Cisco DWDM Overview

ONS 15454 MSTP
DWDM Networking Primer

October 2003
2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Agenda
Introduction
Optical Fundamentals
Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM)
Optical Fundamentals
Some terminology
Decibels (dB): unit of level (relative measure)
X dB is 10-X/10 in linear dimension e.g. 3 dB Attenuation = 10-.3 = 0.501 Standard logarithmic unit for the ratio of two quantities. In optical fibers, the ratio is power and represents loss or gain.
Decibels-milliwatt (dBm) : Decibel referenced to a milliwatt

X mW is 10log10(X) in dBm, Y dBm is 10Y/10 in mW. 0dBm=1mW, 17dBm = 50mW
Wavelength (): length of a wave in a particular medium. Common unit: nanometers, 10-9m (nm)
300nm (blue) to 700nm (red) is visible. In fiber optics primarily use 850, 1310, & 1550nm
Frequency (): the number of times that a wave is produced within a particular time period. Common unit: TeraHertz, 1012 cycles per second (Thz)
Wavelength x frequency = Speed of light x = C
Some more terminology

Attenuation = Loss of power in dB/km
The extent to which lighting intensity from the source is diminished as it passes through a given length of fiber-optic (FO) cable, tubing or light pipe. This specification determines how well a product transmits light and how much cable can be properly illuminated by a given light source.
Chromatic Dispersion = Spread of light pulse in

The separation of light into its different coloured rays.
ps/nm-km
ITU Grid = Standard set of wavelengths to be used in Fibre Optic communications. Unit Ghz, e.g. 400Ghz, 200Ghz, 100Ghz
Optical Signal to Noise Ration (OSNR) = Ratio of optical signal power to noise power for the receiver
Lambda = Name of Greek Letter used as Wavelength symbol ()
Optical Supervisory Channel (OSC) = Management channel

dB versus dBm
dBm used for output power and receive sensitivity (Absolute Value) dB used for power gain or loss (Relative Value)
Bit Error Rate ( BER)
BER is a key objective of the Optical System Design
Goal is to get from Tx to Rx with a BER < BER threshold of the Rx

BER thresholds are on Data sheets Typical minimum acceptable rate is 10 -12
Optical Budget
Basic Optical Budget = Output Power Input Sensitivity
Pout = +6 dBm R = -30 dBm
Budget = 36 dB
Optical Budget is affected by:

Fiber attenuation Splices Patch Panels/Connectors Optical components (filters, amplifiers, etc) Bends in fiber Contamination (dirt/oil on connectors)
Glass Purity
Fiber Optics Requires Very High Purity Glass

Window Glass Optical Quality Glass Fiber Optics 1 inch (~3 cm) 10 feet (~3 m) 9 miles (~14 km)
Propagation Distance Need to Reduce the Transmitted Light Power by 50% (3 dB)
Fiber Fundamentals
Attenuation Dispersion Nonlinearity Distortion It May Be a Digital Signal, but Its Analog Transmission
Transmitted Data Waveform

Waveform After 1000 Km
Analog Transmission Effects

Attenuation:
Reduces power level with distance
Dispersion and Nonlinearities:

Erodes clarity with distance and speed
Signal detection and recovery is an analog problem
Fiber Geometry
Core Cladding
An optical fiber is made of three sections:

The core carries the light signals The cladding keeps the light in the core The coating protects the glass
Coating
Propagation in Fiber
n2
q0
n1 q1 Intensity Profile
Cladding
Core
Light propagates by total internal reflections at the core-cladding interface Total internal reflections are lossless
Each allowed ray is a mode
Different Types of Fiber

n2
Multimode fiber
Core diameter varies 50 mm for step index 62.5 mm for graded index Bit rate-distance product >500 MHz-km
n1 Core
Cladding
Single-mode fiber
Core diameter is about 9 mm Bit rate-distance product >100 THz-km
n2
n1
Cladding
Core
Optical Spectrum
UV Visible IR 125 GHz/nm
Light
Ultraviolet (UV) Visible Infrared (IR)
850 nm 980 nm 1310 nm
1480 nm 1550 nm 1625 nm
Communication wavelengths
850, 1310, 1550 nm Low-loss wavelengths
Specialty wavelengths
980, 1480, 1625 nm
Wavelength:
(nanometers) Frequency: (terahertz)
C = x
Optical Attenuation
Specified in loss per kilometer (dB/km)

