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6: Link Design Dr Tahmina Ajmal

Tahmina.Ajmal@beds.ac.uk

CIS049: Microwave and Optical Communication

Previous Lecture-Photodiodes
Introduction and Basic Requirements Operation of photodiode
Basic structure: a PN junction photodetector, Optical Absorption Process Dark Current, Quantum Efficiency, Responsivity, Absorption Coefficient, Rise Time and Bandwidth pn photodiode p-i-n Photodiode Avalanche Photodiode

Types of Photodiodes

Noise Sources

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In this lecture-Link Design


Power Budget Analysis Bandwidth or Rise-time Budget Analysis

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Point-to-Point Links
Key system requirements needed to analyze optical fiber links: 1. The desired (or possible) transmission distance 2. The data rate or channel bandwidth 3. The bit-error rate (BER)

LED or laser

MMF or SMF

pin or APD

(a) Emission wavelength (b) Spectral line width (c) Output power (d) Effective radiating area (e) Emission pattern
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(a) Core size (b) Core index profile (c) BW or dispersion (d) Attenuation (e) NA or MFD
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(a) Responsivity (b) Operating (c) Speed (d) Sensitivity

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Link Power Budget

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Power Budget Example


Specify a 20-Mb/s data rate and a BER = 109. With a Si pin photodiode at 850 nm, the required receiver input signal is 42 dBm. Select a GaAlAs LED that couples 50 mW into a 50-m core diameter fiber flylead. Assume a 1-dB loss occurs at each cable interface and a 6-dB system margin. The possible transmission distance L = 6 km can be found from PT = PS PR = 29 dB = 2lc + L + system margin = 2(1 dB) + L + 6 dB The link power budget can be represented graphically (see the right-hand figure).

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Example1: Spreadsheet Power Budget

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Power Budget

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Step 1. Fiber loss at the operating wavelength

Cable Length Fiber Type


Wavelength (nm) Fiber Atten. dB/km Total Fiber Loss

2.0 2.0 Multimode


850 3 [3.5] 6.0 [7.0] 1300 1 [1.5] 2.0 [3.0]

Singlemode 1310 0.4 [0.5] 1550 0.3 [0.5]

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Step 2. Connector Loss


Multimode connectors will have losses of 0.2-0.5 dB typically. Singlemode connectors, which are factory made and fusion spliced on will have losses of 0.1-0.2 dB. Field terminated singlemode connectors may have losses as high as 0.5-1.0 dB. Let's calculate it at both typical and worst case values. Remember that we include all the components in the complete link, including the connectors on each end.

Connector Loss Total # of Connectors Total Connector Loss

0.3 dB (typical adhesive/polish conn) 5 1.5 dB

0.75 dB (TIA-568 max acceptable) 5 3.75 dB

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Step 3. Splice Loss

Multimode splices are usually made with mechanical splices, although some fusion splicing is used. The larger core and multiple layers make fusion splicing abut the same loss as mechanical splicing, but fusion is more reliable in adverse environments. Figure 0.1-0.5 dB for multimode splices, 0.3 being a good average for an experienced installer. Fusion splicing of singlemode fiber will typically have less than 0.05 dB (that's right, less than a tenth of a dB!)

Typical Splice Loss 0.3 dB Total # splices 1 Total Splice Loss 0.3 dB

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Step 4. Total Passive System Attenuation

Add the fiber loss, connector and splice losses to get the link loss. Typical 850 nm 1300 nm Total Fiber Loss (dB) 6.0 2.0 1.5 0.3 0 3.8 TIA 568 Max 850 nm 1300 nm 7.0 3.75 0.3 0 11.05 3.0 3.75 0.3 0 7.05

Total Connector Loss (dB) 1.5 Total Splice Loss (dB) Other (dB) Total Link Loss (dB) 0.3 0 7.8

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Equipment Link Loss Budget Calculation: Link loss budget for network hardware depends on the dynamic range, the difference between the sensitivity of the receiver and the output of the source into the fiber. You need some margin for system degradation over time or environment, so subtract that margin (as much as 3dB) to get the loss budget for the link.
Step 5. Data From Manufacturer's Specification for Active Components (Typical 100 Mb/s link) Operating Wavelength (nm) Fiber Type 1300 MM

Receiver Sens. (dBm@ required BER) -31 Average Transmitter Output (dBm) Dynamic Range (dB) -16 15

Recommended Excess Margin (dB)


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CIS049: Microwave and Optical Communication

Rise-Time Budget (Bandwidth Budget)


Consider a single pulse: Input:

