Wavelength-division multiplexing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
This article or section does not cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!) This article has been tagged since June 2006.
A bundle of optical fibre. Theoretically, using advanced techniques such as DWDM, the modest number of fibres seen here could have sufficient bandwidth to easily carry the sum of all types of current data transmission needs for the entire planet. (~100 terabits per second per fibre [1])
Enlarge
A bundle of optical fibre. Theoretically, using advanced techniques such as DWDM, the modest number of fibres seen here could have sufficient bandwidth to easily carry the sum of all types of current data transmission needs for the entire planet. (~100 terabits per second per fibre [1])

In fibre-optic communications, wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) is a technology which multiplexes multiple optical carrier signals on a single optical fibre by using different wavelengths (colours) of laser light to carry different signals. This allows for a multiplication in capacity, in addition to making it possible to perform bidirectional communications over one strand of fibre.

The term wavelength-division multiplexing is commonly applied to an optical carrier (which is typically described by its wavelength), whereas frequency-division multiplexing typically applies to a radio carrier (which is more often described by frequency). However, since wavelength and frequency are inversely proportional, and since radio and light are both forms of electromagnetic radiation, the two terms are closely analogous.

Contents

[edit] WDM systems

A WDM system uses a multiplexer at the transmitter to join the signals together, and a demultiplexer at the receiver to split them apart. With the right type of fibre it is possible to have a device that does both simultaneously, and can function as an optical add-drop multiplexer. The optical filtering devices used in the modems are usually etalons, stable solid-state single-frequency Fabry-Perot interferometers in the form of thin-film-coated optical glass.

The concept was first published in 1970, and by 1978 WDM systems were being realized in the laboratory. The first WDM systems only combined two signals. Modern systems can handle up to 160 signals and can thus expand a basic 10 Gbit/s fibre system to a theoretical total capacity of over 1.6 Tbit/s over a single fibre pair.

WDM systems are popular with telecommunications companies because they allow them to expand the capacity of the network without laying more fibre. By using WDM and optical amplifiers, they can accommodate several generations of technology development in their optical infrastructure without having to overhaul the backbone network. Capacity of a given link can be expanded by simply upgrading the multiplexers and demultiplexers at each end.

This is often done by using optical-to-electrical-to-optical translation at the very edge of the transport network, thus permitting interoperation with existing equipment with optical interfaces.

Most WDM systems operate on single mode fibre optical cables, which have a core diameter of 9 µm. Certain forms of WDM can also be used in multi-mode fibre cables (also known as premises cables) which have core diameters of 50 or 62.5 µm.

Early WDM systems were expensive and complicated to run. However, recent standardization and better understanding of the dynamics of WDM systems have made WDM much cheaper to deploy.

Optical receivers, in contrast to laser sources, tend to be wideband devices. Therefore the demultiplexer must provide the wavelength selectivity of the receiver in the WDM system.

WDM systems are divided into two market segments, dense and coarse WDM. Systems with more than 8 active wavelengths per fibre are generally considered Dense WDM (DWDM) systems, while those with fewer than eight active wavelengths are classed as Coarse WDM (CWDM). CWDM and DWDM technology are based on the same concept of using multiple wavelengths of light on a single fibre, but the two technologies differ in the spacing of the wavelengths, number of channels, and the ability to amplify signals in the optical space.

[edit] Coarse WDM

Originally, the term "Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing" was fairly generic, and meant a number of different things. In general, these things shared the fact that the choice of channel spacings and frequency stability was such that Erbium Doped Fibre Amplifiers (EDFAs) could not be utilized. Prior to the relatively recent ITU standardization of the term, one common meaning for Coarse WDM meant two (or possibly more) signals multiplexed onto a single fibre, where one signal was in the 1550-nm band, and the other in the 1310-nm band.

Recently the ITU has standardized a 20 nanometer channel spacing grid for use with CWDM, using the wavelengths between 1310 nm and 1610 nm. Many CWDM wavelengths below 1470 nm are considered "unusable" on older G.652 spec fibres, due to the increased attenuation in the 1310-1470 nm bands. Newer fibres which conform to the G.652.C and G.652.D standards, such as Corning SMF-28e and Samsung Widepass nearly eliminate the "water peak" attenuation peak and allow for full operation of all twenty ITU CWDM channels in metropolitan networks. For more information on G.652.C and .D compliant fibres please see the links at the bottom of the article.

The Ethernet LX-4 physical layer standard is an example of a CWDM system in which four wavelengths near 1310 nm, each carrying a 3.125 gigabit-per-second data stream, are used to carry 10 gigabit-per-second of aggregate data.

The main characteristic of the recent ITU CWDM standard is that the signals are not spaced appropriately for amplification by EDFAs. This therefore limits the total CWDM optical span to somewhere near 60 km for a 2.5 Gb/s signal, which is suitable for use in metropolitan applications. The relaxed optical frequency stabilization requirements allow the associated costs of CWDM to approach those of non-WDM optical components.

