Fiber optic attenuators are used in fiber optic communications to reduce the optical fiber power by a certain level. Too much light can saturate a fiber optic receiver, which to reduce the power of illumination and achieve optimum system performance a fiber optic attenuator would need to be used. In general, multimode systems do not require attenuators because multimode sources, even VCSELs, rarely have enough power to saturate the receiver. Instead, it is necessary to use fiber optic attenuators for the purpose of balancing optical power during transport in single mode systems, especially long haul DWDM networks.
The most commonly used type is Female to Male Plug Type Attenuator. It has the optical fiber connector on one side and on the other side is a female fiber optic adapter. The attenuator name is based on the connector type and the attenuation level.
Fiber Optic Attenuator Features
- Snap in Body for fast mating and de-mating
- Highly reliable physical contact connectors
- Accurate attenuation
- Free of hazardous substances according to RoHS 2002/95/EG to be RoHS compliant
- Attenuating material-Ion Doped Fiber
- Ceramic ferrules provide precise alignment
When to use fiber optic attenuators?
Typically, there are two situations where you will need an attenuator. First is when the fiber optic attenuator is used to reduce the receiver power. Sometimes a signal coming into the receiver may be too strong and it can interfere with the receiving elements. Usually, the receiver's energy depends on two factors: how much power is released to the fiber as well as its loss due to an attenuator. A mismatch of the transmitters' and receivers' frequencies or application of media converters designed for a much wider range can lead to excessive receiver power. In this case, optical attenuators can be permanently installed in the fiber optic link to reduce the signal power and properly match the signal level. Second is when the fiber optic attenuators are used for testing the power level margins. The attenuators are used to temporarily add a calibrated amount of signal loss to test the power level margins of the fiber optic system when testing the optic power level.