Output: 90% 10%

ts

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Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) and Return-to Zero (RZ)


Power 1

tp
t 0 tp = T R = 1/T T 2T pulse width data rate, b/s 3T 4T 5T 6T 7T

NRZ signal

Power 1 tp

RZ signal
t T 2T pulse width data rate, b/s CIS049: Microwave and Optical Communication 15 3T 4T 5T 6T 7T

tp = T/2 R = 1/T 14/02/2012

Spectrum of the (NRZ) Signal:

Power Spectral Density (Watts/Hz) 0

1 2T

1 1 T tp

Frequency

The required transmission bandwidth is:

BNRZ
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1 R 2T 2
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Spectrum of the RZ Signal

Power Spectral Density (Watts/Hz) 0

1 T

2 1 T tp

Frequency

The required transmission bandwidth is:

BRZ
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1 R T
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RZ and NRZ rise time constraints


For the NRZ code: t = pulse duration T = Repetition period R = Bit rate t = T = 1/R Require the total system rise time to be no more than: ts = 0.7t That is, we will allow the total system rise time to be no more than 70% of the pulse duration. This is a reasonable restriction. For the RZ code: t = T/2 = 1/R Require the total system rise time to be no more than: ts = 0.35t That is, we will allow the total system rise time to be no more than 35% of the pulse duration.
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Rise-Time Budget
A rise-time budget analysis determines the dispersion limitation of an optical fiber link. The total rise time tsys is the root sum square of the rise times from each contributor ti to the pulse rise-time degradation: The transmitter rise time ttx The fibre rise time, tf
The group-velocity dispersion (GVD) rise time tGVD of the fibre The modal dispersion rise time tmod of the fibre

The receiver rise time trx


2 2 t sys ttx t 2 t rx f

Receiver Light Source


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Fiber

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Example
Consider the design of an optical link that must transmit 400Mb/s NRZ pulse train over a 100-km path with an error rate of 10-9 or better. This must be accomplished without any repeaters.
For the 400Mb/s NRZ signal, the allowable rise time is ts = 0.7/4 X 108 = 1.75ns We will need to choose a suitable fibre, Laser and a Receiver

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tF = Dt Even if the entire system rise time were allotted to the fiber, its pulse spread per unit length would have to be no more than: D(t/L) = 1.75 ns /100 km = 0.0175 ns/km D(t/L) = 17.5 ps/km For multimode SI fibers, and considering only modal distortion D(t/L) ~ 15 ns/km For multimode GRIN fibers, and considering only modal distortion: D(t/L) ~ 1 ns/km These values are much greater than the 17.5 ps/km allowed in the rise-time budget. We conclude that these multimode fibers cannot be used. We will investigate single-mode fibers as a solution.

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For a typical single-mode fiber at 0.8 mm: D(t/L) ~ 0.5 ns/km This limit is mostly caused by the high material dispersion in the first window. We will have to operate either at 1.3 mm or 1.55 mm to achieve small enough pulse spreading to meet the system specifications. Before continuing with the rise-time (bandwidth) budget, lets look at the power considerations.

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Compare fiber losses at 1.3 mm and 1.55 mm: At l = 1.3 mm, we have loss = 0.5 dB/km For L = 100 km, the total fiber loss would be: 0.5(100) = 50 dB (We will see later that our power budget is only 37 dB, so the 1.3 mm wavelength will not work.) At l = 1.55 mm, we have loss = 0.25 dB/km For L = 100 km, the total fiber loss is: 0.25(100) = 25 dB This will leave 37 25 = 12 dB for other components.

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Now continue with the rise-time budget calculations. Check the pulse spreading at 1.55 mm. At 1.55 mm we find: Material Dispersion M = - 20 ps/(nm x km) Waveguide Dispersion M9 = 4.5 ps/(nm x km) The total dispersion at 1.55 mm is then: Mt = M + M 9 Mt = -20 + 4.5 = -15.5 ps/(nm x km)

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Light Source To maintain low dispersion we must choose a light source having a narrow spectral width. This would have to be a laser diode. Laser diode specifications: Emission wavelength: l = 1.55 mm Material: InGaAsP Rise time: tLS = 1 ns Spectral width: Dl = 0.15 nm (This would be a single longitudinal-mode LD)

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The dispersive pulse spread per unit length is then: IMtI Dl = [-15.5 ps/(nm x km)] x 0.15 nm = 2.33 ps/km And the pulse spread after the signal travels 100 km would be: Dt = L IMtI Dl = 100(2.33) = 233 ps = 0.23 ns Thus, the fibers rise time is : tF = Dt = 0.23 ns Recall that the system rise time is limited to: tS = 1.75 ns

