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For more information about ourtelecommunications products,visit us online atsales.hamamatsu.com/telecom

USA 800.524.0504 [email protected] Europe 00.800.800.800.88 [email protected]

Telecommunications is all about

bandwidth...and the more the

better. Thats why Hamamatsu

provides such a wide array of

receivers and transmitters for

optical fiber communications and

spatial light transmission.

To help you keep up with the fast

pace of technology, Hamamatsu

offers a complete line of high-speed

components, including:

Products ideal for high-speed

LAN and WAN, as well as broad-

casting up to 10 Gbps

From 850 nm to 1550 nm

Products also ideal for home or

automotive networking

Detector materials include

InGaAs, GaAs, and Silicon

Detectors available with fiber pig-

tails or receptacle connectors,

such as SC, FC, LC, MU, and ROSA

Combining opto-semiconductor

device technologies with innovativeideas, Hamamatsu is constantly

developing next-generation products

for the telecommunications

industry. To learn more about our

leading components, please visit our

website or call us directly.

Optical fiber communications

Optical data linksSpatial light transmission

Automotive networking

Choose from a wide range of high-speed telecommunications components from Hamamatsu.

to increase your bandwidth.

We have the bandwidth...

Previous Page Contents Zoom In Zoom Out Front Cover Search Issue Next Page FLIGHTW V

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Focuson

Focuson

www.lightwaveonline.com $23.00

OPTICAL TECHNOLOGIES, COMMUNICATIONS APPLICATIONS, AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS WORLDWIDE APRIL 200

INDUSTRY

Fiber remains medium of choicefor data center applications

By MEGHAN FULLER

Fiber cabling shipmentsare expected to experiencea 26.3% compound annualgrowth rate to net $4 billionby 2010, according to new re-search from FTM Consulting(www.igigroup.com). In fact,FTM analysts forecast thatfiber cabling shipments willexceed copper UTP cablingshipments by 2008. And thehighest growth application isexpected to be the data cen-ter. Though fiber has always

been a competitive option,new developments in opticsand emerging applicationshave further strengthened thebusiness case for fiber in thedata center.

Todays data center d

signers are discovering thtraditional building LAequipment just isnt sufficiefor use in the current data ceter environment. TraditionLAN equipment simply wnot allow designers to achievthe requisite density, scalabity, manageability, and flebility, says Alan Ugolini, dacenter specialist at CorninCable Systems (www.cornincablesystems.com).

Hutch Coburn, senior pro

uct manager of enterprise ber infrastructure solutions ADC (www.adc.com),agreenoting that LAN traffic manot always be mission crical, but data

TECHNOLOGY

Understanding componentspecifications for plug-and-play cable assembliesBy DONALD K. HALL

As high-bandwidth applica-tionssuch as 10-GigabitEthernet; 2-, 4-, and 10-Gbit/sec Fibre Chan-nel; and InfiniBand4X-SDR and 4X-DDRhave emerged, link-loss bud-gets have been reduced. Atthe same time, there has beenan increase in the use of fac-tory-terminated cable assem-blies. Early drivers of thislatter trend included a move

to structured cabling andthe modularity benefits fac-tory-terminated assembliesoffer: rapid installation, scal-

able growth, and ease of fiberplant maintenance. However,as system designers increas-

ingly find value in theflexibility of network to-

pologies with a high degreeof connectivity, a secondarydriver has emerged: the abil-ity to minimize connector-re-lated insertion loss throughsuperior factory polish-ing and assembly processes,which helps network design-ers meet the new smaller l ink-

loss budgets.The principles of passive

plant design and installationusing factory

APPLICATIONS

Survey details switch to OM3 in enterpriseBy MATT BROWN

Predictions of exponential

growth in bandwidth demandwere common in the late1990s. Now, with technologyback on the rise, the commu-nications industry is begin-ning to see those predictionsrealized. With the demand forindividual user bandwidth in-creasing, the funneling effectof LAN switching is drivingthe need for more high-band-width fiber in the enterprisebackbone.

To support bandwidth-in-tensive, real-time applica-tions and to accommodate

ever-increasing file size andtraffic volume, IT managers

are moving toward the higherperformance offered bylaser-optimized multi-mode optical fiber (OM3).According to research com-missioned by SYSTIMAX So-lutions, OM3 products areexpected to become the domi-nant fiber type over the next5 years, representing 43% ofnew installs in that period(see Figure 1). Conversely,use of OM1 and OM2 fiberis expected to be cut in half,from 63% in current installsto only 34% of new installs in

that same time frame. The rsearch, in which 1,484 IT pr

fessionals from around thworld provided infomation on their requir

ments and strategies, nonly details this evolutio

but reveals some of the fators shaping cabling technoogy purchases in general.

Defining fiber

categories

To understand the appeof OM3 fiber, it is helpful thave a basic understanding all three grades of multimodfiber. OM1 is a

Carriers lean on

operations support

systems. PAGE 31

SupportSOS

RPR packs a punch

for campus comms.PAGE 27

In thering

Check, clean, and

calibrate for best

test results.PAGE 15

ThreeCs

Carried awayWith its AnyWave Optical Net-

work strategy, OpVista provides a

graceful upgrade path for transi-

tioning to high-speed, high-capac-ity Ethernet transport. PAGE 20

page 15

page 31

page 27

Photo 1.Compared withtraditional LC panels, theMTP adapter panel enablesfar greater density, support-ing up to 432 fibers in a 1-Uconfiguration.

C

ORNING

CABLESYSTEMS

Contents Zoom In Zoom Out o r n v ig t ion ins tr uc ti on s p le s e c li ck he re

Contents Zoom In Zoom Out o r n v ig t ion ins tr uc ti on s p le s e c li ck he re

Next PaSearch Issue

Next PaSearch Issue

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All cabinets are not created equal. Only Corning Cable Systems OptiTect Premier Cabinetsoffer the smallest footprint in the industry our latest Local Convergence Cabinets are upto 50% smaller and lighter than previous generations. This can result in up to 40% lowerinstallation cost. Combine that with the freight and storage savings, clear aestheticadvantage and best-in-class fiber management and its clear that no substitute can deliverthis customer value.

Accept No Substitutes.

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Our delivery area.

1-800-622-7711

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Phone 540-265-0690 www.occfiber.com

No matter where youre located, our fiber optic cable products are there. Optical Cable Corporation has built

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Contact Optical Cable Corporation for a stocking distributor nearest you. We are where you are.