0.40 dB/km at 1310 nm 0.25 dB/km at 1550 nm
1550 Window
Loss due to absorption by impurities

1400 nm peak due to OH ions
1310 Window
EDFA optical amplifiers available in 1550 window
Optical Attenuation
Pulse amplitude reduction limits how far
Attenuation in dB Power is measured in dBm:
Examples
10dBm 0 dBM -3 dBm -10 dBm -30 dBm 10 mW 1 mW 500 uW 100 uW 1 uW
Pi
T
P0 T
Types of Dispersion
Chromatic Dispersion
Different wavelengths travel at different speeds Causes spreading of the light pulse
Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD)

Single-mode fiber supports two polarization states Fast and slow axes have different group velocities Causes spreading of the light pulse
A Snapshot on Chromatic Dispersion
Interference
Affects single channel and DWDM systems
A pulse spreads as it travels down the fiber

Inter-symbol Interference (ISI) leads to performance impairments Degradation depends on:
laser used (spectral width) bit-rate (temporal pulse separation) Different SM types
Limitations From Chromatic Dispersion

Dispersion causes pulse distortion, pulse "smearing" effects Higher bit-rates and shorter pulses are less robust to Chromatic Dispersion Limits "how fast and how far
10 Gbps
60 Km SMF-28
t
40 Gbps
4 Km SMF-28
t
Combating Chromatic Dispersion
Use DSF and NZDSF fibers

(G.653 & G.655)
Dispersion Compensating Fiber

Transmitters with narrow spectral width
Dispersion Compensating Fiber
Dispersion Compensating Fiber:

By joining fibers with CD of opposite signs (polarity) and suitable lengths an average dispersion close to zero can be obtained; the compensating fiber can be several kilometers and the reel can be inserted at any point in the link, at the receiver or at the transmitter
Dispersion Compensation Total Dispersion Controlled

Cumulative Dispersion (ps/nm)
+100 0 -100 -200 -300 -400 -500
No Compensation With Compensation
Distance from Transmitter (km) Dispersion Shifted Fiber Cable
Transmitter
Dispersion Compensators
How Far Can I Go Without Dispersion?
Distance (Km) =
Specification of Transponder (ps/nm) Coefficient of Dispersion of Fiber (ps/nm*km)
A laser signal with dispersion tolerance of 3400 ps/nm

is sent across a standard SMF fiber which has a Coefficient of Dispersion of 17 ps/nm*km. It will reach 200 Km at maximum bandwidth.
Note that lower speeds will travel farther.
Polarization Mode Dispersion

Caused by ovality of core due to:
Manufacturing process Internal stress (cabling)
External stress (trucks)
Only discovered in the 90s
Most older fiber not characterized for PMD

Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD)

Ey
nx
Ex
ny
Spreaded Pulse As It Leaves the Fiber
Pulse As It Enters the Fiber
The optical pulse tends to broaden as it travels down the fiber; this is a much weaker phenomenon than chromatic dispersion and it is of little relevance at bit rates of 10Gb/s or less
Combating Polarization Mode Dispersion

Factors contributing to PMD
Bit Rate Fiber core symmetry Environmental factors Bends/stress in fiber Imperfections in fiber
Solutions for PMD

Improved fibers Regeneration Follow manufacturers recommended installation techniques for the fiber cable
Types of Single-Mode Fiber

SMF-28(e) (standard, 1310 nm optimized, G.652)
Most widely deployed so far, introduced in 1986, cheapest
DSF (Dispersion Shifted, G.653)

Intended for single channel operation at 1550 nm
NZDSF (Non-Zero Dispersion Shifted, G.655)

For WDM operation, optimized for 1550 nm region
TrueWave, FreeLight, LEAF, TeraLight Latest generation fibers developed in mid 90s For better performance with high capacity DWDM systems MetroCor, WideLight Low PMD ULH fibers
Different Solutions for Different Fiber Types

SMF
(G.652)
Good for TDM at 1310 nm

OK for TDM at 1550 OK for DWDM (With Dispersion Mgmt) OK for TDM at 1310 nm Good for TDM at 1550 nm Bad for DWDM (C-Band) OK for TDM at 1310 nm
DSF (G.653) NZDSF
(G.655)
Extended Band (G.652.C)
Good for TDM at 1550 nm

