Course SS 0501 SDH Principle

Issue 2.0

Section 6 Types and Parameters of Optical

Interfaces

3 O bjectives:
Understand the types of optical interfaces.
Understand common parameters of and related specifications for optical interfaces.

Conventional plesiochronous cable digital system is self-closed, of which the optical

interface is dedicated and denies any external access. While synchronous cable digital
line system is open, and any network units of any manufacturers can interwork on the
optical channel, i.e. they are horizontally compatible. Therefore, optical interfaces must
be standardized.

6.1 Types of Optical Fiber

The transmission medium of SDH optical transmission network is, of course, optical
fiber. Since single-mode fiber features big bandwidth, easy upgrading and expansion
and cost efficiency, it has been internationally recognized as the only transmission
medium of SDH. There are three transmission region in optical fiber transmission,
which are suitable for the following wavelength ranges respectively, i.e. 850nm,
1310nm and 1550nm.Of these, 850nm region only applies to multi-mode transmission,
and the regions used for single-mode transmission are the 1310nm and 1550nm only.
Transmission distance of optical signals in optical fibers is affected by both dispersion
and loss. Dispersion will widen the digital pulses transmitted in optical fibers, causing
inter-symbol interference and deteriorating signal quality. Transmission system will
stop functioning when inter-symbol interference deteriorates transmission performance
-3
to a certain degree (e.g 10 ). Owing to loss, the power of optical signals transmitted in
optical fibers decrease with the increase of transmission distance, and the transmission
system will stop functioning when optical power declines to a certain degree.
To extend the transmission distance of the system, we usually reduce dispersion and
loss.1310nm optical transmission region is called zero-dispersion region, where the
transmission dispersion of optical signals is minimized, and 1550nm region is called
low-loss region, where the transmission attenuation of optical signal is minimized.
ITU-T specifies three common optical fibers, i.e. fibers respectively in compliance with
G.652 Specifications, G.653 Specifications and G.655 Specifications.G.652 fiber has
the best dispersion performance in 1310nm wavelength region and is also called fiber
without dispersion shift (i.e. zero-dispersion region is at 1310nm wavelength). It applies
to two wavelength areas: 1310nm and 1550nm. G.653 fiber, also called
dispersion-shifted single-mode fiber , refers to the single-mode fiber with best
dispersion performance in 1550nm wavelength region. It keeps low dispersion and loss
in 1550nm wavelength region by shifting zerodispersion from 1310nm to 1550nm
wavelength via the distribution change of refractive index inside the fiber, and it mainly

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applies to 1550nm working wavelength area. G.654 fiber is also called fiber with
low-loss in 1550nm wavelength region, with its zero-dispersion remaining at 1310nm
wavelength, and mainly works in 1550nm region for submarine fiber communication
that requires very long transmission distance of regenerator section.

6.2 Types of Optical Interfaces

Optical interfaces, a unique part of synchronous cable digital line system. As it is
standardized, different NEs can be directly connected via optical fibres, thus dispensing
with optical/electrical conversion, avoiding signal damage (like pulse distortion, etc.)
due to such conversion and reducing network running cost.
Optical interfaces fall into three types according to different applications: intra-office
communication optical interface, short-distance inter-office communication optical
interface, and long-distance inter-office communication optical interface. They are
indicated by different codes in different applications, as shown in Table 6-1.

Table 6-1 Optical interface code table

Application Intra-office Short distance Long distance

situation inter-office inter-office

Working 1310 1310 1550 1310 1550

wavelength
(nm)

Optical fiber G.652 G.652 G.652 G.652 G.652 G.653

type

Transmission 2 ~15 ~40 ~60

distance (km)

STM-1 I 1 S1.1 S1.2 L1.1 L1.2 L1.3

STM-4 I4 S4.1 S4.2 L4.1 L4.2 L4.3

STM-16 I16 S16.1 S16.2 L16.1 L16.2 L16.3

The first letter in the code stands for application situation, i.e. I stands for intra-office
communication, S for short distance inter-office communication, and L for long distance
inter-office communication. The first number following the dash behind the letter stands
for STM rate level, e.g. 1 stands for STM-1and 16 for STM-16.The second number (the
first number behind the decimal point) stands for the working wavelength region and
the type of fiber being used, i.e. 1 and blank stands for 1310nm working with G.652
fiber, 2 for 1550nm working with G.652 or G.654 fiber, and 3 for 1550nm working with
G.653 fiber.

6.3 Optical Interface Parameter

The optical interface position of SDH network system is shown in Figure 6-1.

