Glossary

A point where the operational control or ownership changes, such as the point of interconnection between telephone company facilities and a user

To retrieve a signal from a carrier and convert it into a usable form.

The process of separating channels that were previously joined using a multiplexer.

A device that separates signals of different wavelengths for distribution to their proper receivers.

A form of multiplexing that separates channels by transmitting them on different wavelengths at intervals of about 0.8nm (100GHz).

(1) A device that detects the presence or absence of an optical signal and produces a coordinating electrical response signal. (2) An optoelectric transducer used in fiber optics to convert optical power to electrical current. In fiber optics, the detector is usually a photodiode.

Occur when the detector is unable to make an intelligent decision on the presence or absence of a pulse due to the losses that render the amplitude of the pulse too small to be detected or due to excessive noise caused by the detector itself.

The loss of power that occurs when one fiber transmits to another and the transmitting fiber has a diameter greater than the receiving fiber. It can occur at any type of coupling where the fiber/coupling sizes are mismatched: fiber-to-fiber, fiber-to-device, fiber-to-detector, or sourceto- fiber. Fiber-optic cables and connectors should closely match the size of fiber required by the equipment.

MBNL Network improvement / consolidation programme.

Selectively transmits or reflects light according to selected wavelengths. Also referred to as dichromatic mirror.

(see Shielded hood)

Material that does not conduct electricity, such as nonmetallic materials that are used for cable insulation and jackets. Optical fiber cables are made of dielectric material.

The property of a dielectric material that determines the amount of electrostatic energy that can be stored by the material when a given voltage is applied to it. The ratio of the capacitance of a capacitor using the dielectric to the capacitance of an identical capacitor using a vacuum as a dielectric. Also called permittivity.

The power dissipated in a dielectric material as the result of the friction produced by molecular motion when an alternating electric field is applied.

Refers to materials used within a fiber-optic cable.