NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WARANGAL (2015-16)

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Presentation on

Wavelength Division
Multiplexing
by
Arunoday Das- 124111

Introduction:

All communication systems consist of three

components, a transmitter, a receiver and a channel.

Initially metallic cables were used as channels for

telephonic communication.

bandwidth limitations, losses and pressure of

increasing communication requirements
need for
a better alternative.

Optical Fiber Communication Systems:

First proposed in 1966.

A perfect match for the LASER(developed in 1960).

Initially the fibers had high losses(~1000 dB/km).

Improvement done by removing impurities(1970).

Currently very low attenuation can be achieved by use of

compatible light sources(transmitters),
photodetectors(receivers) and optical amplifiers.

Wavelength Division Multiplexing:

Interactive multimedia, video conferencing and audio streaming

need large bandwidth.

Existing TDM schemes can only multiplex up to 10 Gb/s.

WDM exploits the huge(theoretically infinite) bandwidth of the

optical fiber.

Optical transmission spectrum

divided into non-overlapping
wavelength bands(each band supporting a single channel).

Multiple channels co-exist in a single fiber.

ee

Fig-1. Implementation of a typical WDM link

Demonstration:

Advantages of WDM:

High capacity.

Easy upgradability(by employing multiple wavelengths

within the pass-band of the optical fiber).

Lower cost(availability of all equipment in a single

package).

Use of wavelengths for add-drop multiplexing is also an

attractive feature.

Classification of WDM schemes:

Based on technology and complexity of receivers and
transmitters:
1. Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM).
2. Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM).

Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing:

A method of combining multiple signals on laser beams at

various wavelengths for transmission along fiber optic cables.

Channels are spaced at wavelengths spaced 20 nm apart.

Hence low cost, uncooled lasers can be used.

18 different channels can be allowed (1270nm-1610nm).

Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing:

(contd.):

Energy from lasers spread out over a wider range of

wavelengths.

Wavelength tolerance is 3 nm.

Less expensive and consumes less power.

However, maximum realizable distance between nodes is

smaller.

Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing:

Puts data from different sources on an optical fiber, with each signal
carried at the same time on its own separate light wavelength.

More than 80 different channels(or wavelengths) can be multiplexed

into a single fiber.

Each channel carries a TDM signal at 2.5 Gbps.

Up to 200 billion bits can be delivered in one second;

( 2.5 Gb/s X 80 channels).

Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing

(contd.):

Maximum realizable distance between nodes is much higher

than CWDM.

Different data formats and different data rates can be

transmitted together.

It promises to solve the fiber exhaust problem.

Tunable Optical filters:

Optical filters that are dynamically tunable over a certain

optical frequency band.

Tuning can be performed by altering length or refractive

index of at least one branch of the coupler.

By means of control mechanism such as voltage or

temperature change.

Fig-2. Basic concept of a tunable optical filter

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Relevant system parameters:

Tuning range: The range of frequencies f over which the

filter can be tuned.

Channel spacing: Minimum frequency of separation

between channels(f) required to guarantee a minimum crosstalk degradation.

Maximum number of channels: Maximum number of equally

spaced channels(N); that can be packed into the tuning range
while maintaining adequately low level of cross-talk.

Tuning speed: How quickly the filter can be reset from one
frequency to another.

Add-Drop multiplexing using tunable

multi-grating filters:

N electrically tunable fiber-based reflection grating placed between

two 3-port circulators.

Demultiplexer separates dropped wavelengths into individual

channels.

Multiplexer combines them(adds) for transmission over the fiber trunk

line.

Fiber Amplifiers:

Key component for efficient transmission of WDM signals over long

distances.

Generally used in the DWDM scheme.

Contains a (10-30 m) length of silica/fluoride fiber slightly doped(~

1000 ppm) with rare earth elements like Er, Yb, Nd or Pr.

Most popular is the Erbium-doped fiber amplifier(EDFA).

Used in 1530-1560 nm region.

Advantage is that these can amplify multiple optical channels.

Disadvantages of WDM:

Typically each channel requires ~ 1 mW.

Multiple channels inject a high amount of power(several

milliwatts).

Leads to different non-linear effects like:

Stimulated Raman Scattering(SRS)

Stimulated Brillouin Scattering(SBS).

Four Wave Mixing(FWM).

Cross Phase Modulation(XPM).

Conclusions:

Optical fiber communication helps us to tap in the huge

available band-width.

With WDM, the effective cost of instruments can be

reduced, due to re-usability.

Channel capacity can be improved

higher data rates.

References:

G. R. Hill, Wavelength domain optical network techniques,

Proc. IEEE, vol. 78, 121 1990.

M. J. OMahoney, Optical multiplexing in fiber networks:

Progress in WDM and OTDM, IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 33, 82
1995.

http://
www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/optical/15000r7_0/dwdm/pla
nning/guide/70epg/d7ovw.html

FOA Lecture 31 Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM).

THANK YOU!