Fibre Optic

Communications
Educator Kit ED-COM
COMPREHENSIVE LABORATORY BASED EDUCATIONAL PACKAGE IN
OPTICAL FIBRE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS

N.B. Oscilloscope not included

MAIN FEATURES AND BENEFITS:

• All fibre optic and optoelectronic • Detailed lecture notes, tutorial

hardware required to perform the examples and solutions to assist with
experimental investigation the development of courses

• Extensive literature support including: • Saves 2-3 years of course, literature

student and instructor’s manuals with and hardware development effort
exercises, solutions & sample results

THE EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION* ADDRESSES:

• Transmitter (LED & Laser) • Receiver noise & sensitivity

characteristics
• System performance:
• Fibre attenuation & connector losses − Attenuation limits
− Bit rate / Bandwidth limits
• Step, impulse & frequency response − Bit rate.Length Products
of components and system

• Fibre dispersion (material & modal) • System design studies

*Full details of the experiments and equipment specifications are provided overleaf

OPTOSCI Limited Tel: +44 (0)141 552 7020

141 St. James Road Fax: +44 (0)141 552 3886
Glasgow G4 0LT E-Mail: info@optosci.com
Scotland http://www.optosci.com
Laboratory Exercises Product Description
The ED-COM educator kit enables students to The OPTOSCI Fibre Optic Communications
consolidate their knowledge and understanding educator kit consists of the following hardware
and to acquire practical experience in the elements: -
investigation, design, analysis and characteristics
• One 850nm ST connectorised LED transmitter
of fibre optic communications systems and their
with adjustable drive current (current reading
component parts. A full list of the available
displayed on an integral panel meter) and
laboratory exercises is as follows: -
modulation signal input.
• Measurement of the characteristics of a LED • One 790nm ST connectorised laser diode
and laser diode transmitter source including transmitter with adjustable drive current
power versus drive current and fibre launched (current reading displayed on an integral panel
power. meter) and modulation signal input.
• Measurement of the transmitter and receiver • 1km reel of ST connectorised graded index
frequency responses, step function responses multi-mode optical fibre.
and system bandwidths using both the LED • 2km reel of ST connectorised graded index
and laser sources (see sample results below). multi-mode optical fibre.
LED RESPONSE BEFORE AND AFTER TRANSMISSION • Two 1m lengths of ST connectorised optical
2
fibre patchcord.
1.5
• One ST bulkhead connector
1
90% • One ST connectorised Si photodiode receiver
0.5 with BNC signal output and detected power
Amplitude (V)

0 displayed on an integral panel meter

• A waveform generator which can be switched
(τ )
-0.5

10%
τF = 2
s − τ o2 between a 4MHz square wave pulse generator
-1
τo and a variable frequency (1 to 25 MHz) sine
-1.5
τs
wave generator.
-2
10 20 30 40 50 60 70
• An integrated power supply and all required
Time (ns) electrical interconnects and RF cables.

• Construction and investigation of a 1, 2 & 3km In addition, a comprehensive literature package is

long point to point fibre optic communications supplied as follows:-
link. • A set of student laboratory manuals, describing
• Determination of fibre connector loss. the background theory and experimental
• Measurement of the fibre link length and fibre procedure, with associated exercises to
attenuation coefficient. encourage the student to discuss the
• Measurement of the receiver noise and sen- implications of their results.
sitivity, and the attenuation limited link length. • A complete lecturer's operator manual dealing
• Measurement of the frequency response, step with all aspects of using the kit and providing
function response and bandwidth of the 1, 2 & sample results for the experiments and
3 km optical fibre links using both the LED and exercises.
laser sources. • Extensive lecture notes on fibre optic
• Determination of the system bandwidth- communication systems covering the principles
distance product and bit rate-distance product of all the issues dealt with in the laboratory
for both the LED and laser transmitters. exercises.
• Differentiation between the effect of inter- • A comprehensive set of tutorial examples and
modal and intra-modal dispersion using the solutions.
large difference in linewidth between the laser
and LED sources. Additional required equipment:-
• Assessment of the differences in system • A two channel laboratory oscilloscope with a
performance resulting from the use of either a minimum bandwidth of 50MHz.
LED or laser transmitter addressing such Extension Modules
issues as launched power and source linewidth • BER(COM) is an add-on module to ED-COM
and their implications in terms of the observed allowing investigation of Eye Diagrams and
fibre dispersion, bandwidth, bit rate-distance BER in optical communication systems (see
product, and attenuation limited link length. separate datasheet for full details).
• Determination of the upper limits on link length,
analogue bandwidth and digital bit rate. Ordering Information
ED-COM Fibre Optic Communications
BER(COM) BER in Optical Communications
Since OPTOSCI are committed to continuously improving the design and
performance characteristics of our products, these specifications are
subject to change without notice.

Date: June 2005

OPTOSCI Limited Tel: +44 (0)141 552 7020

141 St. James Road Fax: +44 (0)141 552 3886
Glasgow G4 0LT E-Mail: info@optosci.com
Scotland http://www.optosci.com