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Focuson

V O L . 2 4 , N O . 4 A P R I L 2 0 0Contents

Technology Applications Industry

www.l ightwaveonline.com LIGHTWAVE April 2007

15 Achieving precision inoptical measurementsBY RICK RACINSKAS, TELLABS

15 TECH TRENDS

TODC vendors ready inline

and integrated devicesBY MEGHAN FULLER

19 STANDARDS WATCH

Fast progress in ITU for bend-loss

insensitive singlemode fiberBY GERARD KUYT, DRAKA

COMTEQ OPTICAL FIBRE

20 PRODUCT PROFILE

OpVista unveils AnyWave

Optical Network conceptBY STEPHEN HARDY

20 PREMIER PRODUCTS

Components, installa-

tion and test equipment,

systems, and subsystems

FOCUS ON27 ENTERPRISE NETWORKS

RPR simplifies cam-

pus communicationsBY VINAY BANNAI, ADTRAN

27 CASE BY CASE

Innovation makes a comebackBY STEPHEN HARDY

31 OSS vendors grapple withnetwork evolutionBY STEPHEN HARDY

31 ANALYST CORNER

Dynamics of the Carrier

Ethernet switch marketBY SEAMUS CREHAN,

DELLORO GROUP INC.

35 PEOPLE

Mintera appoints vice president

Calix adds board member

Santur appoints CEO

OSA selects senior director

FOLS elects new officers

38 MARKET WATCH

AT&T ranks first in U.S. busi-

ness Ethernet services

Study analyzes Carrier Ethernet

over MSPP-based networks

Optical networking mar-ket topped $3.2B in 4Q06

AnyWave Optical Network strategytakes existing networks to CarrierEthernet-ready page 20

FOCUS ONENTERPRISE NETWORKS Increases in traffic vol-

umes and high expectations for quality of service demandflexible, reliable network performance. This month, articles focus on theneed for high-bandwidth fiber in enterprise networks and data centers (bothfront page), the link between connector-related insertion loss and systemperformance (front page), and achieving Carrier Ethernet qualities in cam-pus networks using RPR architecture (page 27).

6 update

11 www.lightwaveonline.com

12 Editorial STEPHEN HARDY A shrink-proof industry?

up-front


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update

HOTPICK

LIGHTWAVE(ISSN 0741-5834), a trademark, 2007, is published 12 issues per year monthly by PennWell Corporation, 1421 South Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112, telephone 918-835-3161; fax 918-831-9497; Web addresswww.pennwell.com.All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted. Bulk reprints can be ordered from Kathleen Skelton 603-891-9203 voice, 603-891-0587 fax.SUBSCRIPTIONS:847-559-7520, 7:30am-6pm CST. Subscrition rates in the U.S. and possessions: one year, $144; Canada/international via surface mail, $163; international via airmail, $197. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK, and additional mailing offices. We make portions of oursubscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that may be important for your work. If you do not want to receive those offers and/or information, please let us know by contacting usat List Services, Lightwave, 98 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, NH 03062. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: LIGHTWAVE, P.O. Box 3279, Northbrook, IL 60065-3279 PRINTED IN THE USA GST NO. 126813153PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 908584 Return Undeliver able Canadian Address es to P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6S4

DISCLAIMER:The information contained in this publication is for general information purposes and is not intended to be advice on any particular matter. No subscriber or other reader should act on the basis of any mattecontained in this publication without considering appropriate professional advice. PennWell Corporation, and the authors and editors, expressly disclaim any and all liability to any person, whether a purchaser of this pubcation or not, in respect of anything (and the consequences of anything) done or omitted to be done by any subscriber, reader, or other person in reliance upon the contents of this publication.

6 April 2007 LIGHTWAVE www.lightwaveonline.com

Cortina Systems (www.cortina-systems.com) has acquired Immenstar (www.immen

star.com),a privately held semiconductor company that specializes in PON system-on-chip

(SoC) technology. According to Cortina, the Immenstar acquisition simultaneously builds

on the strength of its existing technology and expands its reach into the access network;

the company confirms plans to play in both the EPON and GPON markets with a portfo-

lio of products that combine intelligent bandwidth, high density, and low power. Financial

terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.north americaJDSU(www.jdsu.com)has announced a definitive agreement to ac-

quire Picolight Inc. (www.picolight.com),designer and manufacturer

of optical pluggable transceivers. The transaction is expected to close June 30, subject

to regulatory approvals. JDSU will acquire Picolight for approximately $115 million in JDSU

stock, plus up to an additional $10 million in cash subject to the achievement of certain

revenue targets during calendar year 2007. Picolight has been an active player in the devel-

opment of 850- and 1,310-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs).

Carrier Access Corp.(www.carrieraccess.com) has completed the acquisition of IP net-

working product assets from Mangrove Systems Inc.(www.mangrovesystems.com)in a

cash transaction valued at approximately $8 million. Carrier Access says it has hired 30

former employees of Mangrove to sell, support, and continue R&D of the newly acquired

Mangrove products. The acquisition is anticipated to be accretive to Carrier Access earn-

ings in 1Q08.

Enablence Technologies Inc.(www.enablence.com)has completed a private placement

of 25 million common shares at a price of $0.60 per share for gross proceeds of $15 mil-

lion. The syndicate behind the funding round was led by Paradigm Capital Inc. and included

Wellington West Capital Markets Inc. and Raymond James Ltd. as syndicate partners. Ac-

cording to Enablence chief executive Arvind Chhatbar, the company needs more money to

strengthen its position as it enters volume production. In particular, he says the companywants to be in a position to expand its product line or production resources, or enter new

partnerships, without being restrained financially.

Ceterus Networks (www.ceterusnetworks.com)has an-

nounced a $20 million funding round led by Intel Capital.

Sevin Rosen and ComVentures, both investors since incep-

tion, and Aldus Equity, a new investor, also participated in

the funding. Ceterus Networks has aimed to create a plat-

form for versatile, cost-effective Ethernet service delivery

platforms supporting both wireline and wireless service

providers in their delivery of new data and voice services.

The new funding will help with large customer infrastruc-

ture rollouts and market expansion, the company says.

Transceiver supplier OE Solutions Co. Ltd. (www.oe

solution.com) has closed a $4.3 million Series C round

of funding, led by two Korean venture capitalists, Korean

Development Bank Capital and Kibo Technology Advancing

Capital. The round brings the companys total funding to

date to $16 million. OE Solutions says it will use the funds

to expand its global marketing and sales efforts and to accelerate futu

product development to meet growing customer demand worldwide.

Alchemy Communications Inc., provider of colocation and managed dat

center services, has chosen MRV CommunicationsFiber Driver to increas

the bandwidth of its backbone network. Incorporating the DWDM-capabFiber Driver also will increase the redundancy and efficiency of Alchemy

Los Angeles-based fiber-optic network, resulting in a greater return on

vestment, say MRV representatives.

Tyco Telecommunications(www.tycotelecom.com)has chosen Bookha

Inc.(www.bookham.com)to be the lead supplier of 980-nm pump laser mo

ules. Bookhams OceanBright pump lasers will be used in erbium-doped fib

amplifiers (EDFAs), which in turn are incorporated into repeaters that for

a critical element of undersea cable systems around the world.

