CWDM Networks Reference Poster

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2012 EXFO Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada 12/11 20120640 SAP1064097
Standards CWDM Testing Future of CWDM Networks
CWDM Testing with iOLM
Fiber Connector Inspection
CWDM Characteristics
Affordable alternative for bandwidth increase
Limited maximum distance
Can be easily overlaid on existing infrastructure
Typical transmitter output power : 5 dBm
Typical signal power at receiver : > -25 dBm
ITU-T G. 694.2Spectral Grids for WDM Applications: CWDM Wavelength Grid
18 wavelengths dened by ITU-T, though usually only 8 or 16 are used
Transmitter drift tolerance: 6-7 nm
Channel spacing: 20 nm
Increase network capacity by replacing a CWDM card by a DWDM card
Single CWDM channel now supports 8 or 16 wavelengths
No amplication = no noise = no need to measure optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR)
Spectral testing: channel analyzers wont work. Basic optical spectrum analyzers (OSAs)
without OSNR capabilities can analyze both CWDM and unamplied DWDM wavelengths
without the extra cost of full OSAs. Basic OSAs provide the best t for the technician to
test DWDM over CWDM.
Using a multipulse approach to ensure maximum accuracy, the iOLM enables any technician
to test individual CWDM channels at the touch of one button.
Connectors are key components that interconnect all network elements. This is why maintaining
them is essential to ensuring that the equipment will operate at maximum performance and
catastrophic network failures will be avoided.
When to Clean
The very rst step is connector inspection. This applies to all testing phasesconstruction,
activation and maintenance. Connectors should be cleaned only if the inspection reveals
that they are dirty.
Future of CWDM Networks: Hybrid Networks or DWDM over CWDM
ITU-T G.695CWDM Optical Interfaces
Provides optical parameter values for physical layer interfaces of CWDM applications
with up to 16 channels and up to 10 Gbit/s
Is Your Network CWDM-Ready?
In most CWDM networks, C-band and L-band are used where attenuation is pretty at with wavelength. If more than
eight wavelengths are required, the S-band must be used where attenuation varies a lot, around the water peak at
1383 nm. Therefore, an appreciation of spectral loss is required. By utilizing an OTDR with four wavelengths including
1383 nm, a simple calculation yields the loss across the whole CWDM range.
CWDM Testing: CWDM OTDR
CWDM Testing: Spectral Analysis
Common Connector Issues
Connector Inspection and Maintenance Solutions
Where to Inspect/Clean
The following items should always be on your
inspection/cleaning list:
Patch panel (e.g., splitter cabinet)
Test jumpers
Cable connectors
ITU-T G. 652Characteristics of a Singlemode Fiber and Cable
Channel Number Central Wavelength (nm)
1 1271
2 1291
3 1311
4 1331
5 1351
6 1371
7 1391
8 1411
9 1431
10 1451
11 1471
12 1491
13 1511
14 1531
15 1551
16 1571
17 1591
18 1611
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
1200 1300 1400 1500 1600
Wavelength (nm)
O-Band
1260-1360
1270
ITU-T G.652 Fibre
Water Peak
1290 1310 1330 1350
1470 1490 1510 1530 1550 1570 1590 1610
1370
1390
1410 1430 1450
E-Band
1360-1460
S-Band
1460-1530
C-Band
1530-
1565
L-Band
1565-
1625
F
ib
e
r A
tte
n
u
a
tio
n
(d
B
/
k
m
)
1390
Topologies
DWDM
Backbone
(R)OADM
(R)OADM
(R)OADM
(R)OADM
Residential/Subdivisions
Head-End/CO
CWDMMUX/DMUX
CWDMChannel
Add/Drop
CWDMChannel
Add/Drop
CWDMChannel
Add/Drop
Enterprise Cell Tower
Splitter
Each customer (enterprise or tower) receives a wavelength via an add/drop multiplexer (OADM).
Calculated ber spectral attenuation from model.
OSA trace of a four-CWDM channels.
Channel power for each CWDM wavelength measured with a channel analyzer.
