Optical Splitter

The most common definition of an optical splitter is a passive device that will split the optical power that is carried by the single input fiber into two output fibers. The input optical power is usually split evenly between the two output fibers. But it can also carry power in an uneven manner.

Alphion passive optical splitter will offer a cost effective resolution that will allow service providers to send content from one fiber to multiple subscribers through a point to multipoint structure. Certain optical splitters can be arranged in a centralized, single fashion or given out in a cascade configuration. Since some networks are passive it is important that the optical splitter loss is down to a minimum. 

At a branching node of the optic splitter the light power is fed in by means of a first conductor track section and then distributed non-uniformly between the conductor track sections. Receiving units are at a greater distance from a transmitting unit in an optical splitter and are connected to the conductor track sections.

Optical splitters are used in different ways, depending on the number of outgoing and incoming lines. If an optical splitter should have the configuration of 1 x 32, light is fed to the optical splitter through a single line and is distributed between thirty two lines on the output side.

If by chance the distance between a transmitting receiving station and transmitting station and is more than ten km, it is possible to use the example optical splitter having the configuration of one times sixteen. In that case, light is fed to the optical splitter on the input side and has sixteen optical lines on the output side. For the assumed cable losses of say 0.4 dB/km, an optical splitter can be used for distances between the transmitting and receiving stations of about 17.8 km. since the optical splitter has the configuration of 1x16 it only has an insertion loss of fourteen dB.

To the average layman an optical splitter might look like some cables with a box attached to them. There is a simple explanation of an optical splitter so everyone can understand and can be read easily. An optical splitter is an electronic device that divides something into equal parts. A good example would be a computer software program is divided into sections, or files. An optical splitter will split the sections into files, or the telephone lines are another good example. An optical splitter splits the lines so you can talk through one line and hear from the other.

There are many manufactures of an optical splitter, and the prices will vary depending on what you want and how much you might need. One good optical splitter is the Fiberlink 6500 series. They seem to be well liked among the buyers.