Fujikura Ltd.(www.fujikura.co.jp) and Nistica(www.nistica.com),optic

subsystems supplier to telecom system OEMs, have announced a broa

cooperative agreement whereby Fujikura will provide full production ma

ufacturing facilities and processes for the volume delivery of NisticaFLEDGE series of tunable filters and ROADM modules, as well as futu

Nistica products. In addition, Fujikura will act as

strategic partner for field, warranty, and sales cha

nel support in selected markets. Moreover, Nistic

and Fujikura say they will explore jointly developin

products in the ROADM market based on Nistica

technology and platform.

TXP Corp. (www.texasprototypes.com), an origin

design manufacturer (ODM) for the electronics an

telecommunications industries, has entered into a

agreement to supply its ONT equipment to an u

named provider of communications technology an

infrastructure equipment. This agreement comes ju2 months after TXP officially acquired the ONT bu

ness unit of Siemens. The acquisition brought to TXP

portfolio BPON ONTs for single-family units (SFUs

multidwelling units (MDUs), and small business uni

(SBU); and GPON ONTs for SFUs, Ethernet-only SFU

and SBUs.

TriAccess Technologies(www.triaccesstech.com)

has signed a multiyear supply agreement with Lu-

minentOIC Inc. (www.luminentoic.com),a wholly

owned subsidiary of MRV Communications(www.

mrv.com), to supply the latest version of its TAT6254

Series RF integrated circuit for use in GPON net-

works. LuminentOIC plans to incorporate the Tri-

Access 6254 RFIC in triplexer transceivers installed

within optical network terminals (ONTs). Luminent-

OIC will be the lead customer for the next product

release in the TriAccess TAT6254 series for GPONapplications and has committed to purchasing sig-

nificant volumes of this device, say TriAccess rep-

resentatives. In addition, as part of this agreement,

LuminentOIC has attained exclusive rights to the

TAT6254 product series for all BPON applications.



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updateRedfern Integrated Optics Inc. (www.rio-

inc.com), developer and manufacturer of

optical transmitters, has successfully

completed reliability qualification of its

PLANEX technology platform, in accor-

dance with the requirements of Telcordia

GR468-CORE. PLANEX is a planar-based

external cavity laser (ECL) packaged in an

MSA-compliant transmitter optical sub-

assembly (TOSA) form factor for XFP, SFP,

and SFP+ transceiver modules.

Privately held American Fiber Systems

Inc. (AFS; www.afsnetworks.com) has

completed a $10 million transaction to

acquire IDACOMM(www.idacomm.com),

the communications subsidiary of IDA-

CORP. IDACOMM is a fiber facilities-based

competitive metro network provider, with

operations focused in Nevada and Idaho,

specializing in fiber-based transport ser-vices to both carrier and enterprise cus-

tomers. IDACOMMs network includes

more than 45,000 local and long-haul fi-

ber-strand miles with approximately 150

buildings on net and includes the cities of

Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City, NV, as

well as Boise, ID, opening up new regional

transport business for AFS.

The United States Patent and Trade-

mark Office has issued a patent entitled

Method and Apparatus for Testing Opti-

cal Networks (US patent no. 7,187,861)

to EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering

Inc. (www.exfo.com).The patent serves

as the basis of EXFOs series of PON

power meters, which are widely used by

technicians to characterize FTTH net-

works, particularly near the ONT at the

customer premises where triple-play ser-

vices need to be activated. EXFOs pat-

ented technology enables pass-through

measurements of both downstream and

upstream optical power at different wave-

lengths, including those of bursty up-

stream signals.

emeaADVA Optical Networking (www.advaoptical.com) has been named a supplier

of Ethernet last-mile access products in

British Telecoms 21st Century Network.

The carrier will deploy the ADVA FSP 150

as the Network Termination Equipment

(NTE) to interconnect all end customers,

carriers carriers, and BT facilities. The

ADVA FSP 150 portfolio, featuring Ether-

jack technology, provides Ethernet de-

marcation, extension, and aggregation.

The Neuf Cegetel Group (www.groupe

neufcegetel.fr) plans to offer fiber-

based broadband services beginning

this month in Paris. The carrier expects

to pass a million homes by the end of

2009 and to connect a total of 250,000

customers. Coverage areas will include

Paris and its suburbs, districts of other

major cities, and other areas selected

on the basis of rollout costs and oppor-

tunities to increase market share. The

target might be raised if investments

can be mutualized with other partner

operators. To start the rollout of its

program, Neuf Cegetel acquired in early

2007 Mediafiber, which serves around3,000 FTTH customers in the city of

Pau (among around 40,000 homes

passed). On February 20, 2007, the

group announced an agreement to

take a controlling stake in Paris-based

Erenis, which has more than 55,000

homes passed and more than 10,000

customers connected.

Avanex Corp. (www.avanex.com) ha

entered into a definitive agreement t

sell a 90% interest in its French subs

iary, Avanex France S.A., including i

indium phosphide (InP) and gallium

senide (GaAs) semiconductor fabs,

Global Research Co., a socit

sponsibilit limite, owned by Alexand

Krivine, and to the current manageme

of Avanex France S.A., Didier Sauvage.

addition to the semiconductor III-V fab

the divested business includes the las

terrestrial pump, submarine pump, an

fiber Bragg grating product lines. Avan

plans to maintain a core developme

group of about 20 employees in Franc

focused on transmission products. J

Major, Avanexs chairman, president, an

chief executive officer, confirms that th

company expects to realize between $1

million and $16 million in annual financimprovements as a result of this dives

ture beginning in fiscal 4Q07.

Irish ISP Digiweb has deployed an a

vanced Ethernet-over-optical netwo

within its Dublin Metro network usin

equipment from both Transmode (ww

transmode.com) andOverture Network



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Previous Page Contents Zoom In Zoom Out Front Cover Search Issue Next Page FLIGHTW V____________
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10 April 2006 LIGHTWAVE www.l ightwaveonline.com

update(www.overturenetworks.com). The joint

Transmode/Overture network provides

Digiweb with a new Ethernet-over-WDM

backbone network and Ethernet-over-fi-

ber/copper access network to support

growing demand for the carriers business-

to-business and consumer ISP services.

ColorChip(www.color-chip.com),manu-

facturer of glass-based planar lightwave

circuit chips and modules for FTTH net-

works, has completed a $7.4 million fund-

ing led by Vertex Venture Capital. Vertex

joined existing investors including Bes-

semer, Eurofund, Motorola, Polytechnos,

and Walden Israel Venture Capital. Ac-

cording to Moshe Price, chief executive

officer of ColorChip, the proceeds will en-

able the company to move from product

qualification to mass manufacturing to

accommodate the strong FTTH marketdemands in the US, Japan, Asia Pacific,

and Europe.

ECI Telecom Ltd. (www.ecitele.com) has

completed the first stage of the construc-

tion of a metro optical network for Ukrtele-

com JSC, a national telecommunication

operator in Ukraine. This first stage cov-

ers Ukraines nine largest regions and

will include the deployment of ECIs XDM

optical platform to enable Ukrtelecom to

meet increasing subscriber demand for

next-generation services.

