Fiber optics is a transmission technique that uses electrical signals to modulate a light source and thereby produce an optical signal proportional to the electrical signal. These optical signals contain information that is transmitted via a glass waveguide to a light-sensitive receiver. Fiber optics has a distinct advantage over copper networks for some applications. The objective of this book is to explore monomode, as opposed to multimode, applications of fiber optics to local area networks (LANs), which have become a rather important aspect of this technology because of the ever-increasing growth of LANs. Monomode fiber optics requires the use of coherent light sources such as laser diodes, YAGs, and HeNe lasers, to name just a few. It has some distinct advantages over multimode that this text will investigate in a cursory manner. (The author's previous book on multimode fiber optics, Fiber Optic Design and Applications, published by Reston, would be helpful but not necessary to aug ment this text.) Monomode (or single-mode) fiber optics is the present direction of the state of-the-art because of its superior performance. Since a few problems existed that limited the growth of monomode technology at the time this book was being written, several sections of the text will be devoted to examining the shortcom ings as well as the performance advantages of this technology.

This book presents fundamental passive optical network (PON) concepts, providing you with the tools needed to understand, design, and build these new access networks. The logical sequence of topics begins with the underlying principles and components of optical fiber communication technologies used in access networks. Next, the book progresses from descriptions of PON and fiber-to-the-X (FTTX) alternatives to their application to fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks and, lastly, to essential measurement and testing procedures for network installation and maintenance. An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available from the Wiley editorial department.

The Fiber Optic Reference Guide offers readers a solid understanding of the principles of fiber optic technology, especially as it relates to telecommunications, from its early days to developing future trends. Using a minimum of jargon and a wealth of illustrations, this book provides the underlying principles of fiber optics as well as essential practical applications. The third edition is updated to include expanded sections on light emitters, semiconductor optical amplifiers, Bragg gratings, and more systems design considerations. Fiber optics plays a key role in communications, as well as in broadcast and cable systems. Engineers working with fiber optics as well as newcomers to the industry will find the third edition of this reference guide invaluable. It will help the reader develop a solid understanding of the underlying principles of this rapidly changing technology as well as its essential practical applications. The text is thoroughly indexed and illustrated.