Abstract

One approach to the link budget analysis of fiber optic transmission systems is to evaluate the link loss as the sum of the worst case losses for all components such as cable, connectors and splices. This total link loss is then compared to the worst case transmitter power minus the worst case receiver sensitivity to determine system power margin. Statistical budget analysis of fiber optic links provides a more precise characterization of actual system performance than worst case analysis. Statistical methods are used not only for engineering long-haul trunk and loop feeder systems, but also for LANs and other data communication applications. Statistics for the losses of cable, connectors, splices, dispersion penalty and higher order modes are combined with the statistical performance of the optical transmitter and receiver to calculate the mean and standard deviation of system margin. These parameters are, in turn, used to predict the link optical performance to a desired level of confidence. The methods of analysis are reviewed and the statistical performance of typical optical components are presented. A comparison between the statistical and worst case analysis is included, and the techniques of how to use the statistical design are illustrated by engineering a practical LAN application.

© 1990 Optical Society of America