ECI Telecom also has demonstrated

what it claims is the industrys first suc-

cessful 43-Gbit/sec transmission over

1,000 km via a 10-degree, 50-GHz chan-

nel-spaced wavelength-selective switch

(WSS) reconfigurable optical add/drop

multiplexer (ROADM). According to the

company, the demonstration illustrates

how bandwidth-tolerant 43-Gbit/sec

modulation formats enable signal trans-

mission up to 1,000 km through 50-GHz

spaced WSS ROADMs, while maintaining

high noise tolerance similar to that of

10-Gbit/sec signals. The company says

its XDM offering allows carriers to buildreconfigurable ROADM-based networks

with maximum capacity of 80 channels

40 Gbits/sec (or 3.2 Tbits/sec) and dis-

tances suitable for metro, regional, and

long-haul applications.

Ericsson (www.ericsson.com)has signed

a turnkey contract with the city of Trikala as

equipment provider and prime integrator

to implement the citys pioneering plans

for the creation of the first Greek Digital

City. Per the contract, Ericsson is the sole

supplier of switching, Wi-Fi systems, and a

15-km fiber-optic metro network, as well

as related telecom services, such as con-

sulting, deployment, systems integration,

and customer support, until 2008.

Alcatel-Lucent(www.alcatel-lucent.com)

has signed a turnkey contract with the

East Africa Submarine Cable System

(EASSy) consortium to lay the first ever

optical submarine cable network landing

in East Africa, scheduled for completion

by the end of 2008. Based on Alcatel-Lu-

cents submarine and terrestrial optical

systems, the EASSy submarine network

will deliver a regional capacity of nearly

320 Gbits/sec and span nearly 10,000km, linking eight countries from Sudan

to South Africa, via Djibouti, Somalia,

Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Mo-

zambique. Governments, public admin-

istrations, and businesses will be able

to leverage the network to support new

applications such as remote medical di-

agnosis and international call centers.

By interconnecting with Sea-Me-We

Sea-Me-We 4, SAS1, Falcon, and SAT3

WASC/SAFE, the EASSy submarine cab

system also will serve as a supporting

frastructure for these networks.

asiaIndependent Indonesian telecomm

nications provider PT NAP Info Linta

Nusa andTyco Telecommunication

have announced the signing of a co

tract between NAP Singapore-base

affiliate Matrix Networks and Tyco Te

communications to construct an und

sea fiber-optic system. The system w

comprise a four-fiber-pair trunk betwee

Singapore and Jakarta with branches

Batam in the Riau Islands Province anPontianak in Kalimantan on the islan

of Borneo. The design also facilitate

a future connection to Perth, Aust

lia, via an undersea branching unit. U

ing DWDM, the system will be able t

transmit 64 10-Gbit/sec wavelength

on each fiber pair for a total bandwid

of nearly 2.6 Tbits/sec.



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www.lightwaveonline.comfind these features online this month

www.l ightwaveonline.com LIGHTWAVE April 2007 1

Verifying Metro Ethernet QoSBY MIRNA MEKIC, JDSU COMMUNICATIONS TEST & MEASUREMENT

Used for delivery of next-generation IP-based services, including triple play,

metro Ethernet facilitates the availability of affordable bandwidth on demand

and highly secure private network communication. Yet despite the lucrative

and strategic advantages it brings, many providers are reluctant to embark on

full implementation to bring carrier-grade Ethernet offerings to market. This is

due in part to the inherently greater complexity of maintaining carrier-class

quality at the node and network levels. This hesitancy also stems from a lack

of standardized test and monitoring tools and procedures.

OA&M: Going beyond the standardsto enable innovative Carrier Ethernet servicesBY UMESH KUKREJA, ATRICA

The ability to offer attractive service-level agreements (SLAs) is increasingly

important to a service providers success. Recognizing this, Carrier Ethernet

has been developed with SLA support as one of its critical, core capabilities.

However, comprehensive, effective SLA support requires advanced opera-

tion, administration, and maintenance (OA&M) tools that can manage and

monitor SLAs and provide reports to end-user customers, ensuring service

provider compliance.

PBT vs. MPLSBY PETER LUNK, EXTREME NETWORKS

Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) is an exciting new technology that takes

advantage of the recent advances in Ethernet standards. PBT enables a much

more economical access and aggregation network that minimizes the need

for MPLS outside the core of the carrier network. The deterministic network

architecture made possible by PBT delivers all of the advanced services sub-

scribers are seeking while maintaining the simplicity and reliability of SONET/

SDH networks.

Expanding the bandwidth pipe:Subwave technologiesBY KEN DAVISON, MERITON NETWORKS

Gigabit Ethernet bandwidth is being driven deep into the network, and trans-

port providers already are seeing requests for Ethernet in ranges from 2.5 to10 Gbits/sec. Rather than dedicate a wavelength to a single service, subwave

grooming techniques now enable carriers to pack wavelengths with as much

traffic as possible for more ef ficient utilization. This article will explore emerg-

ing methods for expanding the bandwidth pipe, including ways to switch con-

nections at the wavelength, subwavelength, and even sub-subwavelength

level, otherwise known as tunnel switching.

Rolling out business EthernetBY FRED ELLEFSON, ADVA OPTICAL NETWORKING

More and more multiple-systems operators (MSOs) seek to introduce com-

petitive, carrier-class, Ethernet-based business services such as voice over

IP (VoIP), dedicated Internet access, point-to-point connectivity, and virtual

private networks (VPNs). The commercial business opportunity is tremendous, b

the challenges are not inconsequential. This article will explore how an MSO ca

roll out a consistent, profitable, competitive Ethernet offering to multisite ente

prise customers, even when leveraging disparate legacy networks and techno

gies in various regions and markets across the nation.

Increasing the fiber in cables dietBY JAMES O. JIM FARMER, WAVE7 OPTICS

While most of the FTTH buzz has surrounded the telcos, cable TV companies a

starting to deploy this technology as well, primarily in greenfield applications. Th

paper shows that it is easy for service providers with hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) ne

works to deploy FTTH in greenfield situations, while maintaining their existing HF

networks until end-of-life.

FTTH giving homeowners a raiseBY DAVID MEIS, CORNING CABLE SYSTEMS

FTTH is now being touted as a value-enhancing amenity for many homes, as well a

for developments. Not only is there talk of FTTH commanding a premium in hom

selling price, there is also strong emerging evidence that supports this claim.



