SC289 Basics of Optical Communication Systems and WDM

Monday, March 22, 2010
1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Gerd Keiser¹,²; ¹PhotonicsComm Solutions Inc., USA, ²Natl. Taiwan Univ. of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Level: Beginner (no background or minimal training is necessary to understand course material)


Course Description

The course covers the functions and operational characteristics of available optical fibers, transceivers, and specialized passive and active components needed for designing modern optical fiber communication links. It explains distortion effects on lightwave signals, defines bit error rate and receiver sensitivity, and identifies measurement equipment and procedures used to verify system operating characteristics. The course also defines wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) concepts, components and applications. The topics include characteristics of wavelength multiplexers, optical amplifier uses in WDM links, WDM link design examples, and implementation of WDM-based metro and FTTP networks.


Benefits and Learning Objectives

This course should enable you to:

  • Describe the functions and operations of key components in fiber optic links.
  • Summarize technology trade-offs for implementing different types of fiber optic systems.
  • Compare different component types for optical fiber link designs.
  • Explain signal distortion effects due to dispersion and nonlinear processes.
  • Discuss wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) concepts and components.
  • Describe WDM applications to long-haul, metro and FTTP networks.
  • Identify measurement equipment and define test procedures.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for engineers in other disciplines who are new entrants to the fiber optic communications field, component and product design and test engineers, technical trainers, technical sales and marketing personnel, consultants, telecommunications managers, and anyone who needs an introductory knowledge of optical fiber communications.


Biography

Gerd Keiser was involved with telecommunication technologies at Honeywell, GTE, General Dynamics and PhotonicsComm Solutions. He is a consultant in the telecommunications industry and was an adjunct professor of electrical engineering at Northeastern University, Tufts University, and Boston University. Currently he is a National Science Council Chair Professor at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. He is an IEEE Fellow, a member of OSA and SPIE, an associate editor of Optical Fiber Technology, and the author of four books. His professional experience and research interests are in the general areas of optical networking technology and biophotonics.