GPON Technology

Overview
The GPON technology uses the P2MP architecture of a standard PON network. A GPON network consists
of an OLT, ONUs, and optical splitters. The following figure shows the GPON network architecture.
SNI

S/R

R/S

ODN

Principles
Working Principles

Frame Structure

Acronyms

The GPON technology uses different upstream and downstream wavelengths to transmit data bidirectionally over a single optical fiber.

A GEM frame is a GPON service transmission unit with a length of 125 s. All data is encapsulated into
GEM frames for transmission.

Downstream center wavelength: 1490 nm

UNI

Service node

carrying data.

Optical splitter
IFgpon

OLT

OLT

CPE

control unit.

GEM port

A GPON port on an ONU contains

T-CONT

A T-CONT contains multiple GEM

ONU N

AllocID

ONU 1

ONU 1

ONU 2

AllocID

200

Start

500

T-CONT 2
(ONU 2)

OLT

Fiber to the building

FTTC

Fiber to the curb

FTTD

Fiber to the door

FTTH

Fiber to the home

FTTO

Fiber to the office

FTTW

Fiber to the Wi-Fi

Slot

Slot

Slot

Slot

100

200

300

500

GEM

GPON encapsulation mode

GPON

Gigabit-capable passive optical

network

ONU N

ONU 2

FTTB

PLOu

PLOAMu

PLSu

DBRu

Payload x

DBRu Y

Payload y

ISP

ITU-T G-984.1/2/3/4
ITU-T G.984.3
GTC layer specifications
GTC multiplexing architecture and protocol stack
GTC layer frame structure
ONU registration and activation flows

Upstream Frame

ONU 3

Alarms and performance

OMCI principles

ONU 3

NSP

PLI

Data is transmitted in TDMA mode in upstream direction. In this mode,

multiple timeslots are allocated to an uplink. ONUs transmit data based
on allocated timeslots. This prevents data conflict.

Data is broadcast in downstream direction. ONUs receive the

desired data according to GEM port IDs.

Inter-packet gap

GPON Parameters

OLT

SFD

GFP

GEM port
Downstream

14801500/1490

Voice

TDM/VoIP

Service Supporting
Upstream

1.244

Video

GEM-IPTV

Downstream

2.488

TDM

GEM

IFgpon

Bandwidth (Gbit/s)

GEM port

NRZ/FSS

Format of DBA packets

Standard

Link

ATM/GEM

Ranging

Equidistant EqD mode

Filter

Line
Protocol

60
20

Maximum Physical Reach (km)

ONT Management-compliant Protocol

20

Nominal Reach (km)

Data Encapsulation Protocol

T-CONT

OMCI
GEM

T-CONT

IFgpon

ONU N

Upstream

BW map
T-CONT

Data plane

T-CONT

Timeslot

ONU data is mapped to GEM ports.

2.

The OLT broadcasts GEM port data to all ONUs.

2.

ONUs transmit data to the OLT based on T-CONT requirements.

ONUs receive the desired data according to GEM port IDs.

3.

The OLT restores GEM port data and transmits the data to its service
processing units.

The OLT issues the calculated bandwidth to the

ONU through a BW map.

to GEM frames in a fixed number of bytes for transmission.

Distribution point

TWDM

Time and wavelength division

multiplexed

Wavelength division multiplexing

ONU 1

2:N optical splitter

IFgpon

1:N optical splitter

OLT

IFgpon

IFgpon

Distribution point

IFgpon

IFgpon
ONU N
ONU N

Macro ONU

OLT

IFgpon

1:N optical splitter

IFgpon

Pico ONU

IFgpon
Type B OLT port backup

FTTC

During the ranging process, the OLT obtains ONU's

RTD.

Desired
start of the
U/S frame

Desired
reception of
SN response

The OLT specifies proper EqD values for ONUs

based on the RTD to ensure the same logical reach
from all ONUs to the OLT.

The GPON technology applies on FTTB, FTTC, FTTD, FTTH, FTTO, and FTTW networks based on service scenarios.

Type C full backup

An OLT uses two GPON ports as active and standby ones.

Both OLT and ONU use two GPON ports as active and standby ones.

If the active feeder fiber is faulty, the OLT automatically switches data to the
standby feeder fiber.

Feeder and drop fibers as well as GPON ports are protected in this mode.

All standby ports are idle, resulting in a low bandwidth usage.

Feeder fibers and GPON ports are protected in this mode. Drop fibers are not
protected.

Business

FTTO

FTTC
Transmission of
S/N Response

FTTB

Reception of D/S Frame

IFgpon

IFgpon

GPON port

Protection scope

Small cell
FTTH/FTTD

Wi-Fi FTTW
TWDM-PON, stacked, 40G,

Dual GPON uplink ports on an ONU

Item

XGPON1

Wavelength (nm)

DS: 15751580
US: 12601280

Center wavelength(nm)

DS: 1577
US: 1270

Rate (Gbit/s)

DS: 9.953
US: 2.488

Power budget (dB)

Class N1: 1429

Class N2: 1631
Class E1: 1833
Class E2: 2035

Maximum fiber distance (km)

60

Maximum differential fiber distance(km)

40

Split ratio

1:64

Frame structure

XGEM

Residential

The ONU optical transmit module uses only a preset

timeslot to transmit data upstream in burst mode.