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Editorial


STEPHEN M. HARDY

Editorial Director & Associate Publisher

[email protected]

One conundrum of the optical communications in-dustry that continues to stump observers and par-ticipants alike is the issue of consolidationor, moreprecisely, the lack thereof, particularly in the compo-nents/subsystems space. Carriers have consolidated,and system vendors, as evidenced by the Alcatel-Lu-cent merger and the Siemens/Nokia hook-up, havebegun to follow suit. At the component/subsystemlevel, however, everyone appears to agree that toomany companies continue to chase too few businessopportunities. Of course, people have commented

on this fact for at least the last 5 years. Still, even asthe week of OFC/NFOEC began with news of threecomponent/subsystem-level acquisitionsFinisarsagreements to purchase AZNA and Kodeos, followedclosely by Optiums announcement of its acquisi-tion of Kailightthe overall viewpoint remains un-changed. More mergers and acquisitions need to takeplace before the industry can right size to a rational

number of players.So whats holding things up? The

OSA/LightwaveExecutive Forum of-fered some cluesclues that indi-

cated that factors intrinsic to theoptical communications field

and to the customers it servesmay pose high enough barri-ers to consolidation to pre-vent the industry from everreaching the right numberof participants. In fact, thesefactors, if fully considered,

may change the idea of justwhat number represents criti-

cal mass.Certainly one can l ist several fac-

tors that should drive a large numberof companies out of the components and

subsystems market in the near term. First, while the

market has begun to pick up, its still not healthyenough to support a bubble-era competitive land-scape. (In fact, one could argue the industrys recentlyconcluded problems stemmed in large part from thefact that the bubble itself wasnt large enough to sus-tain the bubble-era competitive ecosystem.) Second,just as their customers seek to reduce operational ex-penses, system houses wish to shrink their own opexby limiting the number of suppliers they must engage.Third, with the market having stabilized now is agood time for VCs and other investors to force theircompanies to reconsider an exit strategy that mightinvolve being acquired.

Forum participants, who included not only high-

level executives from component compa-

nies but observers from the financial andcustomer arenas, harped in particular onthe first two of these motivations for con-

solidation. For example, some of the major compo-nent players justified their support of broad productlines with the explanation that with system houseslooking to trim their roster of suppliers, the ability tomeet a wide variety of needs was essential for survival.This philosophy has been espoused for some time asthe one-stop shop approach to the market, and com-panies such as JDSU, Bookham, and others have at-tempted to implement this philosophy with varyingdegrees of success.

However, the same panelists emphasized that the

key to future fiscal health and success was a focuson the areas where they could maintain a competi-tive differentiation. Needless to say, unless a companyhas unlimited financial and personnel resourcesand not even JDSU has this kind of weight to throwaroundit cant differentiate everywhere. Thus, ma-jor system houses can reduce their supplier counts tothree or four for each of their product lines. But whenthey aggregate the supplier lists for all of those prod-ucts, theyre likely to find that they still must dealwith 10 or more vendors, like it or not. Differentiationand product line expansion clearly conflict, particu-larly in an environment in which R&D dollars cantbe spent indiscriminately. Some companies will at-

tempt to solve this problem through acquisition, andthe recent M&A activity described earlier illustratesrelevant examples. (I didnt say M&A would stop, justthat it wont result in a market size most people appearto want.) But there are only so many differentiatedproduct lines a single company can support withoutswamping itself. As one forum participant observed,No one talks about the one-stop shop anymore.

System houses and the customers they serve alsomust share the blame (if one can call it that) for theunexpectedly large number of component/subsys-tem suppliers that continue to hang on in the market.Thats because the forum participants revealed thatthese parties continue to insist on customized prod-

ucts, even when dealing with areas where standards(or at least multisource agreements) are in place.Again, how many customized variants of each prod-uct can a single supplier support? As long as systemhouses and their customers require nonstandardproducts, the market will require a larger number ofsuppliers to fill the need.

I have said in this space previously that 2007 will seea significant amount of consolidation. I still believethis will be the case. However, I also believe that ob-servers and participants will continue to lament thatthere are too many companies making componentsand modules, regardless of how much M&A goes on.And the industry has itself to blame.

EDITORIAL

Editorial Director and Associate PublisStephen M. Hardy

603-891-9454 stephenh@pennwell

Managing EditorCarrie Meadows

603-891-9382 carriem@pennwell.

Senior EditorMeghan Fuller

603-891-9327 meghanf@pennwell

Columnists

Gerard KuytSeamus Crehan

Editorial Advisory BoardDr. Donald Bossi / Aegis Semicond

William J. Cadogan/Vesbridge Partners

Andy Chraplyvy/Alcatel-Lucent

Donald T. Gall/ Pangrac & Associ

Ira Jacobs/ Virginia Polytechnic Ins

Michael Lebby / OIDA

Kevin Lefebvre/ SUNY IT

Stan Lumish/ JDSU

Stephen Montgomery/ ElectroniC

Vik Saxena/ Comcast

Paul W. Shumate, Jr./ IEEE LEO

Presentation Manager Cindy Chamb

Senior Illustrator Dan Rodd

Marketing Director Lisa A. Bergev603-891-9410 [email protected]

Circulation Manager Michelle Blak603-891-9360 michellb@pennwell

ATD PUBLISHING DEPARTMEN

Art Director Meg Fuschetti

Production Director Mari Rodrigu

Senior Vice PresidentGroup Publishing Director

Mark Finkelstein603-891-9133

[email protected]

Group PublisherTim Pritchard

603-891-9447 [email protected]

Lightwave Executive & Editorial Offi98 Spit Brook Rd., Nashua, NH 03062

Tel: 603-891-0123, Fax: 603-891-0

For subscription inquiries only:Tel: 847-559-7520, TDD: 918-831-9

To subscribe online, go to:www.lw-subscribe.com

In Europe:PennWell European Journal ServP.O. Box 4456, London SW12 8A

United Kingdom

Phone: 44 181 675 9775,Fax: 44 181 675 0301

E-mail: HR [email protected]

CORPORATE OFFICERS

Chairman Frank T. Lauinger

President and CEO Robert F. Biolch

Chief Financial Officer Mark C. Wilm

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DIVIS

Vice President of Audience DevelopmGloria S. Adams

More mergers and

acquisitions need to

take place before the

industry can right

size to a rational

number of players.

A shrink-proof industry?


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Technology Advances in research, development,engineering, and standards

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

www.lightwaveonline.com LIGHTWAVE April 2007 1

TECH TRENDS

Cont. on pg 18

Cont. on pg 16

Cont. on pg 17

Achieving precision inoptical measurementsBy Rick Racinskas

You have your favorite fiber test box and trustit for great measurements performed via morebuttons and digits than youve ever used before.Are you getting the performance you paid foror even what the sales rep prom-ised? Probably not.

Fiber is not just copper with

a different color jacket. To ob-tain proper measurements, youmust treat it with the utmost carewithin an almost clean-room en-vironment when it comes to con-nections. Consistent, accurate,and repeatable measurementstake knowledge, a few tools, anda lot of vigilance. This article re-

views some of the primary sourcesof problems when it comes to ob-taining precise measurements,matched with some suggestionsabout how to solve them.