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CTX Cable equipment CRX

Receive
Transmit
S R

Plug Plug

Figure 6-1 Schematic diagram of optical interface position

In the diagram, point S is the reference point behind the active connector (CTX) close
to the transmitter (TX), and R is the reference point in front of the active connector
(CRX) close to the receiver (RX). Optical interface parameters can be classified into
three major types: transmitter optical parameter at reference point S, receiver optical
parameter at reference point R, and optical parameter between S and R. Worst values
are specified for indexes of the parameters, i.e. with extreme (worst) optical channel
attenuation and dispersion, the error bit rate of each regenerator section (cable section)
-10
still should not exceed 110 .

6.3.1 Optical Line Code Pattern

As mentioned above, in SDH system, unlike PDH, it is unnecessary to add redundant

bytes to line code implement end-to-end performance monitoring because abundant
overhead bytes are arranged in frame structure to be used in OAM function of the
system. Line code pattern of SDH system uses scrambled NRZ code, with the line
signal rate equal to standard STM-N signal rate.
ITU-T specifies the scrambling mode of NRZ code. Standard level-7 scrambler is used
6 7
to generate the polynomial 1+X +X by scrambling, with scramble sequence length
7
2 -1=127 (digits).The advantages of this mode are: code pattern is the simplest, line
signal rate is not increased, there is no optical power penalty, no coding is needed, the
transmitting end needs only one scrambler, the receiving end can receive services of
the transmitting end with a de-scrambler of the same standard, thus implementing
interconnection of optical channels with equipment from multiple manufacturers.
Scrambler is used to prevent long successive 0 or 1 in signals during transmission,
and help the receiving end extract timing information from the signals (SPI function
block). Besides, when the pseudo random sequence generated by scrambler is long
enough, i.e. the correlation of the scrambled signals is small, jitter correlation
generated by respective regenerators can be weakened to a certain extent (i.e to
disperse and cancel jitter), so as to weaken the accumulated jitter of the whole system.
For example, six persons are talking in pairs in a room. If all of them speak Chinese
(information is strongly correlated), it is likely that they may interfere with each other
and get confused. If they speak Chinese, English and Japanese respectively
(information is weakly correlated), they will interfere little with each other.

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6.3.2 Point S ParameterOptical Transmitter Parameter

1. Maximum -20dB bandwidth

The energy of single longitudinal mode laser is mainly concentrated on the main mode,
therefore, its spectrum width is defined by the maximum bandwidth when the maximum
peak value power of the main mode falls to 20dB.The spectrum feature of single
longitudinal mode laser is shown in Figure 6-2.

Maximum 20dB bandwidth is 1~ 2

-20dB

1 2

Figure 6-2 Spectrum diagram of single longitudinal mode laser

2. Minimum side mode suppression ratio (SMSR)

Minimum ratio between average optical power P1 of the main longitudinal mode and
average optical power P2 of the most noticeable side mode.
SMSR=10lg(P1/P2)
Value of SMSR should not be smaller than 30dB.

3. Average transmitting power

The average optical power of pseudo random signal sequence measured at S

reference point and transmitted by the transmitter.

4. Extinction ratio (EX1)

It is defined as the minimum ratio between average optical transmitting power of signal
1 and the average optical power of signal 0.E X =10lg(EX1)
ITU-T specifies the extinction ratio as 10dB (except for L-16.2) in long distance
transmission, and 8.2dB in other cases.

6.3.3 Point R ParameterOptical Receiver Parameter

1. Receiving sensitivity

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Receiving sensitivity is defined as the minimum value of the average receiving power
-10
required for achieving 1 x 10 BER at point R.Compared with the receiver beyond
service life and at worst temperature, a new receiver working at normal temperature
has a sensitivity redundancy of about 2-4dB.Usually, the measured value of equipment
sensitivity is about 3dB (sensitivity redundancy) greater than the required minimum
value of the index.

2. Receiving overload power

It is defined as the maximum value of the average receiving optical power required for
-10
achieving 1 x 10 BER at point R. When receiving optical power is higher than
receiving sensitivity, BER will decrease due to improved signal/noise ratio. However,
with further increase of optical receiving power, the receiver enters non-linear working
area, which will lower BER, as shown in Figure 6-3.

BER

110 -10

B Receiving optical power

A

Figure 6-3 BER curve diagram

In the diagram, optical power at point A is receiving sensitivity, optical power at point B
is receiving overload power, and the range between A and B is the dynamic range in
which the receiver can work normally.

? Questions:
What have you learned from this section?
1. Types of common optical fibers.
2 Types of optical interfaces
3. Common parameters related with optical interfaces and their specific meanings.
Of the above three, the third is the key point of this section.

Summary
This section mainly describes the types and main parameters of optical interfaces of
SDH system.

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Exercises
1. The code pattern of SDH optical signals is .
2. What does I-1 mean.

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