Coupler and Splitter Overview

It is generally accepted that fiber, connectors and splices rank are the most important passive devices. However, what closely following are tap ports, switches, wavelength-division multiplexers, bandwidth couplers and splitters. These devices divide, route or combine multiple optical signals. Splitter is named by the function of the device while coupler is named by its working principle.

Definition of Couplers

Fiber optic couplers either split optical signals into multiple paths or combine multiple signals on one path. Optical signals are more complex than electrical signals, making optical couplers trickier to design than their electrical counterparts. Like electrical currents, a flow of signal carriers, in this case photons, comprise the optical signal. However, an optical signal does not flow through the receiver to the ground. Rather, at the receiver, a detector absorbs the signal flow. Multiple receivers, connected in a series, would receive no signal past the first receiver which would absorb the entire signal. Thus, multiple parallel optical output ports must divide the signal between the ports, reducing its magnitude. The number of input and output ports, expressed as an N x M configuration, characterizes a coupler. The letter N represents the number of input fibers, and M represents the number of output fibers. Fused couplers can be made in any configuration, but they commonly use multiples of two (2 x 2, 4 x 4, 8 x 8, etc.). The following picture shows a typically optical coupler.

Definition of Splitters

Fiber optic splitter is a device that splits the fiber optic light into several parts by a certain ratio. The simplest couplers are fiber optic splitters. These devices possess at least three ports but may have more than 32 for more complex devices. Fiber optic splitters are important passive components used in FTTx networks. Two kinds of fiber splitters are most used: one is the traditional fused type fiber optic splitter FBT splitter, which features competitive prices. And the other is PLC fiber optic splitter, which is of compact size and suit for density applications.

Just like fiber patch cable, fiber splitters are usually with 0.9mm, 2mm or 3mm cables. 0.9mm outer diameter cable is mostly used in stainless steel tube package fiber optic splitters, while 2mm and 3mm cables are mostly used in box type package fiber splitters. Based on working wavelength difference there are single window and dual window fiber optic splitters. And there are single mode fiber splitter and multimode fiber splitter. The picture below shows an optical splitter.

Coupler and Splitter Applications

Optical coupler is generally used in applications that require links other than point-to-point links, which includes bidirectional links and local area network. (LAN). Moreover, it serves as an important components used in WDM systems to route and split signals, monitor the network, or combine signal and pump wavelengths for feeding optical amplifiers.

Fiber optic splitter can be used for FTTx/PON application. This helps to reduce the physical fiber usage or the basic quantity of required fibers. A single fiber can be split into many branches to support multiple end users. The strain on the fiber backbone can be greatly decreased through the application. In addition, fiber optic splitter can also be employed in the maintenance of long-haul network, cable TV ATM circuit or local area/metro area network.

Conclusion

To sum up, fiber optic couplers or splitters are available in a selection of styles and sizes to separate or combine light with minimal loss. This article has presented you some basic knowledge related to couplers and splitters and may help you select the right one that most satisfies your need.

First published: http://www.fiber-optic-solutions.com/coupler-splitter-overview.html 

Fundamentals of Power over Ethernet (PoE)

With the introduction of new Ethernet-enabled devices expanding geometrically, the need to power these devices from standard AC power outlets has become a limiting factor. IP telephones, wireless access points, IP cameras and device servers are examples of devices limited by the need to have an AC power outlet nearby to plug in a DC power adapter. At best, power supply installation and wiring adds labor and results in the mess of extra wiring; worst case, the lack of nearby AC power means devices cannot be installed where they are needed.

In response to this need, IEEE developed IEEE802.3af to standardize a system of supplying low voltage power to networked devices via the communications line. It is more commonly referred to as Power over Ethernet (POE). This article focus on introducing some fundamental elements about PoE.

Basic Concepts of PoE

PoE is defined across a single network link that includes three basic components. The first one is an equipment delivering power to the cable (often referred to as a PSE, which stands for power sourcing equipment). The second component is a device receiving power from the cable (also known as a powered device, or PD). The third is the cable itself.

Typical PDs include IP cameras, wireless access points, and the PSE would normally be a PoE switch or a midspan power injector, patched in to add PoE capability to a non-PoE network switch channel or similar. These two configurations are shown in the following picture.