Good for DWDM (C + L Bands) Good for TDM at 1310 nm OK for TDM at 1550 nm
(suppressed attenuation in the traditional water peak region)
OK for DWDM (With Dispersion Mgmt

Good for CWDM (>8 wavelengths)
The primary Difference is in the Chromatic Dispersion Characteristics

The 3 Rs of Optical Networking

A Light Pulse Propagating in a Fiber Experiences 3 Type of Degradations:
Pulse as It Enters the Fiber Pulse as It Exits the Fiber
Loss of Energy
Shape Distortion
Phase Variation
Loss of Timing (Jitter)

(From Various Sources) ts Optimum Sampling Time
ts Optimum Sampling Time
The 3 Rs of Optical Networking (Cont.)

The Options to Recover the Signal from Attenuation/Dispersion/Jitter Degradation Are:
Pulse as It Enters the Fiber Pulse as It Exits the Fiber
Amplify to Boost the Power
Re-Shape
DCU
Phase Variation
Phase Re-Alignment
Re-Generate
O-E-O
Re-gen, Re-shape and ts Optimum Remove Optical Noise Sampling Time
DWDM
Agenda
Introduction
Components
Forward Error Correction
DWDM Design
Summary
Increasing Network Capacity Options

More Fibers (SDM)
Same bit rate, more fibers Slow Time to Market Expensive Engineering Limited Rights of Way Duct Exhaust
W D M
Same fiber & bit rate, more s Fiber Compatibility Fiber Capacity Release Fast Time to Market Lower Cost of Ownership Utilizes existing TDM Equipment
Faster Electronics (TDM)

Higher bit rate, same fiber Electronics more expensive
Fiber Networks
Time division multiplexing
Single wavelength per fiber Multiple channels per fiber 4 OC-3 channels in OC-12 4 OC-12 channels in OC-48 16 OC-3 channels in OC-48 Channel 1 Channel n
Single Fiber (One Wavelength)
Wave division multiplexing

Multiple wavelengths per fiber 4, 16, 32, 64 channels per system Multiple channels per fiber
l1 l2 Single Fiber (Multiple Wavelengths)
ln
TDM and DWDM Comparison

TDM (SONET/SDH)
Takes sync and async signals and multiplexes them to a single higher optical bit rate E/O or O/E/O conversion
DS-1 DS-3 OC-1 OC-3 OC-12 OC-48
SONET ADM
Fiber
(D)WDM
Takes multiple optical signals and multiplexes onto a single fiber No signal format conversion
OC-12c OC-48c OC-192c DWDM OADM Fiber
DWDM History
Early WDM (late 80s)
Two widely separated wavelengths (1310, 1550nm)
Second generation WDM (early 90s)

Two to eight channels in 1550 nm window 400+ GHz spacing
DWDM systems (mid 90s)

16 to 40 channels in 1550 nm window
100 to 200 GHz spacing
Next generation DWDM systems

64 to 160 channels in 1550 nm window
50 and 25 GHz spacing
Why DWDMThe Business Case

Conventional TDM Transmission10 Gbps
40km 40km 40km 40km 40km 40km 40km 40km 40km
1310 1310 1310 1310 1310 1310 1310 1310 TERM TERM RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 TERM TERM RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 TERM TERM RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 RPTR 1310 TERM TERM RPTR RPTR RPTR RPTR RPTR RPTR RPTR RPTR
OC-48 OC-48 OC-48 OC-48
DWDM Transmission10 Gbps

120 km
120 km
OA
120 km OA OA
OC-48 OC-48 OC-48 OC-48
OA
4 Fibers Pairs 32 Regenerators

1 Fiber Pair 4 Optical Amplifiers
Drivers of WDM Economics

Fiber underground/undersea
Existing fiber
Conduit rights-of-way
Lease or purchase
Digging
Time-consuming, labor intensive, license
$15,000 to $90,000 per Km
3R regenerators
Space, power, OPS in POP Re-shape, re-time and re-amplify
Simpler network management

