Do You Know How to Place and Use the Optical Splitter?

In the realm of optical communication networks, the optical splitter serves a vital role in dividing and distributing optical signals efficiently. Understanding how to properly place and use an optical splitter is essential for optimizing signal quality and ensuring seamless data transmission. Let's explore the best practices for deploying this crucial component.

What is An Optical Splitter?

Optical splitters offer a cost-effective and dependable solution across various fiber optic applications. Also known as optical splitters, fiber splitters, or beam splitters, these devices are integrated waveguides ensuring wide bandwidth and minimal loss in high-frequency applications. They distribute optical power by splitting an incident light beam into multiple beams and vice versa, featuring multiple input and output ends. Optical fibers, serving as specialized waveguides, guide light in two dimensions, functioning effectively as flexible conduits for light propagation.

Types of Optical Splitters

Optical splitters come in various forms to suit diverse installation requirements and environments. Whether housed in box-type, module-type, bare fiber, rack-mount, or tube-type configurations, each serves a specific purpose, from wall mounting to integration into patch panels or equipment racks. Additionally, specialized splitters cater to unique applications, such as outdoor use or high-density data centers, ensuring optimal performance across a range of settings. For more information, please check How Many Fiber Optic Splitter Types Are There?.

How to Place the Optical Splitter?

When employing the first-level splitting method in a residential network, optical splitters offer flexibility for indoor or outdoor installation. Indoor options encompass locations like the community's central computer room, building's weak current well, or floor wiring box. Optical cables can be routed from various sources, including first-level optical crossover boxes, second-level optical crossover boxes, or optical fiber splitter boxes. This method suits scenarios with large scale and high user density, such as high-rise residential buildings.

For the secondary optical splitting method, optical splitters can be positioned on the backbone layer or user distribution fiber optic cable layer. In the backbone layer, installation points include primary optical junction boxes, secondary optical junction boxes, or inside optical fiber distribution boxes. This approach is apt for scenarios characterized by scattered users and the deployment of new user optical cable networks.

How to Use the Optical Splitter?

In current engineering practices, both primary and secondary optical splitting methods are commonly employed. Primary optical splitters are strategically positioned in various locations to optimize signal distribution. For instance, they may be installed in central office computer rooms, cell computer rooms, cell optical transfer boxes, or directly in corridors. Secondary optical splitters, on the other hand, are typically utilized in configurations where the primary splitter is placed in central office rooms or alongside roads, with the secondary splitter located in optical transfer boxes or community crossover boxes. Additionally, in scenarios involving large-capacity optical crossover boxes, primary splitters may be installed in residential optical crossover boxes, while secondary splitters are positioned in corridors. This strategic deployment ensures efficient signal transmission and network performance in fiber to the home (FTTH) deployments.

For example, consider a scenario where the end office is located 4km, 4.5km, and 5km away from the cell, and there are 20 buildings within the cell, each containing 30 households. In such cases, drop-in optical cables are utilized throughout the buildings, as illustrated below.

(1) For first-level optical splitting, a full coverage approach is employed, with each building having a splitting ratio of 1:32. The number and length of the backbone optical cable and distribution optical cable are calculated based on the actual production core count closest to the number of users. However, statistics on optical fiber cables from the corridor fiber distribution box to the user ONU are not included, as depicted in the following table.

(2) In the case of secondary optical splitting, assuming the primary optical splitter has a ratio of 1:2 and the secondary optical splitter has a ratio of 1:16, the number of cores and length of optical fiber cables for the backbone optical cable (from end office to primary optical splitter), distribution optical cable (from primary optical splitter to secondary optical splitter), and optical fiber cable (from secondary optical splitter to building fiber distribution box) are calculated as shown in the following table.

Conclusion

Optical splitters, crucial for efficient signal distribution in fiber optic networks, are deployed strategically for optimal performance. Whether in primary or secondary splitting, their placement in central office rooms, transfer boxes, or corridor installations ensures seamless data transmission. In scenarios like FTTH deployments, considering factors like building density and distance, optical splitters play a pivotal role, dividing signals effectively for widespread connectivity and reliable communication.