Analysis on the Impact of Reflectance in Optical Fiber Links

Abstract

An optical fiber link is a part of an optic fiber communication system. Other components of the optic fiber link include the transmitter, connectors, and the receiver. The optical fiber could be single mode (for long distance transmission) or multi-mode (for short distance transmission). This paper however, majors on the impact of reflectance in the single-mode optical fiber. Reflectance is a hidden threat that increases Bit Error Rate, BER, (rate at which errors occur in transmission system) and reduces system performance if not monitored or controlled. Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) was used to measure the reflectance in single-mode fiber. Events measurements in OTDR heavily depend on good reflectance. The OTDR was able to establish the reflectance in every portion of the fiber under test. An average reflectance level of -14.9275 dB of 1550 nm signal over the span length of 20.422 km was achieved which is within the acceptable standard range. Hence, good quality performance transmissions can be achieved along these routes.