Delayering, less complexity, less elements
Characteristics of a WDM Network

Wavelength Characteristics
Transparency
Can carry multiple protocols on same fiber Monitoring can be aware of multiple protocols
Wavelength spacing
50GHz, 100GHz, 200GHz
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Defines how many and which wavelengths can be used
Wavelength capacity
Example: 1.25Gb/s, 2.5Gb/s, 10Gb/s
Optical Transmission Bands
Band
New Band S-Band C-Band L-Band U-Band
Wavelength (nm) 820 - 900 1260 1360 1360 1460 1460 1530 1530 1565 1565 1625 1625 1675
ITU Wavelength Grid

1530.33 nm 195.9 THz
0.80 nm 100 GHz
1553.86 nm
193.0 THz
ITU-T grid is based on 191.7 THz + 100 GHz It is a standard for laser in DWDM systems
Freq (THz) 192.90 192.85 192.80 192.75 192.70 192.65 192.60 ITU Ch 29 28 27 26 Wave (nm) 15201/252 1554.13 x 1554.54 1554.94 x 1555.34 1555.75 x 1556.15 1556.55 x 15216 x x x x 15800 x x x x 15540 x x x x 15454 x x x x
Fiber Attenuation Characteristics

Attenuation vs. Wavelength
2.0 dB/Km Fibre Attenuation Curve S-Band:14601530nm L-Band:15651625nm
0.5 dB/Km
0.2 dB/Km 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 C-Band:15301565nm
Wavelength in Nanometers (nm)
Characteristics of a WDM Network

Sub-wavelength Multiplexing or MuxPonding Ability to put multiple services onto a single wavelength
Why DWDM? The Technical Argument
DWDM provides enormous amounts of scaleable transmission capacity

Unconstrained by speed of available electronics Subject to relaxed dispersion and nonlinearity tolerances Capable of graceful capacity growth
Agenda
Introduction
Components Forward Error Correction DWDM Design
DWDM Components
1 850/1310 15xx 2 3 1...n
Transponder Optical Multiplexer
1 2 3 1...n
1 2 3
Optical De-multiplexer Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (OADM)

More DWDM Components
Optical Amplifier (EDFA)
Optical Attenuator Variable Optical Attenuator
Dispersion Compensator (DCM / DCU)
Typical DWDM Network Architecture

DWDM SYSTEM VOA EDFA DCM DWDM SYSTEM
DCM
EDFA
VOA
Service Mux (Muxponder)
Service Mux (Muxponder)
Transponders
Converts broadband optical signals to a specific wavelength via optical to electrical to optical conversion (O-E-O)
Used when Optical LTE (Line Termination Equipment) does not have tight tolerance ITU optics
Performs 2R or 3R regeneration function Receive Transponders perform reverse function
1 2
OEO
From Optical OLTE
OEO
To DWDM Mux
n
OEO
Low Cost IR/SR Optics

Wavelengths Converted
Performance Monitoring
Performance monitoring performed on a per wavelength basis through transponder
No modification of overhead
Data transparency is preserved
Laser Characteristics
Non DWDM Laser Fabry Perot
Power c
DWDM Laser Distributed Feedback (DFB)

Power c
Spectrally broad
Unstable center/peak wavelength
Mirror Partially transmitting Mirror
Dominant single laser line
Tighter wavelength control
Active medium
Amplified light
DWDM Receiver Requirements
Receivers Common to all Transponders Not Specific to wavelength (Broadband)
Optical Amplifier
Pin Pout = GPin
EDFA amplifiers Separate amplifiers for C-band and L-band Source of optical noise Simple
OA Gain and Fiber Loss

Typical Fiber Loss
25 THz 4 THz
OA Gain
OA gain is centered in 1550 window OA bandwidth is less than fiber bandwidth

Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier

Isolator Coupler Coupler Isolator
Erbium-Doped Fiber (1050m)

Pump Laser Pump Laser
Simple device consisting of four parts: Erbium-doped fiber An optical pump (to invert the population). A coupler An isolator to cut off backpropagating noise
Optical Signal-to Noise Ratio (OSNR)

Signal Level
X dB
Noise Level
Depends on :
Optical Amplifier Noise Figure:
(OSNR)in = (OSNR)outNF
EDFA Schematic (OSNR)in (OSNR)out
Pin
NF
Target : Large Value for X

