Utilisation of optical media - wavelength

division multiplexing.

WDM link budget.

A system such as WDM often contains many

components and it is usual to perform a link

budget calculation.

Example WDM link

budget.

An eight level WDM system is depicted.

The passive multiplexer based on directional couplers has a loss per coupler of 1 dB,
the fibre loss is 0.2 dB /km,
the optical amplifiers have a numerical gain of 28 (for all channels)
the demultiplexer is built from 12 directional couplers each with an insertion loss of 1 dB.
The WDM source power = 10 mW.
The filter gain for all channels is 0.5.

Optical
etalon
filter
same gain for
each channel

Signal
Signal
sources
sources

EDFA

EDFA

WDM
WDM
multiplexer
multiplexer
50 km of fibre

75 km of fibre

EDFA

Demulti
Demulti
plexer
plexer

50 km of fibre 75 km of fibre

Questions.
Determine the demultiplexed power in dBm.
The power levels of the multiplexed signals in

this system (i.e. from source to filtered output)

need to be between the levels 0 dBm and 15
dBm. Determine at what points the system
meets this criterion.

Convert to dB throughout or numerical.

Source 10 mW = 10 dBm
Amplifiers 28 14.47 dB.

Link budget.

multiplexer insertion loss = 31 = 3 dB

fibre loss = 2500.2 = 50.
Amplification total gain= 314.47 = 43.41.
Demultiplexer loss = Insertion plus splitting

loss = 31 + log2(8)3 = 12 dB.

Optical filter loss (gain 0.5) = 3 dB

Total dB of system: -3 - 50 +43.41 -12 - 3 =

-24.59 dB

Received dBm = Source - system loss = 10

-24.89 = -14.59 dBm.

Need to look at individual levels.

Source to multiplexer loss

10 - 3 = 7 dBm within criteria.

Multiplexer to first amplifier 7 - (500.2) = -3

dBm outside criteria.

First amplification -3 + 14.47 = 11.47 dBm within

criteria.

First amplifier to second amplifier = 11.47 (750.2) = -3.53 dBm outside criteria.

Second amplification -3.53 + 14.47 =

10.94 dBm within criteria.

Second amplifier to third amplifier = 10.94

- (500.2) = 0.94 dBm within criteria.

Third amplification 0.94 + 14.47 = 15.41

dBm outside criteria.

 Input to demultiplexer couplers:

15.41 - (750.2) = 0.41 dBm within criteria

Output of demultiplexer couplers

0.41 - 12 = -11.6 dBm outside criteria

Filter gain
-11.6 - 3 = -14.6 dBm outside criteria.