SAN DIEGO – The OFC (Optical Fiber Communications) exposition brought the global optical communications community together in March 2019. With our world becoming increasingly connected, our communications infrastructure must evolve and improve, and this year’s event showcased the technologies and products of the present and the future.
For Revotech, with over 10 years experience in the optical industry this show is a must. Over 700 companies introduced innovations in network equipment and software, active and passive components, test and manufacturing equipment, data center/IT products and cable and fiber, and the exhibit provided a platform for important industry announcements, including developments in coherent DWDM networking, silicon photonics and 400ZR advancements.
Likewise, the networking opportunities abound – according to the according the OFC, nearly 15,400 convened in San Diego from around the world, to visit the 683 exhibitors in over 500,000 gross square feet.
Next year’s Optical Networking and Communication Conference & Exhibition will be March 2020 in San Diego – we hope to see you there.
OFC is the largest global optical communications conference and exposition. Last week, OFC 2018 showcased the latest optical innovations in data-center connectivity, 5G networking, and quantum communication, as well as the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning…. Read more
Fiber optics, or optical fibers are long, thin strands of pure glass (some may be plastic), roughly the diameter of human hair. These optical fibers are bundled together to create optical cables. Fiber optic cables can transmit light pulses over long distances. Telephone and cable TV, internet, medical imaging, and many other systems and applications use fiber optics.
Optical Fiber
First, three components make up optical fiber:
Core – Thin glass center where the light travels
Cladding – Reflective material surrounding the core that reflects the light back inward
Buffer coating – Protective coating, made of plastic, that protects the fiber from moisture and other damage
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) produce light in fiber-optic cable. Light travels through the core, constantly bouncing off the cladding. Since the cladding does not absorb any light, the light can travel a great distance.
Fiber-Optic Relay System
To make the best use of fiber optics, we have the fiber-optic communication system. The complete fiber-optic relay system consists of the following:
Transmitter – Produces and encodes the light pulses
Optical fiber – Transports the light over distance
Optical regenerator – Boost signal over long distances
Optical receiver – Receives and decodes the light signals
Transmitter
To begin generating a signal, the transmitter pulses the LED or laser on and off in the correct sequence. The transmitter is located near the optical fiber. It may even have a lens to focus the light directly into the fiber.
Optical Regenerator
As described above, the cladding does not absorb light. Impurities in the glass, however, cause the signal to degrade over long distances. In such cases, one or more optical regenerators may be spliced into the system to boost the degraded light signals. The optical regenerator consists of optical fibers with a special coating, which takes the degraded signal and emits a new, stronger signal with the same characteristics as the weak signal.
Optical Receiver
Finally, the optical receiver receives the incoming light pulses, decodes them and sends the decoded signal to the user’s computer, television, telephone, or any other end use device of the fiber signal. A photocell or photodiode within the optical receiver detects the incoming light.
Harness the Power of Fiber Optics
Fiber optics have revolutionized communications. Fiber offers much greater bandwidth, and is thinner, more flexible, and far less expensive then copper wire systems. The quality of the fiber optics and the components in the fiber optic relay system, however, are critical.
We look forward to helping you with your fiber optic systems. Please contact us if you have questions!
Last week’s OFC 2017 conference celebrated the revival of an industry severely hobbled at the turn of the millennium. The mood at the Los Angeles Convention Center was lively and positive, showcasing an exhilarating breadth of new products and technology. Revenues and profits are up, but is the expansion sus Read more