CWDM is also being used in cable television networks, where different wavelengths are used for the downstream and upstream signals. In these systems, the wavelengths used are often widely separated, for example the downstream signal might be at 1310 nm while the upstream signal is at 1550 nm.

An interesting and relatively recent development relating Coarse WDM is the creation of Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) transceivers utilizing standardized CWDM wavelengths. SFP Optics allow for something very close to a seamless upgrade in even legacy systems that support SFP interfaces. Thus, a legacy switch system can be easily "converted" to allow wavelength multiplexed transport over a fibre simply by judicious choice of transceiver wavelengths, combined with an inexpensive passive optical multiplexing device.

[edit] Dense WDM

Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing, or DWDM for short, refers originally to optical signals multiplexed within the 1550-nm band so as to leverage the capabilities (and cost) of erbium doped fibre amplifiers (EDFAs), which are effective for wavelengths between approximately 1530 nm and 1560 nm. EDFAs were originally developed to replace SONET/SDH optical-electrical-optical (OEO) regenerators, which they have made practically obsolete. EDFAs can amplify any optical signal in their operating range, regardless of the modulated bit rate. In terms of multi-wavelength signals, so long as the EDFA has enough pump energy available to it, it can amplify as many optical signals as can be multiplexed into its amplification band (though signal densities are limited by choice of modulation format). EDFAs therefore allow a single-channel optical link to be upgraded in bit rate by replacing only equipment at the ends of the link, while retaining the existing EDFA or series of EDFAs along a long haul route. Furthermore, single-wavelength links using EDFAs can similarly be upgraded to WDM links at reasonable cost. The EDFAs cost is thus leveraged across as many channels as can be multiplexed into the 1550-nm band.


[edit] DWDM Systems

At this stage, it should be noted that a basic DWDM system contains several main components:

  • 1. A DWDM terminal multiplexer. The terminal multiplexer actually contains one wavelength converting transponder for each wavelength signal it will carry. The wavelength converting transponders receive the input optical signal (i.e., from a client-layer SONET/SDH or other signal), convert that signal into the electrical domain, and retransmit the signal using a 1550-nm band laser. (Early DWDM systems contained 4 or 8 wavelength converting transponders in the mid 1990s. By 2000 or so, commercial systems capable of carrying 128 signals were available.) The terminal mux also contains an optical multiplexer, which takes the various 1550-nm band signals and places them onto a single SMF-28 fibre. The terminal multiplexer may or may not also support a local EDFA for power amplification of the multi-wavelength optical signal.
  • 2. An intermediate optical terminal, or Optical Add-drop multiplexer. This is a remote amplification site that amplifies the multi-wavelength signal that may have traversed up to 140 km or more before reaching the remote site. Optical diagnostics and telemetry are often extracted or inserted at such a site, to allow for localization of any fibre breaks or signal impairments. In more sophisticated systems (which are no longer point-to-point), several signals out of the multiwavelength signal may be removed and dropped locally.
  • 3. A DWDM terminal demultiplexer. The terminal demultiplexer breaks the multi-wavelength signal back into individual signals and outputs them on separate fibres for client-layer systems (such as SONET/SDH) to detect. Originally, this demultiplexing was performed entirely passively, except for some telemetry, as most SONET systems can receive 1550-nm signals. However, in order to allow for transmission to remote client-layer systems (and to allow for digital domain signal integrity determination) such demultiplexed signals are usually sent to O/E/O output transponders prior to being relayed to their client-layer systems. Often, the functionality of output transponder has been integrated into that of input transponder, so that most commercial systems have transponders that support bi-directional interfaces on both their 1550-nm (i.e., internal) side, and external (i.e., client-facing) side. Transponders in some systems supporting 40 GHz nominal operation may also perform [forward error correction] (FEC) via 'digital wrapper' technology, as described in the ITU-T G.709 standard.
  • 4. Optical Supervisory Channel (OSC). This is an additional wavelength usually outside the EDFA amplification band (at 1510nm, 1620nnm, 1310nm or another proprietary wavelength). The OSC carries information about the multi-wavelength optical signal as well as remote conditions at the optical terminal or EDFA site. It is also normally used for remote software upgrades and user (ie, network operator) Network Management information. It is the multi-wavelength analogue to SONET's DCC (or supervisory channel). ITU standards suggest that thee OSC should utilize an OC-3 signal structure, though some vendors have opted to use 100 Megabit Ethernet or another signal format. It should be noted too that, unlike the 1550-nm band client signal-carrying wavelengths, the OSC is always terminated at intermediate amplifier sites, where it receives local information before retransmission.

The introduction of the ITU-T G.694.1 frequency grid in 2002 has made it easier to integrate WDM with older but more standard SONET/SDH systems. WDM wavelengths are positioned in a grid having exactly 100 GHz (about 0.8nm) spacing in optical frequency, with a reference frequency fixed at 193.10 THz (1552.52nm). The main grid is placed inside the optical fibre amplifier bandwidth, but can be extended to wider bandwidths. Today's DWDM systems use 50 GHz or even 25 GHz channel spacing for up to 160 channel operation.

