The University of Sydney

School of Electrical & Information Engineering

ELEC5512
Assignment 2
Due: 17:00, Tuesday, October 14, 2014
1. A very simple line code used in the early data networks is called bit stuffing.
The objective of this code is to prevent long runs of 1s and 0s but not necessarily
achieve DC balance. The encoding works as follows. Suppose the maximum number
of consecutive 1s that we are allowed in the bit stream is k. Then the encoder inserts
a 0 bit whenever it sees k consecutive 1 bits in the input sequence.
(a) Suppose the incoming data to be transmitted is 111111111111111001000001.
What is the encoded bit stream, assuming k = 7?

(2 Marks)

(b) What is the algorithm used by the decoder to recover the data? Suppose
that the received bit stream is 01111111010111111100011. What is the decoded
(3 Marks)

bit stream?
2. Consider the add/drop element shown in the following figure:

1 3 4
1

2
Fiber Bragg grating

3
1

2
Drop
(a)

Coupler

2
Fiber Bragg grating
3

1
2
Drop

2
Add
(b)

Suppose that a 5% tap is used to couple the added signal into the output, and the
grating has a loss of 0.5 dB for the transmitted signal and no loss for the reflected
1

signal. Assume that the circulator has a loss of 1 dB per pass. One way to realize
an add/drop multiplexer that adds and drops four wavelengths is to cascade four
add/drop elements of the type shown in the subfigure (b) in series. In this case,
determine:
(a) the best-case loss seen by a channel that is dropped,

(2 Marks)

(b) the worst-case loss seen by a channel that is dropped,

(2 Marks)

(c) the best-case loss seen by a channel that is added,

(2 Marks)

(d) the worst-case loss seen by a channel that is added,

(2 Marks)

(e) the best-case and worst-case loss for a channel that

(4 Marks)

is passed through.

3. Which sublayer within the SONET or optical layer would be responsible for
handling the following functions:
(a) A SONET path fails and the traffic must be switched over to
(2 Marks)

another path.

(b) Many SONET streams are to be multiplexed onto a higher-speed stream and
(2 Marks)

transmitted over a SONET link.

(c) The error rate on a SONET link between regenerators
is to be monitored.

(2 Marks)

(d) Setting up and taking down lightpaths in the network.

(2 Marks)

(e) Rerouting all the lightpaths on a failed link onto another link.

(2 Marks)

4. Suppose that you want to connect two SDH boxes operating at STM-16 line
rate over a link that can have a loss anywhere from 0 to 7 dB. However, they do not
support the same interface. One of them has an I-16 interface and the other supports
S-16.1 interface. The specifications of these interfaces are given in the following table. How can you interconnect these boxes and make the link budget work? You are
allowed to use variable optical attenuators in the link.

(6 Marks)

Parameter

I-16

S-16.1

Transmitter

MLM

SLM

Wavelength range

1.3 m

1.3 m

Transmit power (max)

-3 dBm

0 dBm

Transmit power (min)

-10 dBm

-5 dBm

Receiver sensitivity (min)

-18 dBm

-27 dBm

Receiver overload

-3 dBm

0 dBm

Note: receiver overload is defined as the maximum acceptable value of the received average power for a 1 1010 BER.
5. A lightwave communication link, operating at a wavelength of 1.5 m and a
bit rate of 1 Gb/s has a receiver consisting of a cascaded optical amplifier, narrow
optical filter, and photodetector. It ideally takes at least 130 photons/bit to achieve
1015 bit error rate.
(a) How many photons per bit would it take to achieve the same error rate at 10
(2 Marks)

Gb/s?

(b) At this wavelength 1 mW of power is carried by 7.5 1015 photons per second.
What is the received power level for 1015 bit error rate at 1 Gb/s? (Express the
(3 Marks)

answer in dBm).

6. Consider a device with three ports where it is desired to send all the energy
input at ports 1 and 2 to port 3. Assume that all ports can be used as inputs and
outputs. The scattering matrix of such a device can be written as

S= 0

s13

.
s23

s31 s32 s33

Show that a scattering matrix of this form cannot satisfy the conservation of energy condition. Thus it is impossible to build a device that combines all the power
from two input ports to a third port, without loss.

(6 Marks)

7. Consider a 44 crossbar switch. Assume that powers can be added and we do

not have to worry about individual electric fields adding in phase.
3

(a) If each 22 switch has crosstalk suppression of 50 dB, what is the overall
(3 Marks)

crosstalk suppression of the switch?

(b) What should be the crosstalk suppression of each 22 switch if the overall
(3 Marks)

crosstalk suppression is 40 dB.

Note: If a switch has a crosstalk suppression of 50 dB, it means that the input power
from each other input is 105 of the input power from the desired input.