Advantages of PoE

The most prominent advantages of PoE are time saving and cost effective. By reducing the time and expense of having electrical power cabling installed, network cables do not require a qualified electrician to fit them, thus it can be located anywhere. Besides, it has great flexibility. Without being tethered to an electrical outlet, the PDs (IP cameras, wireless access points) could be located wherever they are needed most. Safety is the third advantage. PoE delivery is intelligent and it is designed to protect network equipment from overload, or incorrect installation. Also it has reliability and scalability. PoE power comes from a central and universally compatible source, rather than a collection of distributed wall adapters. It can be backed-up by an uninterruptible power supply, or controlled to easily disable or reset devices.

Applications of PoE

The original PoE application is VoIP phones, which have a single connection to a wall socket, and can be remotely powered down, just like with the older analog systems. PoE could also be used in IP cameras. It is ubiquitous on networked surveillance cameras where it enables fast deployment and easy repositioning. Wifi and bluetooth APs and RFID (radio frequency identification devices) readers are commonly PoE-compatible, to allow remote location away from AC outlets, and relocation following site surveys.

How PoE Works

PoE is designed to operate over standard network cable: Cat 3, Cat 5, Cat 5e or Cat 6 (often collectively referred to as Cat 5), using conventional RJ45 connectors. The principles of carrying electrical power over Cat5 are of no difference to those of other power distribution systems, but as the power is being transferred over light-duty cable for long distances, the effects of the power loss and voltage drop become significant.

The arrangement and connection to the cabling used for PoE also differ slightly from conventional power wiring, in order to work around the existing standard for Ethernet data. Cat 5 network cables contain a bundle of eight wires, arranged as four twisted pairs shown in the following picture. In the most common type of Ethernet, 100BASE-T or Fast Ethernet, only two of the four pairs are used to carry data; each pair carrying a signal in one direction. These are known as the data pairs, and the remaining two are unused and are referred to as the spare pairs.

Although each data signal can be carried within a single pair, PoE treats each pair of wires as a single conductor (a reason for this is that using both wires halves the overall resistance). As electrical current must flow in a loop, two pairs are required to allow power to be carried by the cable, and either the data or spare pairs can be used for this. The PD must be able to accept power from whichever pairs the PSE delivers it to.

Conclusion

PoE is a convenient and now ubiquitous method for delivering power to a wide variety of loads on standard Cat 5 Ethernet cables. It is no doubt that Power over Ethernet will become increasingly important in the near future.

First published: http://www.fiber-optic-components.com/fundamentals-of-power-over-ethernet-poe.html

Basic Knowledge About Optical Line Terminal (OLT)

With increasingly advanced and matured technologies in telecommunication network, Fiber to the Home (FTTH) has drawn much more attention of companies specialized in telecommunication nowadays. Generally, the FTTH broadband connections consist of two types of systems, known as Active Optical Networks (AON) and Passive Optical Networks (PON). And most of FTTH deployments are inclined to use a PON due to its low cost and high performance that can help to save a certain amount of money on fiber costs.

There are two major PON standards with the same basic topology structure: Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) and Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON). A Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) system generally contains an optical line terminal (OLT) at the service provider’s central office. As one of the indispensable components of PON, optical line terminal thus plays an essential role in the performance of the whole network connection. This article aims to provide some basic information related to OLT.

What Is OLT?

An optical line terminal (OLT), also known as optical line termination, acting as the endpoint hardware device in a passive optical network. The OLT contains a central processing unit (CPU), passive optical network cards, a gateway router (GWR) and a voice gateway (VGW) uplink cards. It can transmit a data signal to users at 1490 nanometers (nm). That signal can serve up to 128 ONTs at a range of up to 12.5 miles by using optical splitters.

The Features of OLT

The OLT sends Ethernet data to the ONU, initiates and controls the ranging process, and records the ranging information. It provides numerous prominent features listed as follows.

• A downstream frame processing means for receiving and churning an asynchronous transfer mode cell to generate a downstream frame, and converting a parallel data of the downstream frame into a serial data thereof.
• A wavelength division multiplexing means for performing an electro/optical conversion of the serial data of the downstream frame and performing a wavelength division multiplexing thereof.
• An upstream frame processing means for extracting data from the wavelength division multiplexing means, searching an overhead field, delineating a slot boundary, and processing a physical layer operations administration and maintenance (PLOAM) cell and a divided slot separately.
• A control signal generation means for performing a media access control (MAC) protocol and generating variables and timing signals used for the downstream frame processing means and the upstream frame processing means.
• A control means for controlling the downstream frame processing means and the upstream frame processing means by using the variables and the timing signals from the control signal generation means.

