Dispersion

compensating
schemes

Photonics
Transmission
Systems
Single-span systems
In single-span systems, dispersion compensation is
needed only for high bit-rates (40 Gbit/s and beyond)
When it is required, usually a DCU (Dispersion
Compensation Unit) is placed at the end of the link
A DCU module is usually a DCF fiber wound on a spool
A DCU module adds losses that must be taken into
account in the power budget of the transmission link
We can define the degree of compensation quantifying
it in terms of percentage of dispersion compensated
(perccomp) or evaluating the amount of residual
dispersion (Dres)

1
Photonics
Transmission
Systems
Single-span system: layout

DCU
TX RX
L, a, D

LDCF, aDCF,
DDCF
 ps 
Dres  D  L  DDCF  LDCF   Total compensation
 nm 
 ps 
D L Dres  0  
perccomp  DCF DCF 100 %  nm 
DL perccomp  100 %

 DL 
losstot  a  L  a DCF  LDCF  lossother  L  a  a DCF  perccomp    lossother dB
 DDCF 
3

Photonics
Transmission
Systems
Multi-span systems
 Dispersion compensation is widely applied in multi-span systems
since usually the total length of the link exceeds the dispersion
limit (Ltot > Lmax)
 The periodic dispersion compensation scheme is a very common
method used to realize in-line compensation along fiber links, on
a span-by-span basis. However other schemes are also possible
where compensation is realized directly after the transmitter
and before the receiver.
 We focus only on in-line dispersion compensation.
Two compensating approaches are possible:
 Dispersion compensation with DCU (terrestrial systems)
 Dispersion compensation with unwound DCF fiber (submarine
systems or systems designed and realized from scratch)

2
Photonics
Transmission
Systems
Multi-span system: compensation with DCU

X M
DCU
TX EDFA BPF RX
LTF, aTF, DTF

LDCF, aDCF, DDCF

Lspan  LTF
LTOT  M  Lspan
LTF  DTF  LDCF  DDCF  0  LDCF  LTF  DTF
DDCF  Lspan  DTF
DDCF


lossspan  a TF  LTF  a DCF  LDCF  Lspan  a TF  a DCF  DTF
DDCF
 LTOT
M

 a TF  a DCF  DTF
DDCF

5

Photonics
Transmission Multi-span system: compensation with unwound DCF
Systems

X M

TX EDFA BPF RX
LTF, aTF, DTF LDCF, aDCF, DDCF

Lspan  LTF  LDCF

LTOT  M  Lspan
LTF  DTF  LDCF  DDCF  0  LDCF  LTF  DTF
DDCF  Lspan  LTF  1   DTF
DDCF


lossspan  a TF  LTF  a DCF  LDCF  LTF  a TF  a DCF  DTF
DDCF
 

a TF  a DCF 
  a TF  a DCF  
DTF
DDCF
 lossspan  
Lspan DTF LTOT
1 DTF
DDCF
DDCF M
1 DTF
DDCF

3
 Photonics
Transmission
Systems Design of multi-span systems
 The design of multi-span systems is the same seen in the
previous chapter, taking into account additional losses
 In case of other losses (joints, splices, components) they must
be taken into account in lossspan
 Example of OSNR (in dB) calculation in the three cases:

OSNR  PTX  F  Pbase  lossspan  10 log10 M 

No compensation OSNR  PTX  F  Pbase  aTF  LTOT  

M  10 log10 M

Compensation with
DCU
TOT

OSNR  PTX  F  Pbase  LM  aTF  a DCF  DTF
DDCF
10 log 10 M 

Compensansation with aTF  a DCF  DTF

 10  log10 M 
DDCF
OSNR  PTX  F  Pbase  LM  TOT

unwound DCF fiber 1  DD TF

DCF