The Advantages and Disadvantages of Fiber Optics

June 4, 2009

Posted by hubtechinsider in Fiber Optics, Telecommunications. Advantages of fiber optics: 1. Extremely high bandwidth No other cable-based data transmission medium offers the bandwidth that fiber does. 2. Easy to accommodate increasing bandwidth Using many of the recent generations of fiber optic cabling, new equipment can be added to the inert fiber cable that can provide vastly expanded capacity over the originally laid fiber. DWDM, or Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing, lends fiber optic cabling the ability to turn various wavelengths of light traveling down the fiber on and off at will. These two characteristics of fiber cable enable dynamic network bandwidth provisioning to provide for data traffic spikes and lulls. 3. Resistance to electromagnetic interference Fiber has a very low rate of bit error (10 EXP-13), as a result of fiber being so resistant to electromagnetic interference. Fiber-optic transmission are virtually noise free. 4. Early detection of cable damage and secure transmissions Fiber provides an extremely secure transmission medium, as there is no way to detect the data being transmitted by listening in to the electromagnetic energy leaking through the cable, as is possible with traditional, electron-based transmissions. By constantly monitoring an optical network and by carefully measuring the time it takes light to reflect down the fiber, splices in the cable can be easily detected. Disadvantages of Fiber Optics: 1. Installation costs, while dropping, are still high Despite the fact that fiber installation costs are dropping by as much as 60% a year, installing fiber optic cabling is still relatively costly. As installation costs decrease, fiber is expanding beyond its original realm and major application in the carrier backbone and is moving into the local loop, and through technologies such as FTTx (Fiber To The Home, Premises, etc,) and PONs (Passive Optical networks), enabling subscriber and end user broadband access. 2. Special test equipment is often required The test equipment typically and traditionally used for conventional electron-based networking is of no use in a fiber optic network. Equipment such as an OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) is required, and expensive, specialized optical test equipment such as optical probes are needed at most fiber endpoints and connection nexuses in order to properly provide testing of optical fiber. 3. Susceptibility to physical damage Fiber is a small and compact cable, and it is highly susceptible to becoming cut or damaged during installation or construction activities. Because railroads often provide rights-of-way for fiber optic installation, railroad car derailments pose a significant cable damage threat, and these events can disrupt service to large groups of people, as fiber optic cables can provide

tremendous data transmission capabilities. Because of this, when fiber optic cabling is chosen as the transmission medium, it is necessary to address restoration, backup and survivability. 4. Wildlife damage to fiber optic cables Many birds, for example, find the Kevlar reinforcing material of fiber cable jackets particularly appealing as nesting material, so they peck at the fiber cable jackets to utilize bits of that material. Beavers and other rodents use exposed fiber cable to sharpen their teeth and insects such as ants desire the plastic shielding in their diet, so they can often be found nibbling at the fiber optic cabling. Sharks have also been known to damage fiber optic cabling by chomping on it when laid underwater, especially at the repeating points. There is a plant called the Christmas tree plant that treats fiber optic cable as a tree root and wraps itself around the cable so tightly that the light impulses traveling down the fiber are choked off.

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Source: http://hubtechinsider.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-fiberoptics/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disadvantages of Optical fibres

Home The way optical fibres work Structure Advantages of Optical fibres Disadvantages of Optical fibres Uses of optical fibres Types of optical fibres

The disadvantages of optical fibres are: Price - Even though the raw material for making optical fibres, sand, is abundant and cheap, optical fibres are still more expensive per metre than copper. Although, one fibre can carry many more signals than a single copper cable and the large transmission distances mean that fewer expensive repeaters are required. Fragility - Optical fibres are more fragile than electrical wires. Affected by chemicals - The glass can be affected by various chemicals including hydrogen gas (a problem in underwater cables.) Opaqueness - Despite extensive military use it is known that most fibres become opaque when exposed to radiation. Requires special skills - Optical fibres cannot be joined together as a easily as copper cable and requires additional training of personnel and expensive precision splicing and measurement equipment.

By Mathew Barrie - Cusack 5

Source: http://optical-fibres.tripod.com/id4.html

The advantages of optical fibres over conventional copper wires are: Less expensive - Several miles of optical cable can be made cheaper than equivalent lengths of copper wire. Higher carrying capacity - Because optical fibres are thinner than copper wires, more fibres can be bundled into a given-diameter cable than copper wires. This allows more phone lines to go over the same cable or more channels to come through the cable into your cable TV box. Less signal degradation - The loss of signal in optical fibre is less than in copper wire. Light signals - Unlike electrical signals in copper wires, light signals from one fibre do not interfere with those of other fibres in the same cable. This means clearer phone conversations or TV reception. Digital signals - Optical fibres are ideally suited for carrying digital information, which is especially useful in computer networks. Non-flammable - Because no electricity is passed through optical fibres, there is no fire hazard.
Lightweight and thin - An optical cable weighs less than a comparable copper wire cable. Optical fibres can be drawn to smaller diameters than copper wire. Fibre-optic cables take up less space in the ground.