The Functions of OLT

OLT is generally employed for terminal connected to the fiber backbone. An OLT has two primary functions:

• Converting the standard signals use by a FiOS service provider to the frequency and framing used by the PON system;
• Coordinating the multiplexing between the conversion devices on the optical network terminals (OLTs) located on the customers’ premises.

The Role of OLT in GPON Network

As it was mentioned above there are two functions performed by OLT, and the main function of OLT is to control the information float across the optical distribution network (ODN), going both directions, while being located in a central office. Maximum distance supported for transmitting across the ODN is 20 km. OLT has two float directions: upstream (getting an distributing different type of data and voice traffic from users) and downstream (getting data, voice and video traffic from metro network or from a long-haul network and send it to all ONT modules on the ODN.

As we see from the picture above, OLT is designed for controlling more than one PON (in this example it serves for four independent networks). We can see that if every PON has 32 connections, OLT can distribute data to 128 ONTs. OLT has specific standard, so it would work with ONT from different manufacturers.

Conclusion

The OLT now has been widely adopted in fiber optic network access in counties, towns and villages. It can help efficiently reduce network construction cost, while simultaneously providing a guarantee on high bandwidth and high integration. And it is proved to be an ideal and constructive solution to FTTx projects.

First published: http://www.china-cable-suppliers.com/basic-knowledge-about-optical-line-terminal-olt.html

Introduction to Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA)

In optical communication network, signal travels through fibers in every large distances without significant attenuation. However, when it comes to the distance up to hundreds of kilometers, to amplify the signal during transit becomes rather essential. In this case, an optical fiber amplifier is required to achieve signal amplification in long distance optical communication. This article aims to give a brief introduction to the most deployed fiber amplifier—Erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA).

What Is EDFA?

An EDFA is an optical or IR repeater that amplifies a modulated laser beam directly, without opto-electronic and electro-optical conversion. Generally speaking, EDFA is an optical repeater device that is used to boost the intensity of optical signals being carried through a fiber optic communications system.

Working Principle of EDFA

EDFA serves as a kind of optical amplifier which is doped with the rare earth element erbium so that the glass fiber can absorb light at one frequency and emit light at another frequency. An external semiconductor laser couples light into the fiber at infrared wavelengths of either 980 or 1480 nanometers. This action excites the erbium atoms. Additional optical signals at wavelengths between 1530 and 1620 nanometers enter the fiber and stimulate the excited erbium atoms to emit photons at the same wavelength as the incoming signal. This action amplifies a weak optical signal to a higher power, effecting a boost in the signal strength. The following picture shows 13dBm output C-band 40 channels booster EDFA for DWDM Networks.

The Advantages of EDFA

The EDFA obtains the advantages of high gain, wide bandwidth, high output power, high pumping efficiency, low insertion loss, and it is not sensitive to the polarization state.

• It provides in-line amplification of signal without requiring electronics, and the signal does not need to be converted to electrical signal before amplification. The amplification is entirely optical.
• It provides high power transfer efficiency from pump to signal power.
• The amplification is independent of data rate.
• The gain is relatively flat so that they can be cascaded for long distance use. On the debit side, the devices are large. There is gain saturation and there is also the presence of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE).

The Applications of EDFA

The EDFA was the first successful optical amplifier and a significant factor in the rapid deployment of fiber optic networks during the 1990s. By adopting EDFA in conventional optical digital communication system applications, we can save a certain amount of optical repeaters. Meanwhile, the distance relay could also be increased significantly, which is vital for the long-haul fiber optic cable trunking systems. The EDFA is usually employed in these circumstances:

EDFA can be employed in the high-capacity and high-speed optical communication system. It offers a constructive and ideal solution for handling low sensitivity of receivers and short transmission distances because of a lack of OEO repeater.

In addition, EDFA can be adopted in long-haul optical communication system, such as land trunk optical transmission system and the submarine optical fiber cable transmission system. It helps to lower construction cost dramatically by reducing the quantity of regenerative repeaters.

Moreover, EDFA can also be employed in wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) system, especially dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) system. It enables the problems of insertion loss to be solved successfully and reduces the influences of chromatic dispersion.

Conclusion

By far, being the most advanced and popular optical amplifier, EDFA has been widely adopted in the optical fiber communication networks. Featured by flat gain over a large dynamic gain range, low noise, high saturation output power and stable operation with excellent transient suppression, it surely will capture a rather vital and indispensable position in optical communication in the near future.