Patch cords

The instrument starts at the far end of the patchcable. Your $50,000 box can behave like a $300

knockoff if you dont have a proper cable. Youwouldnt put a $50 probe on a fancy 10-GHzscope, would you? The same principle applieshere. A cheap, damaged, or dirty patch cable

will throw power measure-ments way off. If you remateconnectors several times

and see a 0.5-to-1-dB read-ing bounce, you need toclean or replace them. If allis well, you should see 0.02-dB or less bounce each time.Since it is difficult to cleanmating fiber adapters, oneidea is to leave a 1-m patchcord on. Choose a refer-ence or a calibrated gradeand avoid generics.

Mating most any connec-tor to a typical power me-ter should yield accurate

readings due to the sizeof the photodetector. But

source connections require precision mat-ing to achieve maximum

Photo 1.A simple fingerprintcan significantly degradefiber performance. A quickcleaning can make a lot of

difference.

assemblies are essentially the same as whenfield termination is performed. However, thereare some practical considerations that sys-tem designers and installers should be awareof, especially as low-loss cable assemblies are

specified. These considerations are directlyrelated to the fact that the assembly manu-facturer is delivering finished componentswith guaranteed insertion loss and effectivemodal bandwidth performance when matedto other components. It is therefore importantto understand the relationship between cableassembly specifications and expected systemperformance when multiple assemblies arelinked together to form the passive plant.

Common cable assembly types

Factory cable assemblies have been suppliedfor many years using simplex and duplex con-nectors. Increasingly popular are modular

plug-and-play assemblies, which usually con-tain ribbons in multiples of 12 fibers to takeadvantage of the high density of MPO-styleconnectors. The four basic types of plug-and-play assemblies include the following:

Trunks. These are cable assemblies of cus-tomer-specified length terminated on eachend with 12-fiber MPO connectors. Fibercounts are typically up to 144 fibers.

Harnesses. These are short, 12-fiber cable as-semblies made from interconnect cables thatare terminated on one end with a 12-fiberMPO connector and at the other end withsimplex or, more commonly, duplex connec-tors. Harnesses mate to trunks via their MPOconnectors. Although the simplex/duplexconnectors can be mated into a patch panel,they are usually directly mated to an equip-ment port.

Modules. Sometimes

Tunable optical dispersion compensators (TODC) are usewithin 10- and 40-Gbit/sec optical systems to compensafor signal distortions caused by chromatic dispersion (CDCD is a form of intersymbol interference (ISI), which is espcially detrimental in optically amplified systems. CD caus

a spreading of light pulses as they travel down an opticfiber. Different colors will propagate at slightly differenspeeds, thereby rendering the receiver unable to differetiate one light pulse from the next. TODCs work by intrducing either positive or negative dispersion to balance ooffset the dispersion in the fiber.

The only TODCs deployed in signif icant numbers todare thermally tuned fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based d

vicesand only at the receiver to combat residual dispesion. Sources interviewed for this article are unanimou

in their assertion that TODCs have yet to be deployed foinline applications. And no integrated TODCs (i.e., with300-pin MSA transponders) havbeen deployed to date. But TOD

vendors are gearing up to offer sucdevices now.

Residual compensation

There are two key applications fTODCs in the network: 1) residucompensation and 2) bulk or inlincompensation (see figure). Residucompensation provides constant, pchannel dynamic

By Meghan Fuller

TODC vendorsready inline andintegrated devices

Component specs for cable assemblies

Meghan Fuller

is senior editor at

Lightwave.

ANDevices uses aPLC-based technology for its small-footprint 10- and 40-Gbit/sec TODC devices.

Fingerprint

Corearea

After cleaning


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Equipment cord

Transceiver Transceiver

Module Trunk Harness

MPOs

Duplexconnectors

Example system 1

Tx/Rx Tx/Rx

Equipment cord Equipment cord

Transceiver TransceivModuleIntegrated trunk module

MPOs

Duplexconnectors

Example system 2

Tx/Rx Tx/Rx


Technology


Understanding component specications for plug-and-play cable assembliescalled breakout modules or transi-tion modules, these assemblies offera space-efficient means of transi-tioning from MPO connectors to

simplex/duplex connectors. Thesecable assemblies are terminated inthe same manner as harnesses, butthey are usually made from bare op-tical-fiber ribbons rather than inter-connect cables. The fiber portion isprotected within a plastic or metalcasing that mounts in a connectorhousing like a patch panel. The sim-plex/duplex connectors are accessedat the front of the module for mat-ing with jumpers or patch cords. TheMPO connector is accessed at therear of the module, where it is mated

to a trunk. Integrated trunk modules (ITMs).

These cable assemblies combine thefunctional attributes of a module anda trunk. They are essentially moduleswith long interconnect cable tailsterminated with an MPO connec-tor. The protective casing mounts ina connector housing like a standardmodule but is deep enough to pro-

vide a means of storing trunk slack,thus allowing the installer to deployonly enough of the trunk to reachthe intended MPO connection point.

ITMs are especially useful in smalldata centers and enterprises betweenthe main distribution area and theend equipment or in large data cen-ters between a consolidation pointand the end equipment.These components are usually in-

stalled as part of a structured cablingnetwork comprising multiple linksper channel. For simplicity, Figures1 and 2 illustrate the use of eachof these components in a point-to-point system.

Those familiar with traditional

field-terminated assemblies willquickly recognize that the staticfunctionality of each of these sys-tems can be achieved by terminat-ing bulk cable with simplex/duplexconnectors at patch panels. In suchbuilds, calculation of an expectedlink budget is straightforward and ismerely a summation of the fiber lossand connector losses. The f iber lossis calculated by multiplying the f iberlength by the fiber attenuation coef-ficient, expressed in decibels per unitlength. The fiber attenuation coeffi-cient is wavelength dependent. The

connector loss is simply a maximumloss specification per mated pair, fre-quently taken as 0.75 dB per matedpair in accordance with ANSI/TIA/

EIA-568-B.1. This calculation doesnot include the connectors mated to

the transceiver ports, because theloss of these connectors is accountedfor in the transceiver specifications.

The static equivalent of both fig-ures would be a cable terminatedwith simplex/duplex connectors andjoined to the equipment at each endwith jumpers mated through a patchpanel. The link budget would be 1.5dB plus calculated fiber loss. However,as noted, the traditional field-termi-nated assemblies, while achieving thedesired static functionality, do not of-fer the flexible reconfigurability and

scalability of a modular plug-and-playsystem.

It can be seen that the plug-and-play systems have more connectorpairs per link compared to the field-terminated approach. Each break-out module contains two connectors.Each harness also contains two con-nectors, although if mated directlyto equipment as in Figure 1, only theMPO connector pair would count inthe link budget. There-fore, the link of Figure1 contains three mated

pairs. Although the linkof Figure 2 is not directlyterminated to equipmenton either end, this linkalso contains three matedpairs, because the ITM isfunctionally equivalentto a trunk and a module,thus keeping the connector count forthe link at three instead of four. If oneallows 0.75 dB per connector pair, itcan be seen that the link budget forthese systems would be 2.25 dB plusfiber loss. In this case, there would ef-fectively be a budget penalty associ-

ated with the increased modularity ofthe plug-and-play system.

