Fiber Optic Fundamentals Prepared for The Handbook of Fiber Optic Data Communication Third Edition Dr. Casimer DeCusatis IBM Corporation

Key Concepts Brief History of Optical Fiber Technology Multimode and Single-mode Fiber Basic Fiber Optic Link Concepts and Applications to the Computer Industry

Optical fiber vs Copper

Challenges: Connectivity and Interoperability Newer technologies involving higher datarates, smaller form factors, higher port densities, pluggability, and parallel links are showing an increased need to focus on connectivity and interoperability issues Transceiver Fiber Optic Cable Transceiver Electrical Connector Just like how PCB physical design is more complex at high datarates versus DC Electrical Connector Optical Port Optical Connector Optical Connector Optical Port A failure anywhere along this link will cause the entire link to fail

Conclusions Historically, the fundamental concepts of fiber optics date back to 1927 Multimode fibers use a core diameter of either 50 or 62.5 microns Short wavelength lasers Shorter distances (few hundred meters) Single-mode fibers use a core diameter of 9-10 microns Long wavelength lasers Longer distances (several kilometers) A basic link is composed of optical transceivers, cables, and connectors Fiber optics is widely used for both voice and data communication, and is gradually becoming a more fundamental part of future computer architectures