A fiber optic splitter works by passively dividing an incoming light signal into multiple output signals. The splitter uses non-electronic components to achieve this division, without needing any external power source.
Core Functionality Explained
Essentially, a fiber optic splitter performs the following actions:
- Light Enters: Light travelling through a fiber optic cable enters the splitter.
- Passive Separation: Inside the splitter, the light is split into multiple separate beams using optical components. These components could be:
- Fused Biconical Taper (FBT) Splitters: These splitters fuse two or more fibers together, creating a region where the light can split into multiple paths. The splitting ratio depends on the geometry of the fused fibers.
- Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) Splitters: These use a waveguide etched onto a substrate to guide and split the light. The PLC technology allows for more precise splitting ratios and can achieve a higher port count.
- Light Output: The separated light beams exit the splitter through different fiber optic cables. Each output carries a portion of the original signal's power.
How the Splitting Happens
The method of splitting light varies depending on the type of splitter used, but all are designed to achieve the splitting passively.
- FBT Splitters: The fibers are fused together and then tapered, which redistributes the incoming light. The fused area is where the light's power is effectively divided between the exiting fibers.
- PLC Splitters: Light travels through waveguides that are designed to divide light into different channels. The waveguide structure precisely controls the distribution of the light between these channels.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Passive Operation | Operates without electrical power, making it more reliable and cost-effective. |
| Non-electronic | Uses physical principles of light manipulation, like diffraction or redirection of light. |
| Multiple Outputs | Splits one input signal into several output signals. |
| Different Splitting Ratios | The split ratio can be designed to allocate power differently to output ports, such as 50/50, or other ratios such as 70/30 or 90/10. |
| Versatile Application | Used in various optical network applications. |
Practical Insights
- Fiber splitters are crucial for creating point-to-multipoint networks, such as in Fiber to the Home (FTTH) setups.
- Each output port receives a portion of the input signal, so there's a corresponding power loss with each split. This loss has to be factored into the design of a network.
- Different splitting ratios can be chosen depending on what specific needs exist in the network layout.
In summary, fiber optic splitters offer a non-electronic and passive method to split a light signal and direct that light into different fibers for further distribution. Light enters the splitter, and the splitter passively separates the light into different beams using non-electronic components, then outputs send distinct beams into seperate fibers.