First published: http://www.fiber-optic-solutions.com/introduction-to-erbium-doped-fiber-amplifier-edfa.html

Basic Knowledge About Fiber Optic Attenuator

It seems to be a commonplace for us to use an amplifier in fiber optic transmission which helps to improve signal electricity. However, it may occur sometimes that there is just too much light delivering through a fiber optic receiver and should better be reduced. In this case, a component known as fiber optic attenuator can help to reduce the power level of the signal. This article will focus on describing the fiber optic attenuator in details from the perspective of its types and applications.

What Is Fiber Optic Attenuator?

A fiber optic attenuator, generally known as optical attenuator, is a passive device used to reduce the power level of an optical signal. It can be adopted in both free space and in an optical fiber. Besides, to employ a fiber optic attenuator in single-mode long-haul application contributes to decreasing the chance of optical overload at the receiver.

By means of absorption, reflection, diffusion, scattering, deflection, diffraction and dispersion, etc, the fiber optic attenuator works efficiently to reduce the power of the signal. Optical attenuators usually function by absorbing the light, that resembles sunglasses absorb extra light energy. There exists a working wavelength range in which they absorb the light energy equally. They should not reflect the light since that could cause unwanted back reflection in the fiber system.

The Types of Fiber Optic Attenuator

There are a number of different forms of fiber optic attenuators by various classified methods, but basically, fixed attenuators and variable attenuators serve as the most common types that we can find in the market.

Fixed Attenuator

Fixed attenuator, as the name of which has indicated clearly, is designed to have an unchanging level of attenuation. It can theoretically be designed to provide any amount of attenuation that is desired. Fixed attenuator are typically used for single-mode applications and it consists of two groups: in-line type and connector type. In-line type appears like an ordinary fiber patch cable with a fiber terminated by two connectors. Connector type attenuator looks like a bulk head fiber connector, which has a male end and a female end as well. Fixed attenuator mates to regular connectors of the identical type such as FC, ST, SC and LC. The picture below shows a fixed male-female-SC/UPC SM 10dB fiber optic attenuator.

Variable Optical Attenuator

Variable optical attenuators generally use a variable neutral density filter. It has advantages of being stable, wavelength insensitive, mode insensitive, and offering a large dynamic range. Variable optical attenuator is generally used for testing and measurement, but it is also widely adopted in EDFAs (Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier) for equalizing the light power among different channels. Basically, there are two types of variable attenuators: stepwise variable attenuator and continuously variable attenuator. Stepwise variable attenuator can change the attenuation of the single in known steps such as 0.1 dB, 0.5 dB or 1 dB. Continuously variable attenuator produces precise level of attenuation with flexible adjustment. Thus, operators are able to adjust the attenuator to accommodate the changes required quickly and precisely without any interruption to the circuit. The following picture shows LC/UPC to LC/UPC variable fiber optic VOA in-line attenuator 0-60 dB.

The Applications of Fiber Optic Attenuator

Fiber optic attenuator can be used to test power levels margins by temporarily adding a calibrated amount of signal loss. Besides, it is often installed permanently to properly match transmitter and receiver levels. And the sharp bends stress optic fibers and can cause losses.

Conclusion

From what we introduced above, you may have had a better understanding of the basic elements related to fiber optic attenuators. As an essential device in fiber optic transmission, it plays an indispensable role in controlling the power level of the optical signal. Those basic knowledge mentioned above may help provide a guideline to select the right fiber optic attenuator that matches the required applications precisely.

First published: http://www.fiber-optic-components.com/basic-knowledge-about-fiber-optic-attenuator.html

Outside Plant Fiber Optic Installations

Fiber optic has been widely used in the field of communication such as telecom, CATV, LAN, industrial, etc. However, even within communications applications, they are differ greatly in use and in methods of installation. For example, there are “outside plant” (OSP) fiber optics used in telephone networks, CATV, metropolitan networks, utilities, etc. or “premise” fiber optics adopted in buildings and campuses. And there exists fiber on “platform” like cars, planes and ships. Fiber optic is not all the same. This article will mainly focus on OSP installation in details.

What Is Outside Plant (OSP)

A significant amount of fiber optics are used in telephone companies, CATV and the Internet. In fact, all of this fiber optic is single-mode fiber and most of it is adopted in outside buildings. It hangs from poles, or it is buried underground, pulled through conduit or even submerged underwater. Most of it goes relatively long distances, from a few hundred feet to hundreds of miles. Outside plant cables often have very high fiber counts, up to 288 fibers or more. Cable designs are optimized for the application: cables in conduit for pulling tension and resisting moisture, buried cables for resisting moisture and rodent damage, aerial for continuous tension and extreme weather while undersea for resisting moisture penetration.

