Internet. We all use it, we all need it. But do we see difference, or maybe I should ask do we need to know the difference in the way it’s provided? Recently one of the network and TV providers damaged one of the main roads leading to my place. I asked the workers what they were doing and they answered me that they were putting fiber-optic cables for Network and TV. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I can have really fast internet, but on the other hand the road is still a mess (though it's been 2 weeks since they “finished” their job). But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. Below I present some information about fiber-optic communication.
Source:
http://media.cleveland.com/strongsville/photo/11947794-large.jpg
Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information.
Optical Communication using (incoherent) visible light waves ( 380-780 nm) has been known for a long time. In the 60s there was conducted research that allowed to modulate laser light by using a digital signal. It was the first step to transfer information through a transparent medium. In 1980 at Bell Labs there were designed and tested first fiber optics (their length was around 1000 km). Soon after the company started to develop a corporate telecommunications system based on fiber-optics.
Source:
http://cityofwatsonville.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/FiberOptic-719x349.jpg
Modern fiber-optic communication systems base on:
· Information source
· Coder
· Optical transmitter
· Cable
· Decoder
· Optical receiver
· Sink
Transmitters
The most commonly-used optical transmitters are semiconductor devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes.
The emitted light is incoherent , it has relatively wide spectral width - 30-60 nm. LEDs are used mainly for local-area-network applications with bit rates of 10-100 Mbit/s and transmission distance of a few kilometers.
Laser diodes are often directly modulated. It means that the light output is controlled by current directly applied to the device. For very high data rates or very long distance links, a laser source may be operated with a continuous wave, and the light can be modulated by an external device. External modulation increases the achievable link distance by eliminating laser chirp, which broadens the linewidth of directly-modulated lasers, increasing the chromatic dispersion in the fiber.
Fiber Optic Cable
A fiber optic cable is made of one or more glass fibers conducting impulses of light (in telecommunications usually it is infrared light). Such cables, formed of glass fibers, are resistant to electromagnetic interference and have large bandwidth. It is possible to achieve transfer rates up to 100 Gb / s (about 12.5 GB / s) when using them. The fastest fiber-optic systems can transfer data even with a speed of several Tb / s.
Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) is the practice of multiplying the available capacity of an optical fiber by adding new channels, each channel on a new wavelength of light. Using WDM technology now commercially available, the bandwidth of a fiber can be divided into as many as 160 channels to support a combined bit rate into the range of terabits per second.
A fiber transmission system is characterized by the so called bandwidth-distance product. It is expressed in units of MHz×km and it is a trade-off between the bandwidth of the signal and the distance it can be carried on. A commonly use multi-mode fiber has a bandwidth-distance product of 500 MHz×km and it can carry a 500 MHz signal for 1 km or a 1000 MHz signal for 0.5 km.
Source:
http://techbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/space1-1024x637.jpg
Receiver
The receiver has to fulfill two requirements: It must sense or detect the light coupled out of the fiber-optic cable and convert the light into an electrical signal, and it must demodulate this light to determine the identity of the binary data it represents.
Optical receiver is based on a photodetector, which converts light into electricity using the photoelectric effect. Typically it is a semiconductor-based photodiode.
The main advantages of fiber optics over traditional wire cables:
· Less Expensive - many miles of optical cable are easier and less expensive to install than the same number of copper wire cables.
· Thinner - Fiber optics are thinner than copper wire cables. It is important for the underground cable systems.
· Higher Carrying Capacity - More information can be sent over fiber optic systems
· Less signal degradation - A characteristic feature of optical links is low level of noise (lower than the one in traditional telecommunication systems). The basic difference is that photons moving in a fiber do not interact with each other. Therefore they do not generate any noise. However, the optical transmission system has few extra noise sources ( so called multiplicative) .It is associated with fluctuations in attenuation transmitting and receiving stations. Multiplicative noise is different from the additive thermal noise in conventional receivers. It disappears when the broadcast signal is turned off.
· Use Light Signals - fiber optics use light signals instead of electricity, the signals don’t interfere with each other and are resistant to electromagnetic interference. This makes the signals clearer and easier to understand.
· Low Power - Optical fiber systems are based on low-power transmitters because the signal degrades less (instead of high-power electric transmitters used for copper wires).
· Flexible - fiber optics are more flexible, they can go around corners and into smaller places than traditional cable. This characteristics is extremely important when it comes to computer device and very big office networks.
Questions:
· Are You familiar with the topic?
· Do You think that fiber-optics are the future of network/communication?
· Do You know any other fields/ usage of fiber-optics?
