Digital communications

Optical-fibre communications became commercially viable in the 1970s and innovation continues today. This free course, Digital communications, will illustrate how very high data rates can be transmitted over long distances through optical fibres. You will learn how these fibres are linked, examine the technology used and assess the future direction of this continually developing area of communication.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 Optical fibre communication: introduction
• 1 Optical fibre communication: introduction
• 1.1 Uses of optical fibre in communication
• 1.2 Wavelength or frequency?
• 2 Elements of an optical-fibre link
• 2 Elements of an optical-fibre link
• 2.1 Light sources and detectors
• 2.2 Fibre types
• 2.3 Attenuation
• 2.4 Pulse spreading and bandwidth
• 2.4.1 Multimode distortion
• 2.4.2 Dispersion in single-mode fibre
• 2.4.3 Polarization mode distortion
• 2.5 Non-Linearity
• 2.6 Connecting and splicing fibres
• 2.6.1 Connectors
• 2.6.2 Splicing
• 2.7 Cabling
• 3 Optical components
• 3 Optical components
• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 Directional couplers
• 3.3 Optical amplifiers
• 3.4 Optical switches
• 3.5 Wavelength multiplexing and demultiplexing
• 4 Developments and future directions in optical-fibre communications
• 4 Developments and future directions in optical-fibre communications
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 Fibre in the core network
• 4.3 Optical networking
• 4.4 Fibre in the access network
• 4.4.1 FTTCab, FTTC, FTTB and hybrid coaxial fibre
• 4.4.2 Passive optical networks and Ethernet in the first mile
• 4.5 Fibre in LANs
• 4.5.1 Gigabit Ethernet
• 4.5.2 10 Gigabit Ethernet
• 4.6 Conclusion to Section 4
• Conclusion
• Appendices
• Appendix 1 Terminology
• Appendix 2 Acronyms
• References
• Acknowledgements