OLT

IFgpon

NGA2

The burst optical and electrical technology prevents upstream data conflict and ensures correct data reception.
Burst Transmission

Single GPON uplink port on an ONU

The PON technology is being evolved at NG PON1 and NG PON2 phases.

NG PON1 provides higher rates based on the TDMA PON technology. The NG PON1 phase involves XGPON1 and XGPON2.
XGPON1: provides asymmetric 10G PON transmission with a downstream rate of 9.953 Gbit/s and an upstream rate of 2.488 Gbit/s.
XGPON2: provides symmetric 10G PON transmission with a downstream rate of 9.953 Gbit/s and an upstream rate of 9.953 Gbit/s.
NG PON2: ITU-T has already used TWDM-PON as the NG PON2 standard.

FTTDp

Burst transmit module

IFgpon

Technology Evolution

CO

Sstart

Residential

NGA1

ONU 1

Data conflict

XGPON1

ONU 2

OLT
Burst receive module

Continuous receive module

User network interface

GPON lines are protected in type B or type C mode.

IFgpon

ONU in ranging
state

Signal recovery

Time division multiple access

IFgpon

The ONU uses the allowed timeslot to transmit

data upstream based on the BW map data.

Pre-assigned EqD

OLT

TDMA

Ranging

Assigned EqD

Continuous transmit module

Transmission container

Networking Protection

FTTH/FTTD

Sstart

Zero-distance EqD

U/S BW map containing

a ranging request

Service node interface

T-CONT

UNI

packets.

OLT

The ranging technology ensures that all ONU upstream data does not conflict.

Start of the U/S

frame for the preranged ONU

Point-to-multipoint

WDM

Micro ONU

Pre-assigned
EqD

P2MP

The GPON system transparently transmits the TDM

A GEM frame supports only an Ethernet frame.

FTTB

ONU
response
time

Point-to-point

TDM packets enter a buffer queue and are encapsulated

frames.

The GPON technology applies on FTTB, FTTC, FTTD, and FTTH networks based on access nodes.

The DBA module in the OLT continuously

collects DBA reports from the ONU and uses
the DBA algorithm to calculate the bandwidth to
be allocated to the ONU.

P2P

Mapping TDM data to GEM frames

Each Ethernet frame is mapped to one or multiple GEM

1.

Passive optical network

T-CONT

Scheduler

Actual
reception of
S/N response

Payload
TDM fragment

PON

DBA
Control plane

OLT

Optical line terminal

ONU 1

DBA report

Start of D/S Frame

OLT

SNI

ONU

DBA module

Optical network unit

Ethernet frames are mapped to GEM frame payloads.

Networking Applications

OLT

TDM data

Mapping Ethernet frames to GEM frames

OLT data is mapped to GEM ports.

The DBA technology uses the dynamic upstream bandwidth adjustment mechanism to effectively improve upstream bandwidth usage.

ONU

ONU N

1.

Key Technologies

Port ID
PTI
HEC

FCS
EOF

GEM port

Class A/B/C

Optical Power Budget

Optical distribution network

MAC client data

IFgpon

Downstream

3.

1:641:128

Split Ratio

GEM port

ONU 1

92%

Bandwidth Efficiency

ODN

GEM payload

Length/Type

IFgpon

GEM port
IFgpon

Ingress buffer

SA

ONU 1

IFgpon
GEM port filter

GEM port

Maximum Logical Reach (km)

Network service provider

PLI

DA

OLT
Filter

Data

12901330/1310

Port ID
PTI
CRC

Preamble

Service Multiplexing Principles

Wavelength (nm)

5 bytes

DBA specifications

Upstream

Internet service provider

ITU-T G.984.4
OMCI message structure
OMCI device management architecture

Wavelength/Center

Ethernet passive optical network

End

300

T-CONT 1
(ONU 1)

ONU 1

End

100

ITU-T G.984.2

OLT

EPON

OLT

Service Transmission Principles

ODN parameter specifications
2.488 Gbit/s downlink optical port parameter specifications
1.244 Gbit/s uplink optical port parameter specifications
Physical layer overhead allocation

Payload

ports.

Upstream center wavelength: 1310 nm

GPON Standards and Protocols

Start

Dynamic bandwidth allocation

multiple T-CONTs.

ONU

ITU-T G.984.1
GPON network parameters
Networking requirements for a protection
switchover

DBA

Physical Control Block Downstream

(PCBd)
Upstream
Bandwidth Map

A T-CONT is an upstream service flow

T-CONT

IFgpon

125 s

A GEM port is the minimize unit for

ONU 1

Customer premises equipment

Downstream Frame

ONU
Optical splitter

CPE

ONU 3

Threshold

Burst Reception
The OLT optical receive module dynamically and
promptly adjusts power threshold based on received
signals. This prevents signal discarding or signal
recovery faults caused by large attenuation.

Multi-Scenario
@Home
@Move
@Work

Multi-Mode
FTTH, FTTC, FTTB, and
FTTDp
FTTW and FTTO

XGPON2

Multi-Medium
Copper, optical fiber, coaxial
cable, and electric power cable
Wi-Fi and small cell

GPON
2010

2011