subject: Fiber Optics Send Data With Light [print this page] As it carries a higher bandwidth to homes and offices, fiber optics is usually used in fiber optic telecommunication systems which permits the tranfer of data over longer distances. Using ultra-fast pulses of light, the data is sent through thread-like glass fibers. Due to the lower optical attenuation, the fiber utilized in long-distance telecommunications applications are always glass, even though fibers can be made out of translucent plastic, glass, or a comination of the two.
Generally, cable TV shows, phone calls, or Internet files travel through copper wire cables in the form of electrical signals. But in a fiber optic system, a transmitter converts these electrical signals into pulses of light which travel along the length of the fiber optic cable until they reach the end of the line. The receiving end then re-converts the light pulses to electrical signals to turn them back into voice, video, and data files.
But how does an ultra-thin thread of glass transmit so much data? Unlike ordinary glass which is not pure enough to allow light to travel very far, fiber optic glass is so pure that almost nothing distorts the light signals traveling down its path. So, fiber optic technology can carry so much information for very long distances - 60 miles or more - before the light signals have to be boosted.
To keep the light signals from being lost out of the fiber, fiber optics is specifically made by putting in a layer of a different material around the inner core of pure glass. This layer, called the cladding, replicates the light back toward the center and inhibits it from [escaping]. Extra layers of coatings guard the fiber frombends, cracks, etc. that would weaken the light pulses.
So as to send information through fiber optics, the light pulses have to be strong enough and keep their shape long enough so that they don't lose too much data as they travel along the length. Through fiber optic light sources, that are laser diodes and light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, this is feasible.
The laser diodes used in fiber optic technology are similar to the ones used in CD and DVD players. Lasers send out coherent light, meaning all the light particles, or photons, have exactly the same wavelength. Lucid light pulses keep their shape longer, which means they can operate at faster data speeds with less information loss. In addition, laser diodes keep the signal traveling farther before it loses strength. On the other hand, LEDs are less powerful than lasers but inexpensive to make. They perform well enough for short-distance fiber optic networks.
Fiber optic telecommunication systems ensure clearer phone calls, quicker Internet connections, and many more standard and HDTV cable channels. Nowadays, a number of multinational companies have changed their communication infrastructure to fiber optics. It's high time that you do also. Whether you need a gigabit converter or SFP transceiver for your networks, just make sure they come from a reputable fiber optics provider.