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Conclusion: The single mode fiber and 1.55 mm LD look okay. Could we use an LED in place of the laser diode? Typically for an LED at 1.55 mm the spectral width is on the order of: Dl = 50 nm The total pulse spread is then: Dt = L IMtI Dl = 100(15.5)50 Dt = 77,500 ps = 77.5 ns

The fibers rise time is then: tF = Dt = 77.5 ns We see that: tF >> tS = 1.75 ns The fibers rise time exceeds the system limit because of the large spectral width of the LED. We conclude that LED cannot be used.
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Now consider the rise time of the photodetector:


2 2 t PD t2 tLS tF S

t PD 1.75 - 1 - 0.23
2

tPD = 1.4 ns

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The photodetectors rise time has two components: tTR = transit-time-limited rise time tRC = circuit-limited rise time The circuit-limited rise time is given by: tRC = 2.19 RLCd Then we can write:
2 t PD tRC t2 TR

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Assume we know from supplied data that: tTR = 0.5 ns Photodiode capacitance: Cd = 1 pF Then

1.4 2.19 R L Cd 0.5


2

Solving for the load resistance yields: RL = 594 ohms The load resistance can be no larger than this (unless a high impedance receiver is used).

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Power Budget
Assume we know the following: LD power P = 3.2 mW P= Source-fiber coupling loss = Connector loss 2 connectors at 1 dB each = 50 splices at 0.1 dB/splice = Fiber loss = 100 (0.25) = Total system loss =

5 dBm 3 dB 2 dB 5 dB 25 dB 35 dB

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The power arriving at the receiver is then: P = 5 - 35 = -30 dBm For R = 400 Mb/s and Pe = 10-9 we can find the following receiver sensitivities: (1) APD: - 40 dBm This receiver will operate with a 10 dB margin. (2) High-Impedance PINFET: - 32 dBm This receiver will operate with a 2 dB margin. (3) Thermal-noise limited PIN: - 28.4 dBm This receiver will not work. The design is now complete. We have satisfied both the bandwidth budget and power budget with reasonable solutions.

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Example 2

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Short-Wavelength Band
Attenuation and dispersion limits on the transmission distance vs. data rate for a 770910-nm LED/pin combination. The BER was 109 ; the fiber-coupled power was 13 dBm up to 200 Mb/s. The attenuation limit curve was derived by using a fiber loss of 3.5 dB/km The receiver sensitivities shown in the left figure

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Attenuation-Limited Distances for Two Single-Mode Links


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. A DFB laser that has a fiber-coupled output of 0 dBm at 1550 nm. At 1550 nm the single-mode fiber has a 0.20-dB/km attenuation. The receiver has a load resistor RL = 200 and T = 300K. At a 1012 BER a value of Q = 7 is needed. The InGaAs pin and APD photodiodes have a responsivity of 0.95 A/W. The gain of the APD is M = 10 and the noise figure F(M ) = 5 dB.

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Problems
1. Consider a plastic fibre having a loss of 50dB/km. Power budget for the system allows a maximum 24dB of fibre loss. Compute the maximum length of fibre permitted. 2. A 100km optical link is designed with a data rate of 200Mb/s and a bit error rate of 10 -9. A GaAlAs LED that can couple 50W optical power in a fibre and a silicon PIN photodiode with a sensitivity of -32 dBm is used. Calculate the maximum allowable fibre attenuation in dB/km if a power margin of 7 dB is needed. Assume connector loss of 1dB at each end. 3. For the problem 2, the LED and receiver rise times are given as 20ns and 14ns respectively. Can a multimode fibre with modal dispersion of 2ns/km be used in the system? Suggest changes in the system to make it operable. 4. A fibre system is to be designed at 1510nm. Fibre cables for the link have losses of 0.2dB/km and are available in 4km lengths. The laser diode emits 5mW and the receiver has a sensitivity of -40dBm. A 5dB power margin is specified to account for system degradations. Assume coupling and splicing losses equal to 2dB each. Calculate the maximum allowable length of link and plot the link budget. 5. A 1550-nm single-mode digital fibre optic link needs to operate at 622Mb/s over 80 km without amplifiers. A single-mode InGaAsP laser launches an average power of 13dBm into the fibre. The fibre has a loss of 0.35 dB/km, and there is a splice with a loss of 0.1dB every kilometre. The coupling loss at the receiver is 0.5dB, and the receiver uses an InGaAs APD with a sensitivity of -39dBm. Set-up an optical power budget for this link and find the system margin.
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