Measurement of Attenuation in Optical Fiber and Attenuation Coefficient
The attenuation coefficient is an important parameter of optical fiber which is used to measure the rate at which the intensity of light decreases. It is denoted by (alpha).
The attenuation coefficient () is mathematically represented as:
Number of decibels = 10 log10(Pi/Po)
Power P(L) at a distance L is given as ,
P(L)=P(0)e–L
Where P(0) is power at origin
Then attenuation coefficient of fiber in decibel per kilometer is,
= (10/L) log(P(0)/P(L))
where,
- is the attenuation coefficient (in dB/km)
- L is the length of the fiber over which the measurement is taken
- P(0) is the initial optical power
- P(L) is the optical power at distance L from input
Higher the attenuation coefficient higher is the loss while lower value means lower loss and a high quality fiber.
Attenuation
In this article, we will be discussing about attenuation. We will also discuss about attenuation in optical fiber and networking. We will look into the various factors that causes attenuation in optical fiber and networking. We will discuss about attenuation coefficient. We also will discuss how can we measure attenuation and the methods that are available to measure. In addition to this, we will discuss how can attenuation be prevented. We will also compare attenuation with amplification and see their differences. Later in this article, we will discuss about the various advantages, disadvantages and application of attenuation.
Table of Content
- What is Attenuation?
- Attenuation in Optical Fiber
- Methods
- How Attenuation can be Prevented?
- Attenuation Vs Amplification
- Advantages of Attenuation
- Disadvantages of Attenuation
- Applications of Attenuation