.webp "Fiber Splitter & Mux")
Fiber optic attenuator is used in the fiber optic communications to reduce the optical fiber power at a certain level, the most commonly used type is female to male plug type fiber optic attenuator, it has the fiber connector at one side and the other side is a female type fiber adapter, fiber optic attenuator is based on the connector type and the attenuation level.
Attenuators are commonly used fiber optic communications, either to test power level margins adding a calibrated amount of signal loss temporarily, or installed permanently to properly match CWDM & DWDM transceivers and CWDM & DWDM transponders levels.
Fixed fiber-optic attenuators
Fixed optical attenuators used in fiber optic systems with a variety of principles for their functions. Fixed fiber-optic attenuators use either doped fibers, or mis-aligned splices, since both of these are reliable and inexpensive. Inline style attenuators are incorporated into patch cables. The alternative build out style attenuator is a small male-female adapter that can be added on to other cables.
Non-preferred attenuators often use gap loss or reflective principles. Such devices can be sensitive to: modal distribution, wavelength, contamination, vibration, temperature, damage due to power bursts, may cause back reflections, may cause signal dispersion etc.
Built-in variable fiber-optic attenuators
Built-in variable optical attenuators may be either manually or electrically controlled.
A manual device is useful for one-time set up of a system, and is a near-equivalent to a fixed attenuator, and may be referred to as an "adjustable attenuator". In contrast, an electrically controlled attenuator can provide adaptive power optimization.
Attributes for electrically controlled devices, include speed of response and avoiding degradation of the transmitted signal. Dynamic range is usually quite restricted, and power feedback may mean that long term stability is a relatively minor issue. Speed of response is a particularly major issue in dynamically reconfigurable systems, where a delay of one millionth of a second can result in the loss of large amounts of transmitted data. Typical technologies employed for high speed response include LCD, or Lithium niobate devices.
Variable fiber-optic test attenuators
Variable fiber optic attenuators generally use a variable neutral density filter. Despite relatively high cost, this arrangement has the advantages of being stable, wavelength insensitive, mode insensitive, and offering a large dynamic range. Other schemes such as LCD, variable air gap etc. have been tried over the years, but with limited success.
Fiber optic attenuator instrument calibration is a major issue. The user typically would like an absolute port to port calibration. Also, calibration should usually be at a number of wavelengths and power levels, since the device is not always linear. However a number of instruments do not in fact offer these basic features, presumably in an attempt to reduce cost. The most accurate variable attenuator instruments have thousands of calibration points, resulting in excellent overall accuracy in use.
Attenuators are commonly used fiber optic communications, either to test power level margins adding a calibrated amount of signal loss temporarily, or installed permanently to properly match CWDM & DWDM transceivers and CWDM & DWDM transponders levels.
Fixed fiber-optic attenuators
Fixed optical attenuators used in fiber optic systems with a variety of principles for their functions. Fixed fiber-optic attenuators use either doped fibers, or mis-aligned splices, since both of these are reliable and inexpensive. Inline style attenuators are incorporated into patch cables. The alternative build out style attenuator is a small male-female adapter that can be added on to other cables.
Non-preferred attenuators often use gap loss or reflective principles. Such devices can be sensitive to: modal distribution, wavelength, contamination, vibration, temperature, damage due to power bursts, may cause back reflections, may cause signal dispersion etc.
Built-in variable fiber-optic attenuators
Built-in variable optical attenuators may be either manually or electrically controlled.
A manual device is useful for one-time set up of a system, and is a near-equivalent to a fixed attenuator, and may be referred to as an "adjustable attenuator". In contrast, an electrically controlled attenuator can provide adaptive power optimization.
Attributes for electrically controlled devices, include speed of response and avoiding degradation of the transmitted signal. Dynamic range is usually quite restricted, and power feedback may mean that long term stability is a relatively minor issue. Speed of response is a particularly major issue in dynamically reconfigurable systems, where a delay of one millionth of a second can result in the loss of large amounts of transmitted data. Typical technologies employed for high speed response include LCD, or Lithium niobate devices.
Variable fiber-optic test attenuators
Variable fiber optic attenuators generally use a variable neutral density filter. Despite relatively high cost, this arrangement has the advantages of being stable, wavelength insensitive, mode insensitive, and offering a large dynamic range. Other schemes such as LCD, variable air gap etc. have been tried over the years, but with limited success.
Fiber optic attenuator instrument calibration is a major issue. The user typically would like an absolute port to port calibration. Also, calibration should usually be at a number of wavelengths and power levels, since the device is not always linear. However a number of instruments do not in fact offer these basic features, presumably in an attempt to reduce cost. The most accurate variable attenuator instruments have thousands of calibration points, resulting in excellent overall accuracy in use.
No comments have been posted yet.