For high-bandwidth systems, es-pecially where multiple links form a

single channel, the total channel losspenalty may be unacceptable, leading

a system designer to specify a field-terminated system when the flexibil-ity of a modular plug-and-play systemis actually desired. For this reason,manufacturers of plug-and-play com-ponents may offer components withinsertion loss specifications requiringconnector losses well below 0.75 dBper connector.

To illustrate, consider the exampleof Figure 1. If the module has a speci-fied insertion loss of 0.5 dB and theMPO pair shared by the trunk andharness has a specified loss of 0.35 dB,

one would then calculate a link bud-get of 0.85 dB plus length-dependentfiber loss. Note again that the duplexconnector pair shared by the harnessand the equipment port doesnt con-tribute to the link-loss budget becausethe harness is directly terminated intothe equipment ports. This link bud-get is well below the 1.5-dB budgetcalculated for the field-terminatedapproach. Of course, it would be the

prerogative of the system designer tospecify a field-terminated system withmaximum connector insertion lossof some value less than 0.75 dB permated pair. However, the likelihood ofachieving these lower insertion lossesis very field craft dependent. Because

of the superior control of insertion loin the factory environment, there isclear advantage to the specification factory-built assemblies.

Product certificatioor QC measuremenwhen provided to cutomers, are usually thonly customer-visible apect of a manufacturerquality assurance prgram. Other aspects mainclude such controls dimensional verificatioof fiber and connectgeometry or other pr

cess monitoring means. The ability individual cable assemblies to me

performance expectations when cocatenated in the f ield must be proveas part of the product qualificatioduring development. This is usualdone by performing loss measurments before and after environmetal exposure on randomly mated cabassemblies manufactured under stadard process conditions.

ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.3, Annex describes a broadly accepted, stadardized procedure for qualificatioof cable assemblies under defined teconditions. These loss measuremen

can then be analyzed to ensure cocatenated link performance. Once thcable assemblies have been qualifieQC pass/fail criteria can be set to esure that they are manufactured to thsame quality level as those that werevaluated during product qualifiction. Because individual componequality is assured by the manufacturit is not necessary to field-test indivual components.

Field testing of links

A final consideration is field link teing. Concatenated field links, whicusually have simplex or duplex conectors at the ends, can be tested ento-end using standard power-througtest sets and well-

Figure 1.In this example, a trunk features a module at one end and harness at the other end.An equipment cord connects the module to one transceiver. The harness connects directly tothe other transceiver port.

Figure 2.This system features an integrated trunk module (ITM). Equipment cords connectmodules to transceivers.

Cont. on pg 24


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Needs for TODC in the network

Rx

TODC

TODC

Tx

TODCTODC

Source: Alcatel-Luc

ODC ColorlessColorless

May ormay not becolorless

NonadjustableODC

1. Residual compensation, constant dynamic adjustment Necessary for bit rates 40 Gbits/sec

2. Bulk compensation, set-and-forget adjustment Eases installation and inventory

Some popular uses for TODC:

www.lightwaveonline.com LIGHTWAVE April 2007 1

Technolog

TECH TRENDS

CONT. FROM PAGE 15

adjustment at the receiver. It is necessaryat data rates of 40 Gbits/sec and above,contends Christopher Doerr, distin-guished member of the technical staff

at Bell Labs (www.bell-labs.com).If thelink is long enough, say, 300 km, evenenvironmental temperature changes inthe fiber are enough to require a changein the TODC setting, he notes.

Therefore, each wavelength needs atunable dispersion compensator at 40Gbits/sec. That said, even though thetunable compensator is not used tocompensate the dispersion on manychannels at a timeits only a sin-gle channel at a timethe light stillneeds to be colorless, mainly for in-

ventory purposes, adds Martin Guy,

vice president of product manage-ment and technology at TeraXion(www.teraxion.com).

Wenhua Lin, vice president of tech-nology and new products at ANDe-

vices (www.andevices.com), says shehas seen some variation in the ways inwhich system vendors are deployingTODC technology for residual disper-sion. We see a lot of new applicationswhere people are using the TODCcombined with other things, like atransponder, she confirms. Usu-ally, the TODC is a separate unit or

line card before the receiver, but nowsystem vendors want to integrate theTODC into the transponder. Whilesuch integrated devices are not reallytaking off right now, Lin confirmsthat system vendors currently areweighing how to use TODC technol-ogy most efficiently in the network.

Inline compensation

In todays 10-Gbit/sec networks, a lightsignal can travel up to 65 km withoutdispersion compensation, reports HaimLaufer, senior vice president of sales and

marketing for Civcom (www.civcom.com). Using chirp or a different mod-ulation scheme extends that distance to80 km, after which some form of inlinedispersion compensation is required.

The sources interviewed for thisstory say that TODC is just startingto emerge as a replacement for the in-cumbent inline compensation technol-ogydispersion-compensating fiber(DCF)for 10-Gbit/sec long-haul andmetro systems. TODC for inline appli-cations has not been used in the pastfor several reasons. First, the relativelyrecent emergence of reconfigurability

places new requirementson the network in terms oftunability. Second, inlinedispersion compensationis a bit more challengingthan residual compen-

sation, admits Bell LabsDoerr. With inline, youneed to be able to toleratecascading effects, he ex-plains. Residual compen-sation, by contrast, canhave a smaller disper-sion [window] because you only haveto pass through once, and theres nocascading.

System vendors also may be slowto adopt TODC technology for inlineapplications because the incumbentDCF technology is so thoroughly en-

trenched. DCF is specialized fiber thathas high levels of negative dispersionover relatively short lengths. While itis a widely used, proven technology,DCF is bulky, difficult to install, andsuffers from high attenuation. Theattenuation requires the use of addi-tional amplification, which, in turn,adds to the overall cost of the system.Moreover, DCF is not tunable. Foreach distance you have to compen-sate, says Laufer, you need a differ-ent product.

TODCs, on the other hand, provide

set-and-forget adjustment. The bigadvantage is its easier for the cus-tomer to install a system because theydont have to measure their link dis-persion very accurately, says Doerr.

Once [a TODC] is instal led, they cantweak the amount of dispersion theyllneed. Doerr also cites the advantageof tunability for inventory reduction;assuming they integrate the TODCcomponent directly on a line card, sys-tem vendors could use the same cardat every node.

