UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE

FOURAH BAY COLLEGE

FOURTH EXAMINATION SECOND SEMESTER FOR DEGREE OF B.ENG

FIBER OPTIC COMMUNICATIONS

EENG425

2021

Speed of light c = 3×108m/s, 1Neper (Np) = 8.686dB

Q1.
Rise times of transmitter and receiver are specified as 0.25ns and 0.35ns respectively. D
is 2ps/km-nm, single mode fiber, spectral width of the source is 3nm and link length is
50km.
a. Calculate the fiber rise time(τfiber) [2marks]
b. Calculate the system rise time (τsys) [2marks]
c. Is it feasible to have a desire data rate of 1Gbps using either RZ or NRZ signaling
format? Explain [6marks]
(Given τsys =0.35/(system bandwidth) for RZ , τsys =0.7/(system bandwidth) for NRZ ,
Q2
a. Clearly draw the basic structure of an optical cable. [2marks]
b. What is the difference between step-index and graded index fiber? [1mark]
c. Calculate maximum transmission distance for a system operating at 850nm.GaAIAs laser
diode :1mw fiber-coupled power; Silicon avalanche photodiode: -50dBm sensitivity; Graded-
index fiber 3.5dB/km attenuation at 850nm; connector loss :1dB/connector.
[5marks]
d. What is the difference between step-index and graded index fiber? [2marks]
Q3
a. List two types of rays that can propagate along an optical fiber. [1marks]
b. Briefly explain the basic types of single mode step-index fiber. [1marks]
c. An optical fiber in air has core refractive index of 1.61 and cladding refractive index of 1.31.
Calculate NA. [1marks]
d. What does NA indicate and what is the meaning of NA? [2mark]
e. If frequency is 1.5GHz and refractive index is 1.5, calculate wavelength of the plane wave.
[2marks]
e. Attenuation of standard SMF is 0.2dB/km. How far can the signal of 0 dBm is transmitted so that
the power at the receiver is at least 100µW? [3marks]
Q4

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a. Light pulses propagate through a fiber with an attenuation of 0.25dB/km. Determine the distance
through which the power of pulses is reduced by 80%. [2mark]
b. What is the difference between attenuation and dispersion [1mark]
c. A 15-km fiber with an attenuation of 0.1dB/km serves as optical link between two points in
Freetown. Determine the percentage received power. [2marks]

d. If α1 is in Np/km and α2 is in dB/km determine relationship between α1 and α2.[1mark]

e. A light wave is traveling in a semiconductor medium of refractive index 3.6. It is incident on a
difference semiconductor medium of refractive index 3.4 and the angle of incident is 80 o. Will
this result in total internal reflection? Explain [2marks]
f. A light wave system uses a 30-km fiber link with a loss of 0.4dB/km. 1f the system requires at
least 0.2mW at the receiver, calculate the minimum power that must be launched into the fiber.
[2marks]
Q5
a. Define the term receiver sensitivity. [1mark]
b. Define dynamic range. [1mark]
c. What is optical detector? [1mark]
d. An engineer has the following components available: GaAIAs laser diode operating at 850nm and
capable of coupling 1-mW into a fiber; Ten sections of cable each of which is 500m long, has 4-
dB/km attenuation, 15 connectors and connector loss is 2dB/connector; A pin photodiode receiver
and an avalanche photodiode receiver .Using these components, the engineer wishes to construct
a 5km link operating at 20Mbps. If the sensitivities of the pin and APD are -45 and -56dBm,
respectively, which receiver should be used if 6dB system operating margin is required?
[7marks]
Q6
a. Briefly explain the types of dispersion loss [3marks]
b. Why does a fiber introduce rise time? [1mark]
c. Consider an optical fiber cable having a core of refractive index n 1 and cladding of refractive
index n2. With aid of diagrams prove that: [6marks]

√
NA = n21−n22
Q7

D = 18ps/nm-km Psen= -28dBm

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Number of splices =46, spice loss=0.1dB
Connector loss=0.2dB, Pmargin=6dB
Attenuation coefficient=0.25dB/km
Is this a good system? If yes or no Explain and make it good system. [10marks]

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