Loss Management: Limitations Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier

Each EDFA at the Output Cuts at Least in a Half (3dB) the OSNR Received at the Input
Noise Figure > 3 dB Typically between 4 and 6
Each amplifier adds noise, thus the optical SNR decreases gradually along the chain; we can have only have a finite number of amplifiers and spans and eventually electrical regeneration will be necessary Gain flatness is another key parameter mainly for long amplifier chains
Optical Filter Technology
Dielectric Filter
1,2,3,...n
1, ,3,...n
Well established technology, up to 200 layers
Multiplexer / Demultiplexer
DWDM Mux
DWDM Demux
Wavelength Multiplexed Signals
Wavelength Multiplexed Signals Wavelengths separated into individual ITU Specific lambdas
Wavelengths Converted via Transponders
Loss of power for each Lambda

Optical Add/Drop Filters (OADMs)

OADMs allow flexible add/drop of channels
Drop Channel
Drop & Insert
Add Channel
Pass Through loss and Add/Drop loss

Agenda
Introduction
Components
DWDM Design
Summary
Transmission Errors
Errors happen!
A old problem of our era (PCs, wireless)

Bursty appearance rather than distributed Noisy medium (ASE, distortion, PMD) TX/RX instability (spikes, current surges) Detect is good, correct is better
Information Transmitter
Noise Transmission Channel
Information Receiver
Error Correction
Error correcting codes both detect errors and correct them Forward Error Correction (FEC) is a system
adds additional information to the data stream corrects eventual errors that are caused by the transmission system.
Low BER achievable on noisy medium
FEC Performance, Theoretical

FEC gain 6.3 dB @ 10-15 BER
Bit Error Rate
BER without FEC

10 -10
Coding Gain BER floor

10 -20
BER with FEC

10 -30 -46 -44 -42 -40 -38 -36 -34 -32
Received Optical power (dBm)
FEC in DWDM Systems

9.58 G IP SDH FEC 10.66 G 10.66 G FEC
9.58 G
IP SDH
FEC
. .
FEC
. .
ATM 2.48 G
FEC
2.66 G 2.66 G
FEC
ATM 2.48 G
FEC implemented on transponders (TX, RX, 3R) No change on the rest of the system
Agenda
Introduction
Components
DWDM Design
Summary
DWDM Design Topics
DWDM Challenges
Unidirectional vs. Bidirectional

Protection
Capacity
Distance
Transmission Effects
Attenuation:
Reduces power level with distance
Dispersion and nonlinear effects:

Erodes clarity with distance and speed
Noise and Jitter:

Leading to a blurred image
Solution for Attenuation
Loss
Optical Amplification
OA
Solution For Chromatic Dispersion
Dispersion
Dispersion
DCU
Saw Tooth Compensation

Fiber spool
Fiber spool
DCU
Total dispersion averages to ~ zero

+D -D
Length
Uni Versus Bi-directional DWDM

DWDM systems can be implemented in two different ways
Uni-directional:
wavelengths for one direction travel within one fiber two fibers needed for full-duplex system
1 3 5 7 2 4 6 8
Fiber
2 4 6 8
1 3 5 7
Fiber
Uni -directional
Bi-directional:
a group of wavelengths for each direction single fiber operation for fullduplex system
Fiber
5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4
Bi -directional
Uni Versus Bi-directional DWDM (cont.)

Uni-directional 32 channels system
Full band
32 ch full duplex
32 32 Channel Spacing 100 GHz
Full band
Bi-directional 32 channels system

Blue-band
16 ch full duplex
16 16 16
16 Channel Spacing 100 GHz
Red-band
DWDM Protection Review

Unprotected Client Protected
Splitter Protected
Y-Cable and Line Card Protected
Unprotected
1 Transponder
1 Client Interface
1 client & 1 trunk laser (one transponder) needed, only 1 path available No protection in case of fiber cut, transponder failure, client failure, etc..
Client Protected Mode

2 Transponders
2 Client interfaces
2 client & 2 trunk lasers (two transponders) needed, two optically unprotected paths Protection via higher layer protocol
Optical Splitter Protection

Optical Splitter Working lambda Switch
protected lambda
Only 1 client & 1 trunk laser (single transponder) needed