DWDM systems have to maintain more stable wavelength or frequency than those needed for CWDM because of the closer spacing of the wavelengths. Precision temperature control of laser transmitter is required in DWDM systems to prevent "drift" off a very narrow frequency window of the order of a few GHz. In addition, since DWDM provides greater maximum capacity it tends to be used at a higher level in the communications hierarchy than CWDM, for example on the Internet backbone and is therefore associated with higher modulation rates, thus creating a smaller market for DWDM devices with very high performance levels. These factors of smaller volume and higher performance result in DWDM systems typically being more expensive than CWDM.

Recent innovations in DWDM transport systems include pluggable and software-tunable transceiver modules capable of operating on 40 or 80 channels. This dramatically reduces the need for discrete spare pluggable modules, when a handful of pluggable devices can handle the full range of wavelengths.

[edit] Wavelength Converting Transponders

At this stage, some details concerning Wavelength Converting Transponders should be discussed, as this will clarify the role played by current DWDM technology as an additional optical transport layer. It will also serve to outline the evolution of such systems over the last 10 or so years.

As stated above, wavelength converting transponders served originally to translate the transmit wavelength of a client-layer signal into one of the DWDM system's internal wavelengths in the 1550-nm band (note that even external wavelengths in the 1550-nm will most likely need to be translated, as they will almost certainly not have the required frequency stability tolerances nor will it have the optical power necessary for the system's EDFA.

In the mid-1990s, however, wavelength converting transponders rapidly took on the additional function of signal regeneration. Signal regeneration in transponders quickly evolved through 1R to 2R to 3R and into overhead-monitoring multi-bitrate 3R regenerators. These differences are outlined below:

1R
Retransmission. Basically, early transponders were "garbage in garbage out" in that their output was nearly an analogue 'copy' of the received optical signal, with little signal cleanup occurring. This limited the reach of early DWDM systems because the signal had to be handed off to a client-layer receiver (likely from a different vendor) before the signal deteriorated too far. Signal monitoring was basically confined to optical domain parameters such as received power.
2R
Re-time and Re-transmit. Transponders of this type were not very common and utilized a quasi-digital Schmidt-triggering method for signal cleanup. Some rudimentary signal quality monitoring was done by such transmitters that basically looked at analogue parameters.
3R
Re-time, Re-transmit, Re-clock. 3R Transponders were fully digital and normally able to view SONET/SDH section layer overhead bytes such as A1 and A2 to determine signal quality health. Many systems will offer 2.5 Gb transponders, which will normally mean the transponder is able to perform 3R regeneration on OC-3/12/48 signals, and possibly Gigabit Ethernet, and reporting on signal health by monitoring SONET/SDH section layer overhead bytes. Many transponders will be able to perform full multi-rate 3R in both directions. Some vendors offer 10 Gig transponders, which will perform Section layer overhead monitoring to all rates up to and including OC-192.
Muxponder
The Muxponder (from multiplexed transponder) has different names depending on vendor. It essentially performs some relatively simple time division multiplexing of lower rate signals into a higher rate carrier within the system (a common example is the ability to accept 4 OC-48s and then output a single OC-192 in the 1550-nm band). More recent muxponder designs have absorbed more and more TDM functionality, in some cases obviating the need for traditional SONET/SDH transport equipment.

[edit] The Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer

As mentioned above, intermediate optical amplification sites in DWDM systems may allow for the dropping and adding of certain wavelength channels. In most systems deployed as of August 2006 this is done infrequently, because adding or dropping wavelengths requires manually inserting or replacing wavelength-selective cards. This is costly, and in some systems requires that all active traffic be removed from the DWDM system, because inserting or removing the wavelength-specific cards interrupts the multi-wavelength optical signal.

With a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM), network operators can remotely reconfigure the multiplexer by sending soft commands. The architecture of the ROADM is such that dropping or adding wavelengths does not interrupt the 'pass-through' channels. Numerous technological approaches are utilized for various commercial ROADMs, the trade off being between cost, optical power, and flexibility.

[edit] Optical Cross Connects (OXCs)

Various categories of OXCs include electronic, optical, and wavelength selective devices.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. Tomlinson, W. J.; Lin, C., "Optical wavelength-division multiplexer for the 1-1.4-micron spectral region", Electronics Letters, vol. 14, May 25, 1978, p. 345-347. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1978ElL....14..345T&db_key=PHY&data_type=HTML&format=
  2. Ishio, H. Minowa, J. Nosu, K., "Review and status of wavelength-division-multiplexing technology and its application", Journal of Lightwave Technology, Volume: 2, Issue: 4, Aug 1984, p.448- 463
  3. Arora, A.; Subramaniam, S. "Wavelength Conversion Placement in WDM Mesh Optical Networks". Photonic Network Communications, Volume 4, Number 2, May 2002.
  4. First discussion: O. E. Delange, "Wideband optical communication systems, Part 11-Frequency division multiplexing". hoc. IEEE, vol. 58, p. 1683, Oct. 1970.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../w/a/v/Wavelength-division_multiplexing.html"