Fiber Systems Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM)
Brief Overview
Problems with increasing network demands Solutions proposed & their limitations Evolution of DWDM Technical details Drawbacks Ongoing Research Conclusion
Growing Network Usage Patterns
Issues
Exponential increase in user demand for bandwidth
Doubling of bandwidth requirement every 6-9 months
Consistency in quality of services provided Keeping the cost of solutions at bay
Solutions
Increase channel capacity: TDM, WDM Statistical multiplexing of users: Multiple optical fibers
Another glimpse at the solutions
TDM
(Time Division Multiplexing)
Slotting of channels simultaneous users Increasing bit rate to maximize utilization of given bandwidth
WDM
(Wavelength Division Multiplexing)
Use of optical fibers to achieve higher speeds Utilize wavelengths to multiplex users Allow continuous channel allocation per user Increases the effective bandwidth of existing fiber
Limitations of current solutions
TDM
Dependency of Mux-Demux on bit rate Limitations on bit rates
how
fast can we go? (Decides how small the time slots can be)
WDM
Inefficient usage of full capacity of the optical fiber Capability of carrying signals efficiently over short distances only
Improvements in optical fibers and narrowband lasers
Birth of Dense WDM (DWDM)
Evolution of DWDM
Late 1990s 1996 DWDM Early 1990s Narrowband WDM
64+ channels 25~50 GHz spacing 16+ channels 100~200 GHz spacing
2~8 channels 200~400 GHz spacing 2 channels 1310nm, 1550nm
1980s Wideband WDM
What is DWDM?
Definition
Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) is a fiber-optic transmission technique that employs light wavelengths to transmit data parallel-by-bit or serial-by-character
How does DWDM fair better?
No O-E-O required Protocol & Bit Rate independence Increased overall capacity at much lower cost
Current fiber plant investment can be optimized by a factor of at least 32
Transparency
Physical layer architecture supports both TDM and data formats such as ATM, Gigabit Ethernet, etc.
Scalability
Utilize abundance of dark fibers in metropolitan areas and enterprise networks
Capacity Expansion
Basic Components & Operation
Transmitting Side
Lasers with precise stable wavelengths Optical Multiplexers
On the Link
Optical fiber Optical amplifiers
Receiving Side
Photo detectors Optical Demultiplexers
Optical add/drop multiplexers
Optical Amplifier
Eliminates O-E-O conversions More effective than electronic repeaters Isolator prevents reflection Light at 980nm or 1480nm is injected via the pump laser Gains ~ 30dB; Output Power ~ 17dB
Drawbacks
Dispersion
Chromatic dispersion Polarization mode dispersion
Attenuation
Intrinsic: Scattering, Absorption, etc. Extrinsic: Manufacturing Stress, Environment, etc.
Four wave mixing
Non-linear nature of refractive index of optical fiber Limits channel capacity of the DWDM System
Ongoing Developments
Nortel Networks
Metro DWDM OPTera Long Haul 5000 Optical Line System
Cisco Systems
ONS 15200 Metro DWDM Solution
Lucent Technologies
LambdaXtreme Transport WaveStar OLS 1.6T
Agility Communications & UC Santa Barbara
Tunable Lasers used for multiple wavelengths
Conclusion
Robust and simple design Works entirely in the Optical domain Multiplies the capacity of the network many fold Cheap Components Handles the present BW demand cost effectively Maximum utilization of untapped resources Best suited for long-haul networks
References
[1] Introducing DWDM http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/mels/dwdm/dwdm_fns.htm [2] Fundamentals of DWDM Technology http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/mels/dwdm/dwdm_ovr.htm [3] Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/dwdm [4] Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) Testing http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/dwdm_test [5] Fiber-Optic Communications Technology by D.K. Mynbaev, L.L. Scheiner, Pearson Education Asia, 2001 edition [6] Dense wave nets' future is cloudy by Chappell Brown, EETimes http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20011221S0035 [7] Cisco Systems http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/optical/ps1996/products_quick_reference_guide091 86a00800886bb.html [8] Lucent Technologies http://www.lucent.com/products/subcategory/0,,CTID+2021-STID+10482-LOCL+1,00.html [9] Nortel Networks: OPTera Long Haul & Metro DWDM (http://www.nortelnetworks.com/products/01/optera/long_haul/dwdm/) & (http://www.nortelnetworks.com/products/library/collateral/12001.25-03-02.pdf) [10] Agility Communications http://agility.com/intervals/index.phtml?ID=93&f_code=1