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
1250 1300 1350 1400 1450 1500 1550 1600 1650
Wavelength (nm)
A
tte
n
u
a
tio
n
(d
B
/k
m
)
Calculated Fiber Spectral Attenuation
Measured Fiber Losses by an OTDR
1470 nm
1490 nm
1510 nm
1530 nm
FTB-200
45.00
40.00
35.00
30.00
25.00
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Head-End/CO
OADM
1530 nm
2
1
3
OADM
1550 nm
Test Test Instrument
Construction/Fiber
Qualification
Turn-Up and
Provisioning
Maintenance and
Troubleshooting
Connector cleanliness according
to IEC and IPC standards
Inspection probe with automatic
pass/fail analysis software
ORL measurement ORL testers, OTDR
Fiber, connector,
splice loss
CWDM OTDR
Channel power and
wavelength check
Channel analyzer,
CWDM-calibrated power meter
Wavelength assignment testing CWDM OTDR, channel analyzer
Channel wavelength,
power drift testing
Channel analyzer, OSA
CWDM WL
1470 nm 1490 nm 1510 nm 1530 nm 1550 nm 1570 nm 1590 nm 1610 nm
DWDM WL
OTDR trace showing the effects of the 1550 nm wavelength going through different OADMs.
Dust/dirt residue Oily residue Wet residue Dirty/damaged connector
A
0,0000 Pos.
Len.
Link loss:
Link ORL:
25,227
19,684 dB
32,50 dB
25,265 5,2818 5,1338 5,0547 10,534 km
km 25,227 50,492 55,774 60,908 65,962 76,4
81,393 km
Global pass/fail status iOLM 1610 nm
Pass
A B
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE
Properly inspecting a ber-optic cable can prevent a slew of problems, saving you time,
money and pains.
Fiber Inspection
Probe and Display
Inspects male and female
connectors
Very secure, no direct eye
exposure to laser radiations
Connector Cleaning
Supplies
Dry cleaning supplies
Wet cleaning supplies
Cleaning kits
Connector Endface
Analysis Software
Delivers clear-cut pass/fail
verdict
Guarantees a uniform level
of acceptance (IEC and
IPC standards-compliant)
Fiber Inspection Probe
on FTB Platform
Uses the platform screen;
no need for additional display
Stores images for future
reference
Performs automated image
analysis (when paired with
analysis software)
Patch panel inspection.
How to Clean a Single Fiber Connector
with a Dry-Cleaning Method
Scan and watch the video (EXFO.com/Connector2)
CWDM/DWDM
REFERENCE POSTER
DWDM Networks Reference Poster
Standards DWDM Dispersion Testing Network Topology Building Blocks/Components of a WDM Network
Optical Transport Network (OTN)
DWDM Testing
DWDM Characteristics
Best approach to maximize ber capacity
Extensively used in metro, long-haul and ultra-long-haul networks
ITU-T G. 694.1Spectral Grids for WDM Applications: DWDM Frequency Grid
Denes specic wavelengths (frequencies) allowed for 12.5 GHz, 25 GHz, 50 GHz
and 100 GHz channel spacing
Dispersion is an important phenomenon that must be tested in DWDM networks
to avoid bit errors. The longer the light path, the more dispersion there is.
EXFO recommends dispersion testing for ber span longer than 20 km.
Chromatic Dispersion (CD)
Chromatic dispersion is a pulse broadening that occurs
when different wavelengths of an optical pulse travel at
different velocities in a ber due to the variation of the ber
index of refraction with wavelength.
Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD)
PMD is a pulse broadening that occurs when different
polarization modes (fast axis and slow axis) travel at
different velocities due to ber geometric imperfections or
environmental constraints (heat, mechanical stress on the
ber like bends, etc.). PMD leads to differential group delay
(DGD).
