Remote coding scheme based on waveguide Bragg grating in PLC splitter chip for PON monitoring

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Telecommunications Systems
• Integrated Optics

Background:

• Passive Optical Networks (PONs) require robust monitoring solutions to manage increasing user demands.
• Identifying individual fiber links in a PON is challenging, especially with multiple equidistant users.
• Existing monitoring methods can be costly and complex to implement on-site.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and analyze a remote coding scheme using distributed waveguide Bragg gratings (WBGs) for PON monitoring.
• To develop models for coding, capacity, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to assess system performance.
• To demonstrate a cost-effective solution for identifying unique drop fiber links in a PON.

Main Methods:

• A distributed arrangement of WBGs integrated into a PLC splitter chip was designed.
• Coding and capacity models were established to determine the minimum WBGs required for distributed structures.
• An SNR model was developed to analyze performance with varying numbers of equidistant users.

Main Results:

• The proposed WBGs scheme is feasible for PON monitoring.
• The system successfully monitored a 64-user PON with an SNR range of 7.5-10.6 dB.
• The scheme offers a potential solution to on-site construction difficulties at a lower user cost.

Conclusions:

• The WBGs-based remote coding scheme provides an effective method for PON monitoring.
• This approach simplifies the identification of individual fiber links, improving network management.
• The proposed solution is scalable and cost-effective for large-scale PON deployments.