Glossary

A telecommunications term for the support functions of a network.

Increases the power of an optical signal without converting any of the signals from optical to electrical energy and then back to optical so that the amplification processes the optical signal wholly within optical amplification equipment. The two most common optical amplifiers are semiconductor laser amplifiers and those made from doped fiber, such as the EDFA (erbium doped fiber amplifier), which amplifies with a laser pump diode and a section of erbium doped fiber.

Reduces the intensity of light waves, usually so that the power is within the capacity of the detector. There are three basic forms of attenuators: fixed optical attenuators, stepwise variable optical attenuators, and continuous variable optical attenuators. Attenuation is normally achieved either by a doped fiber or an offset or core misalignment. See also attenuator.

The range of optical wavelengths that can be transmitted through a component.

A device used to combine fiber-optic signals.

A transducer that generates an electronic signal when excited by an optical power source.

A component used to block out reflected and other unwanted light.

An optical power meter and a light source calibrated for use together to detect and measure loss of signal on an optical cable.

A term used to describe the orientation in space of a time varying field vector of an optical signal.

An optoelectronic circuit that converts an incoming signal to an electronic signal. The optical receiver will include a transducer in the form of a detector, which might be a photodiode or other device. When irradiated by an optical power device, it will be able to translate the optical signal into an electronic signal.

Defines the optical boundary between the MIC (media interface connector) plug and the MIC receptacle.

An optoelectronic device, which could include an amplifier, that receives a signal and amplifies it, especially in the case of analog signals. In the case of a digital signal, the optical repeater reshapes or retimes the signal and then retransmits it.

Starts with red, then orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and finally violet. Each color represents a wavelength or frequency of electromagnetic energy; the spectrum is between 400nm and 700nm. 400nm is the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum and 700nm is the infrared portion of the spectrum.

A device used to split fiber-optic signals.

The portion of a fiber-optic receiver that guides light from the optical fiber to the photodiode.