How to Handle High PMD
ITU-T G.650.3Test Methods for Installed Singlemode Optical Fiber
Cable Links
Detailed tests should be carried out on a singlemode ber for proper operation
Common Failures in DWDM Networks
Channel Spacing (GHz)
Allowed Channel
Frequencies (THz)
12.5 193.1 + n*0.0125
25 193.1 + n*0.025
50 193.1 + n*0.05
100 193.1 + n*0.1
Recommended Tests Test Instrument
Connector endface inspection Inspection probe
Link attenuation OTDR
Splice loss, splice location, fiber
uniformity and cable length
OTDR
Polarization mode dispersion PMD tester
Chromatic dispersion CD tester
Optical return loss ORL tester
Channel Spacing Conversion
GHz 200 100 50 25 12.5
nm 1.6 0.8 0.4 0.2 0.1
Impairment Frequency Test Instrument
Attenuation High OTDR, OLTS, probes, OSA
Optical channel power changes
due to gain variations
High OSA
Frequency (or wavelength)
deviation from normal
High OSA
Polarization mode dispersion Medium PMD tester, distributed PMD tester
Four-wave mixing Medium OSA
Amplified spontaneous emission
noise from optical amplifier
Medium OSA
Chromatic dispersion, CD slope Medium CD tester
Reflection Medium OLTS, OTDR, probe
Laser noise Medium OSA
Interchannel crosstalk Medium OSA
Interferometric crosstalk Medium OSA
(n is a positive or negative integer including zero)
High = 10 events per year
Medium = 1 event per year
Source: Recommendation ITU-T G. 697. Optical Monitoring for DWDM Systems, Table 1Optical Impairments.

Wavelength (nm) =
2.9979 x 10
8
Frequency (GHz)
EXFO recommendation
DWDM Spectral Testing
Spectral testing with an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) is key to identifying many
common types of failures in DWDM networks, as shown in the following table:
Denition of Optical Signal-to-Noise Ratio (OSNR)
Importance of OSNR
OSNR vs. BER Typical Relationship
Spectral Analysis Product Selection Guide IEC Method and (R)OADMs
IEC method fails for signals that went through (R)OADMs
It leads to an underestimation of the noise level
IEC Method and 40G Signals
IEC method fails for 40G signals
It leads to an overestimation of the noise level
The Solution: In-Band OSNR
In-band OSNR method is required to measure 40G signals or signals that went through (R)OADMs
It consists in measuring the noise level inside the signal band, not out-of-band
The simplest case for an OSNR measurement is a single channel, as there is no interference coming from adjacent channels.
Signal
OSNR
Noise
Higher
OSNR
Lower
Bit Error
Rate
Less Errors
in
Transmission
Higher
Quality of
Service
1.00E-03
1.00E-05
1.00E-07
1.00E-09
1.00E-11
1.00E-13
1.00E-15
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
OSNR (dB)
B
E
R
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-35
-40
1552 1553 1554
d
B
m
-40
-45
-50
-55
-60
1530 1531
d
B
m
Real Noise Level Real Noise Level IEC Noise Level IEC Noise Level
CWDM
DWDM
DWDM over
CWDM
Channel
analyzer
Measure
wavelength
and power only
In-band OSA 40G
Without
ROADMs
With ROADMs
Standard OSA
In-band OSA
10G and below
OSA without
OSNR
Standard or
in-band OSA
Standard OSA
Measure
wavelength,
power and noise
DWDM over
CWDM only
DWDM
T0 T
t
t
DGD
slow axis
fast axis
z, t
CO
Good section (acceptable)
Bad section (must be replaced)
CO
80 km
CO
CO
80 km
1 km
2 km
Traditional PMD measurement techniques provide a total link PMD value
but do not locate which spans are causing the link to fail the test.
Distributed PMD analysis breaks down the measurement results,
effectively pinpointing the high-contributing sections of the link.
High-contributing PMD section.
BER vs Eb/No
Locates the ber sections that are the main contributors of the total PMD of a link
Enables to isolate and repair only the worst PMD sections of the ber cable and allows
the cost-effective upgrade of a ber network
OADM
Bidirectional
Multiwavelength
Optical Amplifier
DCM
1
2
3
DWDM
Multiplexer/Demultiplexer
DCM = Dispersion Compensating Module
OADM = Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer
DCD
1
2
3
Core Network
OTN/DWDM
Core Network
OTN/DWDM
Ethernet
FEC
FEC
Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet
FEC
FEC
10-1
10-2
10-3
10-4
10-5
10-6
10-7
10-8
10-9
10-10
10-11
10-12
10-13
10-14
10-15
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Eb/No
B
E
R
Uncorrected
G.709
6.2 dB
5.86 dB
SONET/SDH
ATM
T1/T3 PL T1 Voice
WDM
FC
Ethernet
Wavelength
Services
ESCON
OTN/G.709
Ethernet
OAM&P
Transparency
FEC
Integrated Solution
Scalable Up to 100G
ITU G.709 denes a stronger forward error correction for OTN, which can result
in up to 6.2 dB improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).