5 network of fiber optic cables across the country and under the oceans to provide
information worldwide. Fiber optic communication systems have many advantages that make them
more efficient than the old systems which used copper cable as the medium for transmitting and receiving the data. One of the main advantages is they have a much
larger information-carrying capacity than copper cable. Fiber optic cable can carry information signal larger than 10Giga bits per second. Other than that, fiber optic
cables are not bothered by electrical interference, and require fewer amplifiers than copper-cable systems [Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D , 2009]. This will save the budget in
designing the optical communication link. Other advantages in fiber optic communications link is fiber optic have larger bandwidth over a long distance. Like
that has been stated earlier, fiber optic can carry high capacity information signal. The increasing of the capacity will increase the frequency and it shows that fiber
optic have larger bandwidth. Generally, fiber optic has bandwidth larger than 400 MHz per km but coaxial cable only has fewer MHz per km.
2.2 Fiber Optic Element in Communication System
For gigabits and beyond gigabits transmission of data, the fiber optic communication is the ideal choice. This type of communication is used to transmit
voice, video, telemetry and data over long distances and local area networks or computer networks. A fiber Optic Communication System uses light wave
technology to transmit the data over a fiber by changing electronic signals into light. Some exceptional characteristic features of this type of communication
system like large bandwidth, smaller diameter, light weight, long distance signal transmission, low attenuation, transmission security, and so on make this
communication a major building block in any telecommunication infrastructure. The subsequent information on fiber optic communication system highlights its
characteristic features, basic elements and other details [Tarun Agarwal , 2010]. There are three main basic elements of fiber optic communication system.
They are:
1. Compact Light Source
2. Low loss Optical Fiber
6
3. Photo Detector
Accessories like connectors, switches, couplers, multiplexing devices, amplifiers and splices are also essential elements in this communication system.
1. Compact Light Source
Depending on the applications like local area networks and the long haul communication systems, the light source requirements vary. The requirements of the
sources include power, speed, spectral line width, noise, ruggedness, cost, temperature, and so on. Two components are used as light sources: light emitting
diodes LED’s and laser diodes. The light emitting diodes are used for short distances and low data rate
applications due to their low bandwidth and power capabilities. Two such LEDs structures include Surface and Edge Emitting Systems. The surface emitting diodes
are simple in design and are reliable, but due to its broader line width and modulation frequency limitation edge emitting diode are mostly used. Edge emitting diodes have
high power and narrower line width capabilities [Tarun Agarwal , 2010]. For longer distances and high data rate transmission, Laser Diodes are
preferred due to its high power, high speed and narrower spectral line width characteristics. But these are inherently non-linear and more sensitive to temperature
variations. Nowadays many improvements and advancements have made these sources
more reliable. A few of such comparisons of these two sources are given below. Both these sources are modulated using either direct or external modulation techniques.
Figure 2.2 below shown a example of compact light source.
7 Figure 2.2 Compact light source
2. Low Loss Optical Fiber Optical fiber is a cable, which is also known as cylindrical dielectric
waveguide made of low loss material. An optical fiber also considers the parameters like the environment in which it is operating, the tensile strength, durability and
rigidity. The Fiber optic cable is made of high quality extruded glass si or plastic, and it is flexible. The diameter of the fiber optic cable is in between 0.25 to 0.5mm
slightly thicker than a human hair.
3. Photo Detectors The purpose of photo detectors is to convert the light signal back to an
