Fiber Optic Technology

A fiber-optic system can generally be seen as a system with three main components: a transmitter, a transmission medium and a receiver. As a model it is similar to the copper wire system that fiber optics is replacing. The difference is that fiber optics use light pulses to transmit information down fiber lines instead of using electronic pulses to transmit information down copper lines. Looking at the three main components in the fiber optic chain will give a better understanding of how the system works in conjunction with wire based systems.

At the head end of the chain is a transmitter. This is a place of origin for information coming on to fiber optic lines. The transmitter accepts coded electronic pulse information coming from copper wire. It then processes and translates that information into equivalently coded light pulses. A light-emitting diode (LED) or an injection-laser diode (ILD) can be used for generating the light pulses. Using a lens, the light pulses are tunneled into the fiber-optic medium where they transmit themselves down the line.

Light pulses move easily down the fiber-optic line because of a principle known as total internal reflection. This principle of total internal reflection states that when the angle of incidence exceeds a critical value, light cannot get out of the glass; instead, the light bounces back in. When this principle is applied to the construction of the fiber-optic strand, it is possible to transmit information down fiber lines in the form of light pulses.

There are generally five elements that make up the construction of a fiber-optic strand, or cable: the optic core, optic cladding, a buffer material, a strength material and the outer jacket. The optic core is the light carrying element at the center of the optical fiber. It is commonly made from a combination of silica and germanium. Surrounding the core is the optic cladding made of pure silica. It is this combination that makes the principle of total internal reflection possible. The difference in materials used in the making of the core and the cladding creates an extremely reflective surface at the point in which they interface. Light pulses entering the fiber core reflect off the core/cladding interface and thus remain within the core as they move down the line.

Surrounding the cladding is a buffer material used to help shield the core and cladding from damage. A strength material surrounds the buffer, preventing stretch problems when the fiber cable is being pulled. The outer jacket is added to protect against abrasion, solvents, and other contaminants.

Once the light pulses reach their destination they are channeled into the optical receiver. The basic purpose of an optical receiver is to detect the received light incident on it and to convert it to an electrical signal containing the information impressed on the light at the transmitting end. In other words the coded light pulse information is translated back into its original state as coded electronic information. The electronic information is then ready for input into electronic based communication devices such as a computer, telephone or TV.