· Will the X company fix my road?:(
Source:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/fiber-optic.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_fiber
Comments
Oh yes, I know some pretty awesome-looking device that uses fiber-optics. I have it at home :)
http://www.autismcommunitystore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/f/i/fiber-optic-light-lamp.jpg
Don't worry about the road! Anger marrs beauty :D
As MartaSB already stated, those shiny little fiber optic light lamps were really cool, especially in childhood! :)
This topic is quite complex, and it looks to me, like there are many parts, that take place in the process, transmitting the information have never been so widely developed.
This is very interesting, so I started wondering how do coders and decoders work together so that they can send and receive the data with so percisely.
Thanks for introducing me to this topic as you planted a seed of curiosity in me and I may be figuring it out even in more detail further on.
Will the X company fix my road?:(
Of course they will fix your road and after that some other company will start to renovate canalization under your road, typical situation in our country xD.
Little bit, I am not interested in hardware.
· Do You think that fiber-optics are the future of network/communication?
They are present and it will probably not change for long time.
· Do You know any other fields/ usage of fiber-optics?
No, I don't.
· Will the X company fix my road?:(
No, it will not!
As far as I've learned fiber-optics are both more practical and cost-effective. This definitely makes it a next step in development of network technology, so yes, I do believe this is the future of communication. Actually, I think it's not the future, it's here already.
I find myself quite familiar with fibre optics technology, but Your article refreshed me some technical information about this technology.
· Do You think that fiber-optics are the future of network/communication?
Future today comes to our homes, now many people can afford to use Fibre To The Home (FTTH) technology offered for example by Orange. This gives you internet connection from 300 Mb/s, this speed allows you to download 5GB file in less than 5 min - for comparison with connection speed eq 512Mb/s (Typical Neostrada few year ago) 5GB file downloads about 10h.
· Do You know any other fields/ usage of fiber-optics?
yes, I do. For example in hi-fi audio sets.
· Will the X company fix my road?:(
Nope :)
Apart from communication fibre optics are used in torch lights which allows us to light up places that are hard to reach.
Not as much as you do, but I read something about coders and decoders (converters?) before - these are really complicated hardware parts, however I prefer to work a few levels above it - on application layer of OSI stack ;)
· Do You think that fiber-optics are the future of network/communication?
Definitely it is! When I will be looking for place to build my house (like the real man!) I will look for place with optical fibre in surrounding.
· Do You know any other fields/ usage of fiber-optics?
I've heard about some eye implants using this technology.
· Will the X company fix my road?:(
"Sprzedam Opla". DIY
http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/you-could-either-use-night-lights-or-turn-your-entire-floor-into-a-starry-night-sky
http://www.instructables.com/id/Fiber-Optic-Dress/?fb_action_ids=10154833470660294&fb_action_types=og.shares
Unfortunately the process of implementing them in existing infrastructure might be a significant problem.
For example "re-wiring" all of the decent sized towns in Poland would result in major roadworks (just like your street that you've mentioned).
I'd love to have an Internet access via fiber-optics as it is nowadays the fastest means of data transportation.
Unfortunately, as I don't live in Warsaw currently (I live in Legionowo which is about 20 km away from Warsaw) it might take years before I'll have that option in my hometown.
Fiber wire was known for quite some time yet still only few regions/towns have access to it on a bigger scale.
And I don't expect that to change anytime soon.
When it comes to other usages of fiber-optics I imagine that they will replace the traditional wires gradually.
After all, like all wires they are built to transport information, they just do it in the fastest way possible.
At least for now!
I don't think they will be future of network and communication. From what I know they are the present. This technology is used to connect main nodes in Internet infrastructure and it is common to find computers connected via fiber-optics in data centers us.
Unfortunately I don't know anything about other FO usage nor about company who could fix your road.
I’ve heard about fiber optics but I’ve never been interested in them so much. I know that people love to use them and they are really important in the internet world. You can also use it to decorate a house. I saw that some people use fiber optics to make stars on a wall or make a pretty looking table.
http://moderncontempo.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/c0b1f16c0eb3f2539abc28fa66e4e62a/s/c/screen_shot_2012-07-01_at_3.24.53_am.png
When I was When I was young I have fiber optics lamp in my room and I was amazed how pretty it looks at night.
Generally I like technical innovations. I more prefer follow the trends in the design of objects. I am interested in new smartphones, computers etc. Of course I appreciate the work of people who want tthat heir inventions simplify others people life.
And according to your last question (because I don't really have opinion about other ones), I think you will have your road done in next to weeks 😎 #fortuneteller
Thanks for Your support on the Road ISSUE. They fixed it yesterday. It's even better than it used to be:)
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