Optical Communication (ECE-322)

Assignment: 5
1. In a SONET network, there is a need to transmit data at a rate of 2.5 Gbps over a
fiber-optic link. The network is employing Wavelength Division Multiplexing
(WDM) with 8 channels, each operating at 10 Gbps. If the SONET link is connected
to one of the WDM channels, what is the total capacity (in Gbps) of the fiber-optic
link?
Solution:
To find the total capacity of the fiber-optic link, we need to consider the data rate of the
SONET link and the WDM channels.
SONET Link Data Rate: 2.5 Gbps
WDM Channels Data Rate: 8 channels * 10 Gbps/channel = 80 Gbps
Since the SONET link is connected to one of the WDM channels, the total capacity of the
fiber-optic link is the sum of the SONET link data rate and the data rate of the WDM
channel to which it is connected.
Total Capacity = SONET Link Data Rate + WDM Channel Data Rate
= 2.5 Gbps + 10 Gbps (for one WDM channel)
= 12.5 Gbps
Therefore, the total capacity of the fiber-optic link is 12.5 Gbps.

2. A SONET system operates at an OC-12 (Optical Carrier level 12) data rate. If an
STS-1 (Synchronous Transport Signal level 1) frame consists of 810 bytes and is
transmitted every 125 microseconds, calculate:
(a) Bit rate of STS-1 (b) The total bit rate of OC-12.
Solution:

 Step 1: Calculate STS-1 bit rate

Each STS-1 frame consists of 810 bytes. Since 1 byte = 8 bits,

Bits per frame=810×8=6480 bits

The frame duration is 125 μs

Bit rate=Bits per frame duration=6480125×10−6=51.84 Mbps

So, STS-1 bit rate = 51.84 Mbps.

 Step 2: Calculate OC-12 bit rate

Since OC-12 contains 12 STS-1 channels,

OC-12 bit rate=12×51.84=622.08 Mbps

3. A SONET ring is designed with a total capacity of 2.5 Gbps. If the ring uses OC-48
links, calculate the number of OC-48 links needed to achieve this capacity.
Solution:

Since we can't have a fraction of a link, you would round up to the nearest whole number.
Therefore, you would need 2 OC-48 links to achieve a total capacity of 2.5 Gbps in the
SONET ring.
4. An optical fiber link consists of the following parameters:
Transmitter power = 0 dBm, Fiber attenuation = 0.3 dB/km, Connector loss = 0.5 dB
per connector, Splice loss = 0.1 dB per splice, Number of connectors = 4, Number of
splices = 10, Fiber length = 50 km, Receiver sensitivity = -25 dBm. Calculate the optical
power margin for this link.

Solution: Total losses in the system include fiber attenuation, connector loss, and splice
loss.

Fiber attenuation loss:

Total fiber loss=Attenuation per km× Fiber length 0.3×50=15 dB

Connector loss:

Total connector loss=Loss per connector× Number of connectors

=0.5×4=2 dB

Splice loss:

Total splice loss=Loss per splice × Number of splices

=0.1×10=1 dB
Total Link Loss:

Total link loss=Fiber loss +Connector loss +Splice loss

=15+2+1

=18 dB

Received Power

Preceived= Ptransmitted−Total link

=0−18=−18 dBm

Power Margin

Power Margin= Preceived− Preceiver sensitivity

=Preceived− Preceiver sensitivity

=(−18)−(−25)

=7 dB

5. A fiber optic system has the following parameters:

Transmitter power = -5 dBm, Receiver sensitivity = -30 dBm, Fiber attenuation =
0.25 dB/km, Connector loss = 0.75 dB per connector, Splice loss = 0.1 dB per splice,
Number of connectors = 2, Number of splices = 6
Find the maximum transmission distance for this system.

Solution:

Power Budget Available

Pbudget= Ptransmitter− Preceiver

=(−5)−(−30)=25 dB

Total Loss from Connectors and Splices

Total connector loss=0.75×2=1.5 dB

Total splice loss=0.1×6=0.6 dB

Remaining Power for Fiber Loss

 Remaining power=Pbudget− (Connector loss+ Splice loss)

=25−(1.5+0.6)

=22.9 dB

Maximum Distance (dmax)=Remaining power/ Attenuation per km

=91.6 km

6. A fiber optic link has the following parameters:

Receiver sensitivity = -28 dBm, Fiber attenuation = 0.4 dB/km, Fiber length = 60 km,
Connector loss = 0.5 dB per connector, Splice loss = 0.2 dB per splice, Number of
connectors = 2, Number of splices = 8, Required power margin = 3 dB.

Find the minimum required transmitter power.

Solution:

Fiber Attenuation Loss

Total fiber loss=Attenuation per km× Fiber length

=0.4×60=24 dB

Connector and Splice Loss

Total connector loss=0.5×2=1 dB

Total splice loss=0.2×8=1.6 dB

Total Link Loss

Total loss=Fiber loss+ Connector loss+ Splice loss

=24+1+1.6=26.6 dB

Required Transmitter Power

Ptransmitter=Preceiver sensitivity+Total loss+Power

=(−28)+26.6+3

=1.6 dBm
 7. A digital optical fiber communication system has the following parameters:

Transmitter rise time = 2 ns, Fiber dispersion rise time = 3 ns, Receiver rise time = 4
ns Find the total system rise time.

Solution: The total system rise time (tsys):

tsys=

=5.39 ns

8. A fiber optic system operates with:

Wavelength = 850 nm, Spectral width = 2 nm, Chromatic dispersion coefficient = 85

ps/nm-km, Fiber length = 10 km.

Calculate the dispersion-induced rise time.

Solution:

The dispersion-induced rise time is given by:

tdisp=D×Δλ×L

tdisp=85×2×10

=1.7 ns

9. Solution
Using Eq. CL = fL + con + splice, the total channel loss CL may be calculated as follows:
CL =  L + (splice loss per km)  L + (loss per connector)  no. of connectors
= (2.5 dB/km)  L (km) + (0.5 dB/splice)  (1 splice/km)  L (km) + (1 dB)  2
= (3L + 2) dB
Here, Ptx = –10 dBm, Prx = – 42 dBm, and Ms = 6 dB. Substituting the values of Ptx, Prx, CL, and
Ms in Eq. Ptx = Prx + CL + Ms
, we get
–10 = – 42 + (3L + 2) + 6
or L = 8 km
Therefore, a maximum transmission path of 8 km is possible without repeaters.
 
Let us now calculate the total rise time tsys using Eqs. tsys  t tx2  t 2f  t rx2 
1/ 2
and


tf  t intermodal
2
 t intramodal
2

1/ 2
. It is given that ttx = 12 ns, trx = 11 ns. In the case of multimode

fibers, intramodal dispersion, is primarily due to material dispersion, and hence tintramoal  tmat.
tmat = (3 ns/km)  L = (3 ns/km)  (8 km) = 24 ns
tintermodal = (1ns/km)  L = (1ns/km)  (8 km) = 8ns
Therefore, tsys = [(12)2 + (24)2 + (8)2 + (11)2]1/2= 30 ns
The maximum allowable rise time tsys for our 20-Mbits/s NRZ data stream
0.35
from Eq. for the RZ format , is
B
tsys  0.70 0.70
tsys   s  35ns
0.70 B
for the NRZ format 20  10 6

Since tsys (= 30 ns) for the proposed link is less than the maximum allowable limit, the choice of
components is adequate to meet the system design criteria

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