Follow us :

Fiber Optic Attenuators - How to Choose and Where to Get Them

time2012/05/11

1) Why Do We Need fibers Optic Attenuators?

Bigger is better, right? Or so most persons believe. Beginners in fibers optic engineering tend to be confused with why optic attenuators are necessary to decrease lighting intensity. Aren't we making use of amplifiers to improve the signal power level?

The reality is that as well a lot lighting can overload a fibers optic receiver. Optical fibers attenuators are required when a transmitter delivers as well a lot light, that include when a transmitter is incredibly close to the receiver.

2) How Does a fibers Attenuator Work?

Attenuators commonly works by absorbing the light, that include a neutral density slim film filter. Or by scattering the lighting that include an air gap Optical fiber pigtail . They should really not reflect the lighting since that could cause unwanted back again expression inside the fibers system.

Another kind of attenuator utilizes a length of high-loss optical fiber, that operates upon its input optical signal power degree in this type of way that its output signal power degree is less compared to input level.

The power reduction are carried out by such signifies as absorption, reflection, diffusion, scattering, deflection, diffraction, and dispersion, etc.

3) What Is one of the most Important function should really a fibers Attenuator Have?

The most important spec of an attenuator is its attenuation versus wavelength curve. Attenuators should really have the identical effect on all wavelengths used inside the fibers program or at very least as flat as possible. For example, a 3dB attenuator at 1500nm should really also decrease the intensity of lighting at 1550nm by 3dB or as close as possible, this is specially true in a WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) system Optical fiber pigtail.

4) Different kinds of Attenuators

There are two functional kinds of fibers attenuators: plug design (including bulkhead) and in-line.

A plug design attenuator is employed like a male-female connector in which attenuation takes place inside the device, that is, on the lighting path from 1 ferrule to another. These include FC fibers optic attenuator, LC attenuator, SC attenuator, ST attenuator and more.

An in-line attenuator is connected to some transmission fibers by splicing its two pigtails.

The theory of operation of attenuators are markedly different due to the fact they use various phenomena to decrease the power from the propagating light. The simplest signifies is to bend a fiber. Coil a patch cable television several occasions around a pencil although measuring the attenuation having a power meter, then tape this coil. then you certainly got a primitive but functioning attenuator.

Most attenuators have fixed values that are specified in decibels (dB). They are called fibers optic fixed attenuator. For example, a -3dB attenuator should really decrease intensity from the output by 3dB.

Manufacturers use various kinds of light-absorbing material to achieve well-controlled and stable attenuation. For example, a fibers doped having a changeover metal that absorbs lighting in a predictable way and disperses absorbed energy like a heat.

Variable fibers optic attenuators also are available, but they commonly are precision instruments used in generating measurements.

Colin Yao is the revenue manager at fibers Optics For Sale co. and an professional on fibers optic systems and products.