By Mathew Barrie - Cusack 5

Source: http://optical-fibres.tripod.com/id3.html

DISADVANTAGES OF FIBER CABLE

OCTOBER 24, 2012,by HERMANN GRINGNo comments yet

1.Limited Application: Can only be used on ground, cannot leave the ground or be associated with the mobile communication. 2.Nuclear Radiations: on exposure to the nuclear radiations the glass darken and the harder the glass is easily itll lose its color. 3.Low Power: Light emitting sources are limited to low power and tough high power emitters are available but are costly. 4.Fragility : The fiber optic cables are easily broken 5.Distance: The distance between the transmitter and receiver must be short or if it is long signal repeaters are used to ensure the signals are not weak. The above are the disadvantages of fiber optic cable that should be noticed. If you have any question, Sopto can provide the best solution for you.

Source: http://www.sopto.com/blog/disadvantages-of-fiber-cable/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advantages & Disadvantages With Optical Fibres

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

Bandwidth - Fibre optic cables have a much greater bandwidth than metal cables. The amount of information that can be transmitted per unit time of fibre over other transmission media is its most significant advantage. With the high performance single mode cable used by telephone industries for long distance telecommunication, the bandwidth surpasses the needs of today's applications and gives room for growth tomorrow.

Cost - Cables are expensive to install but last longer than copper cables. Transmission - transmission on optical fibre requires repeating at distance intervals.

Fragile - Fibres can be broken or have transmission loses when Low Power Loss - An optical fibre wrapped around curves of only a offers low power loss. This allows for few centimetres radius. However longer transmission distances. In by encasing fibres in a plastic comparison to copper; in a network, the sheath, it is difficult to bend the longest recommended copper distance is cable into a small enough radius 100m while with fibre, it is 2000m. to break the fibre. Interference - Fibre optic cables are Protection - Optical fibres immune to electromagnetic interference. require more protection around It can also be run in electrically noisy the cable compared to copper. environments without concern as electrical noise will not affect fibre. Size - In comparison to copper, a fibre optic cable has nearly 4.5 times as much capacity as the wire cable has and a cross sectional area that is 30 times

less. Weight - Fibre optic cables are much thinner and lighter than metal wires. They also occupy less space with cables of the same information capacity. Lighter weight makes fibre easier to install. Safety - Since the fibre is a dielectric, it does not present a spark hazard. Security - Optical fibres are difficult to tap. As they do not radiate electromagnetic energy, emissions cannot be intercepted. As physically tapping the fibre takes great skill to do undetected, fibre is the most secure medium available for carrying sensitive data. Flexibility - An optical fibre has greater tensile strength than copper or steel fibres of the same diameter. It is flexible, bends easily and resists most corrosive elements that attack copper cable. Cost - The raw materials for glass are plentiful, unlike copper. This means glass can be made more cheaply than copper.

Matt Barber , last updated 18th October, 1998 Source: http://services.eng.uts.edu.au/~akadi/ite/major_assignments/barber/advdisad.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FIBER OPTICS Fiber optic systems have many attractive features that are superior to electrical systems. These include improved system performance, immunity to electrical noise, signal security, and improved safety and electrical isolation. Other advantages include reduced size and weight, environmental protection, and overall system economy. Table 1-1 details the main advantages of fiber optic systems. Table 1 - 1. - Advantages of Fiber Optics

System Performance Greatly increased bandwidth and capacity Lower signal attenuation (loss) Immunity to Electrical Noise Immune to noise (electromagnetic interference [EMI] and radio-frequency interference [RFI] No crosstalk Lower bit error rates Signal Security Difficult to tap Nonconductive (does not radiate signals)Electrical Isolation No common ground required Freedom from short circuit and sparks Size and Weight Reduced size and weight cables Environmental Protection Resistant to radiation and corrosion Resistant to temperature variations Improved ruggedness and flexibility Less restrictive in harsh environments Overall System Economy Low per-channel cost Lower installation cost

Silica is the principal, abundant, and inexpensive material (source is sand) Despite the many advantages of fiber optic systems, there are some disadvantages. Because of the relative newness of the technology, fiber optic components are expensive. Fiber optic transmitters and receivers are still relatively expensive compared to electrical

interfaces. The lack of standardization in the industry has also limited the acceptance of fiber optics. Many industries are more comfortable with the use of electrical systems and are reluctant to switch to fiber optics. However, industry researchers are eliminating these disadvantages. Standards committees are addressing fiber optic part and test standardization. The cost to install fiber optic systems is falling because of an increase in the use of fiber optic technology. Published articles, conferences, and lectures on fiber optics have begun to educate managers and technicians. As the technology matures, the use of fiber optics will increase because of its many advantages over electrical systems. Q.13 List seven advantages of fiber optics over electrical systems.
Source: http://www.tpub.com/neets/tm/105-4.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------