Protects against Fiber Breaks
Line Card / Y- Cable Protection

2 Transponders
working lambda
Only one TX active
Y cable
protected lambda
2 client & 2 trunk lasers (two transponders) needed

Increased cost & availability
Designing for Capacity

Bit Rate Distance
Solution Space
Wavelengths
Goal is to maximize transmission capacity and system reach

Figure of merit is Gbps Km Long-haul systems push the envelope Metro systems are considerably simpler
Designing for Distance

L = Fiber Loss in a Span
Pin
Pout Pnoise
G = Gain of Amplifier
Amplifier Spacing
D = Link Distance
Link distance (D) is limited by the minimum acceptable electrical SNR at the receiver
Dispersion, Jitter, or optical SNR can be limit
Amplifier spacing (S) is set by span loss (L)

Closer spacing maximizes link distance (D) Economics dictates maximum hut spacing
Link Distance vs. OA Spacing

Wavelength Capacity (Gb/s) 20
Amp Spacing
60 km
10 100 km 120 km 2.5 0 140 km 2000
80 km
4000
6000
8000
Total System Length (km)
System cost and and link distance both depend strongly on OA spacing
OEO Regeneration in DWDM Networks
OA noise and fiber dispersion limit total distance before regeneration

Optical-Electrical-Optical conversion Full 3R functionality: Reamplify, Reshape, Retime
Longer spans can be supported using back to back systems

3R with Optical Multiplexor and OADM

Back-to-back DWDM
Express channels must be regenerated Two complete DWDM terminals needed
1 2 3 4 N 7 1 2 3 4 N 7
Optical add/drop multiplexer

Provides drop-and- continue functionality
Express channels only amplified, not regenerated Reduces size, power and cost
1 2 3 4 N 7
OADM
1 2 3 4 N 7
Agenda
Introduction
Components
DWDM Design
Summary
DWDM Benefits
DWDM provides hundreds of Gbps of scalable transmission capacity today

Provides capacity beyond TDMs capability Supports incremental, modular growth Transport foundation for next generation networks
Metro DWDM
Metro DWDM is an emerging market for next generation DWDM equipment The value proposition is very different from the long haul
Rapid-service provisioning Protocol/bitrate transparency Carrier Class Optical Protection
Metro DWDM is not yet as widely deployed

Cisco DWDM Overview

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ONS 15454 MSTP

DWDM Networking Primer

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Decibels-milliwatt (dBm) : Decibel referenced to a milliwatt

Some more terminology

Chromatic Dispersion = Spread of light pulse in

Optical Supervisory Channel (OSC) = Management channel

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Bit Error Rate ( BER)

BER is a key objective of the Optical System Design

Goal is to get from Tx to Rx with a BER < BER threshold of the Rx

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Optical Budget is affected by:

Fiber Optics Requires Very High Purity Glass

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transmitted Data Waveform

Waveform After 1000 Km

Analog Transmission Effects

Dispersion and Nonlinearities:

Signal detection and recovery is an analog problem

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

An optical fiber is made of three sections:

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Each allowed ray is a mode

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Different Types of Fiber

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

850 nm 980 nm 1310 nm

1480 nm 1550 nm 1625 nm

(nanometers) Frequency: (terahertz)

Specified in loss per kilometer (dB/km)

Loss due to absorption by impurities

EDFA optical amplifiers available in 1550 window

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD)

A Snapshot on Chromatic Dispersion

Affects single channel and DWDM systems

A pulse spreads as it travels down the fiber

Limitations From Chromatic Dispersion

Combating Chromatic Dispersion

Use DSF and NZDSF fibers

Dispersion Compensating Fiber

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dispersion Compensating Fiber

Dispersion Compensating Fiber:

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dispersion Compensation Total Dispersion Controlled

No Compensation With Compensation

Distance from Transmitter (km) Dispersion Shifted Fiber Cable

How Far Can I Go Without Dispersion?

Specification of Transponder (ps/nm) Coefficient of Dispersion of Fiber (ps/nm*km)

A laser signal with dispersion tolerance of 3400 ps/nm

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Polarization Mode Dispersion

External stress (trucks)

Only discovered in the 90s

Most older fiber not characterized for PMD

Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD)

Pulse As It Enters the Fiber

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Combating Polarization Mode Dispersion

Solutions for PMD