OSP Fiber Optic Installation

After designing fiber optic networks, there comes the next step—to install it. Outside plant installation of fiber optics can be a diverse process, as it may include placing aerial or underwater cable, direct-buried cable, cable in conduit or installing conduit or innnerduct and then pulling cable.

OSP cables are generally loose tube, ribbon or slotted core design. And their jackets are chosen to withstand an outdoor environment appropriate for the application. Strength members must be strong enough to absorb all the tension loads in the installation process or long term loads from aerial installation. Cables usually include fiberglass rod stiffeners in the center to prevent kinking. Jackets may be doubled with armor between them to prevent rodent penetration or crushing or strength member to allow pulling by the jacket.

OSP installations in conduit may require lubrication to reduce frictional loads and/or intermediate pulls. Intermediate pulls require pulling the cable to a point, laying on the ground in a "figure 8" pattern to prevent putting a twist in the cable, then pulling the next section.

Preparing for Outside Plant Installation

As we have mentioned above, OSP installation of fiber optics is rather diverse, and it is the diversity that makes it extremely important for the contractor to know the route of the cable to be installed intimately. Just as the estimator who should walk the route before beginning the estimating process, the contractor needs to see for themselves the actual situations they are going to encounter. That inspection allows them to determine what problems may be encountered, what special equipment may be needed and even double check that all the permits needed are in order.

Hardware and Equipment

OSP installation may need to position the supporting structures before starting the cable placement. New conduit or innerduct may need to be buried, or conduit already in place may need to be checked, old cables removed and new innerduct installed. Some buried cables even may require the installation of manholes or controlled-environment vaults for equipment and conduit.

Once the infrastructure is in place and the cabling pulled, it is time to splice the fiber optic. Now, scheduling the availability of appropriate fiber optic equipment is the concern. If the cable is to be spliced outdoors, a splice trailer is normally used, unless splices are being made on a pole or in a bucket, where a tent may be required in bad weather.

Each splice must be verified with an optical time-domain reflector (OTDR) test. Preferably, testing is done as each splice is made. To be efficient, a splicer will be on the job site, and a test tech will be at the other end of the cable with an OTDR to verify each splice. Splicing machines give an estimate of splice loss, but going back later, opening a splice closure and resplicing is an expensive proposition.

Termination

Cables will be terminated inside facilities where they will connect to communications equipment. OSP cables generally do not meet National Electrical Code flammability requirements, so the cable entering a building must be terminated or spliced to indoor cables soon after entry. Some OSP cables have double jackets, an outer one for outdoors and an inner one rated for indoor use, so the outer jacket can be stripped off inside the building and the cable run to the equipment room. Cables terminated in pedestals or vaults do not have this requirement.

Generally, single-mode OSP cables will be terminated by splicing pigtails onto each fiber, and splices will be placed in a splice closure. Multimode fibers can be handled the same way or terminated directly onto the fibers. Most OSP cables will require installing a breakout kit, which sleeves each fiber in a tube rugged enough for direct termination.

Safety

OSP safety is a very critical issue. Routes should be cleared with “One Call” or “Call Before You Dig” services to ensure no buried cables or pipes are in the proposed route. Installers working with cable-placing machinery need to be well trained in how to operate them safely. Aerial installations are particularly dangerous, since poles usually have electrical cables too close for comfort. Every OSP job should have posted safety procedures and all personnel should be briefed in their use.

Conclusion

In conclusion, with the advent of fiber optics used in communication networking, outside plant fiber optic installation has become a common phenomenon. What we discussed in this article may simply provider you an introduction and guideline to OSP installation, the real installation environment can be more complicated and time-consuming. So specialized personnel  are essential to ensure smooth and successful OSP installation.

First published: http://www.china-cable-suppliers.com/outside-plant-fiber-optic-installations.html

Introduction to Passive Optical Network

It is universally known that fiber optics transmit data by light signals. And as this data moves across a fiber, there needs a way to separate it so that it gets to the proper destination. Generally, there exist two essential types of systems that make fiber-to-the-home broadband connections possible, which are active optical networks (AON) and passive optical networks (PON). Both of them provide ways to separate data and route it to the proper place. Nowadays, service providers invest billions of dollars in their access networks to meet the ever increasing demand for high-bandwidth broadband. In addition to technology longevity, service providers also like to see technology evolution to ensure future consumer demands can be met by staying within the same technology family. Consequently, the development of passive optical networking is on the rise.