Doerr confirms that Alcatel-Lu-

cent is currently working to integrateTODCs for inline compensation intosome of its commercially availableproducts. While he recognizes that

the cost of tunable optical dispersioncompensation has to come down forit to really be disruptive and take overinline, Doerr believes the benefits ofTODC outweigh the additional cost,even in the near term. He comparesthe use of TODC versus DCF to auto-matic versus standard transmission ina car. Most drivers are willing to paya bit more for automatic transmission,he says, because it is convenient and

requires less training. It is the samewith TODC versus DCF; with theproper feedback signal, TODC can au-tomatically set the dispersion, whereasDCF requires skilled craft to install.

A further benefit of TODC technol-ogy is that the same device can be used

for both residual and inline compen-sation, depending on where it is de-ployed in the network. If it is placednear the optical amplifier, [the cus-tomer] probably wants to target it forDCF replacement, says Lin. If theyuse the TODC before the receiver, thenthey want to use it for residual disper-sion compensation. But a single unitcan do two functions.

As TODC technology improvesgoing forward, Doerr imagines thatinline compensation could eventu-ally eliminate the need for residual

compensation. Such an implementa-tion would be more cost-effective, hesays, because you could eliminate theper-channel cost penalty of residualcompensation.

Technology smorgasbord

Each vendor playing in the TODCmarket uses a different material tech-nology and tuning mechanism; someare already commercially available,while others are still in development.

TeraXion claims to be the marketleader in dispersion compensation

with its FBG-based devices. TeraXioncouples its FBG with a thermal gra-dient platform. Basically, we changethe thermal gradient on the fiber,and that changes the dispersion level,says Guy. He notes that the same un-derlying technology is used for bothTeraXions static or fixed dispersioncompensators, which are widely de-ployed for both residual and inlinecompensation, and its tunable com-pensators. The vendor simply adds atuning mechanism to the grating. Itsa natural choice to move from a staticdispersion compensator to a tun-

able dispersion compensator usingproven technology, which is the fibBragg grating, he contends. Teraions 10- and 40-Gbit/sec TODCs acommercially available.

While some cite the FBGs size aa shortcomingit is too large to b

integrated into a 300-pin MSA trasponderGuy reports that TeraXioncustomers have not been asking ftransponder-based devices. I wousay our customers are mainly integring our components directly on theline cards, he says.

TODCs also can be made from alons, which are based on bulk opticmade into an optical cavity that iduces multiple beam interference btween two mirrors. Etalons feature onof two tuning methods: They are eithtuned by changing the space betwee

the mirrors or by adjusting the tempature. Civcoms etalon-based TODfor example, is thermally controlleLaufer reports that Civcoms TODCsmall enough to fit in a standard, 30pin transponder. The vendor currentoffers both the dispersion compenstion component as well as the component integrated within a 300-ptransponder, enabling system vendoto achieve distances between 170 an350 km, says Laufer.

Fujitsu (www.fujitsu.com), meawhile, has commercially availab

10- and 40-Gbit/sec dispersion compensators based on virtual imagphased array (VIPA) technology. InVIPA-based device, dispersion compensation is accomplished via a thiglass plate coated on both sides withreflecting film and a reflecting mirroIndustry insiders report that such dvices achieve the largest dispersion any TODC to date but currently havelarge footprint and high insertion lo

ANDevices employs a planar lighwave circuit (PLC) approach in whica cascade of multiple Mach-Zehndinterferometers

Residual compensation provides constant, per-channel adjustment at the receiver, whileinline dispersion compensation provides a more compact, tunable alternative to the incum-bent technology, dispersion-compensating fiber.

Cont. on pg 19



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Technology


results. Remember you are lining uptiny lenses in three dimensions closeto millionths of an inch. Youll alsoneed a good bulkhead adapter. A

cheap, worn-out one wont do. Pickup a nice ceramic adapter and keepit capped. For critical measurements,always clean the adapters first usingonly a fiber-grade stick cleaner. Cleantransceivers as well, but be carefultoo much force or excess cleaning liq-uid may damage the internal lens.

Laser sources and other similar gearcan become unstable as the connectortip takes a beating. Often a factory re-polish will restore performance. Add-ing a sacrificial patch cable is a cheapersolution. The idea is to reduce instru-

ment matings and provide a connectorthat is easier to clean and inspect.

Dont store cables tightly woundor take measurements that way. Theywill take that shape and cause nonlin-ear losses, especially at the 1,490/1,550-nm wavelengths. Verify cables by gentlymoving them during measurements.Replace them after a few hundred in-sertions. Always clean both ends!

Whats wrong with generic patch ca-bles? Plenty. If you need precision in alab or production environment, theymay add 0-1 dB of unstable loss. The

Purchasing Department may treatpatch cables as cheap commodities, butthey are not all the same. Only aboutone-third of generics are usable for labpurposes. So after cleaning and hand-testing each one, where is the savings?

For example, commodity ferrulesare dril led out to larger holes for easeof assembly. This process causes thefiber to be off-center and creates ex-cess loss and inconsistency. Some arenot crimped properly, so twisting theconnector will cause stress attenua-tion. The problem here is that remat-

ing them will cause inaccuracies dueto the mechanical misalignment. Youmay find most patch cables are dirtyright out of the bag, so check them. Abetter grade comes with factory testdata. Remember the Reagan Cold Wardoctrine: Trust but verify.

You can buy a quality patch cablewith very low insertion loss (IL) forabout $20. For calibration labs and pre-cise requirements, use a tuned, moreexpensive master-grade cable, whichis available from a variety of suppliers.Label and treasure these cables, as theymay get borrowed permanently to fix

unexplainable problems elsewhere.

Other potential

problem sources

There are other potential sources ofproblems that deserve a quick review.

Caps: Caps are a major source ofproblems. They may be dirty and wil loutgas onto the surface. Clean themand store extras in a clean bag. Al-ways cap fiber ends. Just the electro-static charge on the ferrule alone willattract airborne contaminants.

Instrument adapters: After a num-ber of insertions, instrument adapterscan become a hotbed of contamination,so clean them. For lab use, I have goneas far as using an ultrasonic cleaner to

get my repeatability back.Optical inspection: The critical

core area on a singlemode connectoris 9 m wide, or 0.0003 inches. Onehuman hair is huge by contrast. Aspeck of dirt, residue, or even smokeyou cant see may cause serious atten-uation, backreflection, and even per-manent damage. Simply cleaning theconnector may not be enough. Use a400X scope with a clean adapter onit to inspect your work before mating.The connector may be scratched oreven burned by EDFA power levels.

One important note is that negli-gible dirt may not be measurable forinsertion loss, producing, lets say, 0.5dB. But it can reduce your backre-flection by 10 to 30 dB. This is badnews for AM video systems or single-wavelength data. Even worse, you maychange to passing data by simply re-mating the connectors once or twice.Your RF and reflection measurementsmay be compromised. Back at yourcustomers site, the dirt is now opti-mized and your FAIL LED is justwaiting for the tech to leave.

Cleaning and calibration

From the discussion so far, its clearthat cleaning is an essenti

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