to be followed:
⦁ Be on time for the class as per the schedule.
⦁ Always have a dedicated notebook and your own calculator to solve the numerical
problems during the class hours.
⦁ Stick to the deadlines for theAssignments,Quizzes and other assessment activities.
⦁ Be attentive and ask your doubts then and there during the class hours.
⦁ Feel free to share your views towards the course/topic and the instructor regarding the
content delivery.
⦁ Let it be more of a discussion and Happy learning for all..!!

3 Dr. T.Ilavarasan, Associate Professor,SENSE, VIT

General course information:
⦁ Prerequisite – BECE306L/Digital Communication System

⦁ Important concepts will be explained qualitatively using real-life examples

⦁ However, as an engineering student, extensive use of mathematics is necessary for

accurate system modelling and analysis

⦁ Theory – 3 credits - 3 hrs per week – Totally 45 hrs

⦁ Lab – 1 credit – 2 hrs per week

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Course objectives:
⦁ To understand the principles of optical fibers and their signal degradation

⦁ To familiarize with the fundamentals of optical sources and detectors used in

communications

⦁ To learn WDM techniques and its components in contemporary optical communication

systems

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Course outcomes:
⦁ List the fundamental optical laws, structures and waveguides

⦁ Comprehend the various signal degradation in the fiber optical communication

⦁ Design the optical transmitters and receivers and evaluate their performances

⦁ Estimate the system requirements for point to point communication

⦁ Examine the significance of WDM techniques and their applications

⦁ Comprehend and analyse the performance of the various optical amplifiers

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Syllabus
⦁ Module:1 Optical Fiber: Structures, Waveguides

⦁ Module:2 Signal Degradation

⦁ Module:3 Optical Transmitters

⦁ Module:4 Optical Receivers

⦁ Module:5 Digital links and Measurements

⦁ Module:6 WDM Concepts and Components

⦁ Module:7 Optical Amplifiers

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Text/Reference Books
⦁ Gerd Keiser, Optical Fiber Communications, 2017, 5th Edition, McGraw Hill Education,
India

⦁ John M. Senior , Optical Fiber Communication, Pearson Education, 2011

⦁ G.P.Agarwal , Fiber Optic Communication System, Wiley, Second Edition, 2011

⦁ Conway, E., Optical Fiber Communications Principles and Practice, 2018, 1st Edition, ED-
TECH Press, United Kingdom

⦁ Singal, T. L. Optical Fiber Communications: Principles and Applications, 2017, Cambridge

University Press, India

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Evaluation Metrics

⦁ DA – 1 – 10 marks

⦁ Quiz – 1 - 10 marks (After CAT-1) {OR} Research Project – 30 marks

⦁ Quiz – 2 - 10 marks (After CAT-2)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⦁ CAT – 1 – 15 marks

⦁ CAT – 2 – 15 marks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⦁ FAT – 40 marks

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 Module – 1
Optical Fiber: Structures, Waveguides
Topics to be discussed
⦁ Key elements of optical fiber system

⦁ Ray optics

⦁ Mode theory

⦁ Geometrical-Optics

⦁ Fiber types

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History of communication system

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Electromagnetic spectrum

BW = f0/Q
BW α f0

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Introduction
⦁ Fiber optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to
another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber

⦁ Communication systems with light as the carrier and optical fiber as communication
medium

⦁ The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information
⦁ Optical fiber is used to contain and guide light waves
 Typically made of glass or plastic
 Propagation of light in atmosphere is impractical*
 This is similar to cable guiding electromagnetic waves
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Why optical fibers?

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Functional advantages
⦁ The transmission bandwidth of the fiber optic cables is higher than the metal cables

⦁ The amount of data transmission is higher in fiber optic cables

⦁ The power loss is very low and hence helpful in long-distance transmissions

⦁ Fiber optic cables provide high security and cannot be tapped

⦁ Fiber optic cables are the most secure way for data transmission

⦁ Fiber optic cables are immune to electromagnetic interference

⦁ These are not affected by electrical noise

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Physical advantages
⦁ The capacity of these cables is much higher than copper wire cables
⦁ Though the capacity is higher, the size of the cable doesn’t increase like it does in copper
wire cabling system
⦁ The space occupied by these cables is much less
⦁ The weight of these FOC cables is much lighter than the copper ones
⦁ Since these cables are di-electric, no spark hazards are present
⦁ These cables are more corrosion resistant than copper cables, as they are bent easily and
are flexible
⦁ The raw material for the manufacture of fiber optic cables is glass, which is cheaper than
copper
⦁ Fiber optic cables last longer than copper cables

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Disadvantages
⦁ Though fiber optic cables last longer, the installation cost is high

⦁ Fiber optic cables can be difficult to splice and repair

⦁ They are fragile if not enclosed in a plastic sheath. Hence, more protection is needed than
copper ones

⦁ While signal loss is lower compared to other cables, attenuation can still occur over very
long distances, requiring repeaters or amplifiers

⦁ External factors like sharp bends, extreme temperatures, or physical impacts can affect
signal quality

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Applications
⦁ Used in telecommunication systems

⦁ Used in sub-marine cable networks

⦁ Used in data link for computer networks, CATV Systems

⦁ Used in medical applications

⦁ Used in hospitals, schools, and traffic management systems

⦁ Forms the backbone of global internet connectivity, transmitting data between continents via
undersea fiber optic cables
⦁ They have many industrial uses and also used for in heavy duty constructions
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Satellite Vs. Optical Communication

Satellite Optical
Point to Multipoint Point to point
BW ~ GHz BW ~ THz
Maintenance free Needs maintenance
Short life Long life
No upgradeability Upgradeable

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