The Definition of PON

A passive optical network (PON) is a system that brings optical fiber cabling and signals all or most of the way to the end user. It is a telecommunication technology that implements a point-to-multipoint architecture, in which unpowered fiber optic splitters are used to enable a single optical fiber to serve multiple end-points such as customers, without having to provision individual fibers between the hub and customer. The system can be described as fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC), fiber-to-the-building (FTTB), or fiber-to-the-home (FTTH).

A PON consists of an optical line termination (OLT) at the service provider’s central office and a number of optical network units (ONUs) near end users. Typically, up to 32 ONUs can be connected to an OLT. The passive optical network simply describes the fact that optical transmission has no power requirements or active electronic parts once the signal is going through the network.

A PON system makes it possible to share expensive components for FTTH. A passive splitter that takes one input and splits it to broadcast to many users, which help cut the cost of the links substantially by sharing, for example, one expensive laser with up to 32 homes. PON splitters are bi-directional, that is signals can be sent downstream from the central office, broadcast to all users, and signals from the users can be sent upstream and combined into one fiber to communicate with the central office.

Difference Between AON and PON

As it was mentioned above, AON and PON serve as the two main methods of building CWDM and DWDM backbone network. Each of them has their own merits and demerits.

An active optical system uses electrically powered switching equipment, such as a router or a switch aggregator, to manage signal distribution and direction signals to specific customers. This switch directs the incoming and outgoing signals to the proper place by opening and closing in various ways. In such a system, a customer may have a dedicated fiber running to his or her house. The reliance of AON on Ethernet technology makes interoperability among vendors easy. Subscribers can select hardware that delivers an appropriate data transmission rate and scale up as their needs increase without having to restructure the network. However, AON require at least one switch aggregator for every 48 subscribes. Since it requires power, an active optical network inherently is less reliable than a passive optical network.

A passive optical network, on the other hand, does not include electrically powered switching equipment, instead, it uses optical splitters to separate and collect optical signals as they move through the network. A PON shares fiber optic strands for portions of the network. Powered equipment is required only at the source and receiving ends of the signal. PONs are efficient since each fiber optic strand can serve up to 32 users. Besides, PONs have a low building cost compared with active optical networks along with lower maintenance cost. However, PONs also have some demerits. They have less range than an AON, which means subscribes must be geographically closer to the central source of the data. When a failure occurs, it is rather difficult to isolate it in a PONs. Moreover, because the bandwidth in a PON is not dedicated to individual subscribers, data transmission speed may slow down during peak usage times in an effect known as latency. And latency would quickly degrade services such as audio and video, which need a smooth rate to maintain quality.

The Benefits of PON

As early as the year 2009, PONs began appearing in corporate networks. Users were adopting these networks because they were cheaper, faster, lower in power consumption, easier to provision for voice, data and video, and easier to manage, since they were originally designed to connect millions of homes for telephone, Internet and TV services.

Passive Optical Networks (PON) provide high-speed, high-bandwidth and secure voice, video and data service delivery over a combined fiber network. The main benefits of PON are listed below:

• Lower network operational costs
• Elimination of Ethernet switches in the network
• Elimination of recurring costs associated with a fabric of Ethernet switches in the network
• Lower installation (CapEx) costs for a new or upgraded network (min 200 users)
• Lower network energy (OpEx) costs
• Less network infrastructure
• You can reclaim wiring closet (IDF) real estate
• Large bundles of copper cable are replaced with small single mode optical fiber cable
• PON provides increased distance between data center and desktop (>20 kilometers)
• Network maintenance is easier and less expensive
• Fiber is more secured than copper. It is harder to tap. There is no available sniffer port on a passive optical splitter. Data is encrypted between the OLT and the ONT.

Conclusion

From what we have discussed above, you may at least have a brief understanding of the passive optical network. In fact, PON has been around for many years in the service provider space. Now PON is finally making its way into the enterprise space by providing opportunities for customers deploying new infrastructure or new construction. The technology is catching on. Now, PON mainly captures the commercial market, which performs well in healthcare, college campuses, hotels and office buildings. A PON network eliminates the need for switches and a wiring closet, which means fewer points of failure.

First published: http://www.fiber-optic-solutions.com/introduction-to-passive-optical-network.html