Independent University, Bangladesh
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Course Outline
Course Title: Optical Fiber Communications
Course Code: EEE503/ETE505/CNC602
Summer 2019, Duration: 3.0Hrs
M at 18:30-21:30 (section-1), Room: BC 6013
Instructor’s details:
Dr. Feroz Ahmed
Associate Professor
Office: Room- 5009E, Academic Block, Visiting Hours: 15:00-18:00(R)
Cell: 01718559922, Email: fahmed@iub.edu.bd
Course Objectives:
Following the completion of this course, students will obtain the knowledge needed to perform fiberoptic communication system engineering calculations, identify system tradeoffs, and apply this
knowledge to modern fiber optic systems. This will enable the students to evaluate real systems and
understand the most recent literature in the field of fiber-optic communications.
Course Description:
Overview of optical fiber communications, optical fibers: Geometrical-optics description, wave
propagation, dispersion in single-mode fibers, dispersion induced limitations, fiber losses, nonlinear
optical effects, fiber manufacturing; Optical transmitters: basic concepts, light-emitting diodes,
semiconductor lasers, control of longitudinal modes, laser characteristics, transmitter design; optical
receivers: basic concepts, common photodetectors, receiver design, receiver noise, receiver sensitivity,
sensitivity degradation, receiver performance; Lightwave systems: system architecture, power budget
and rise-time budget, long-haul systems, sources of power penalty, computer-aided design; optical
amplifiers: Basic concepts, SOA, Raman amplifiers, EDFA, system applications; Dispersion management;
multichannel systems: WDM lightwave systems, WDM components, system performance issues, TDM,
code-division multiplexing; soliton and coherent lightwave systems, COOFDM; optical networks.
Course Policy:
1. It is the student’s responsibility to gather information about the assignments and covered topics
during the lectures missed. Regular class attendance is mandatory. Points will be taken off for
missing classes. Without 70% of attendance, sitting for final exam is NOT allowed. According to
IUB system students must enter the classroom within the first 20 minutes to get the attendance
submitted.
2. The date and syllabus of quiz, midterm and final exam is already given here, however,
announcements will be given ahead of time. There is NO provision for make-up Class Tests.
3. The reading materials for each class will be given prior to that class so that student may have a
cursory look into the materials.
4. Students should take tutorials with the instructor during the office hours. Prior appointment is
required.
5. Students must maintain the IUB code of conduct and ethical guidelines offered by the school of
engineering and computer science.
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Assessment and Marks Distribution:
Students will be assessed on the basis of their overall performance in all the exams, quizzes, and class
participation. Final numeric reward will be the compilation of (tentative):
 Class tests (20%)
 Assignment (15%)
 One mid-term test (25%)
 Final exam (25%)
 Course project (15%)
Grade Conversion Scheme:
The following chart will be followed for grading. This has been customized from the guideline
provided by the School of Engineering and Computer Science.
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
F
85 and
above
80-84
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
0-40
* Numbers are inclusive
Required Text:
The course will be based mostly on the following books:
1. Govind P. Agrawal, "Fiber-Optic Communication Systems," John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2. Gerd Keiser, "Optical Fiber Communications," McGraw-Hill.
3. Rajiv Ramaswami, et. al., “Optical Networks”, Morgan Kaufmann.
Audit:
Students who are willing to audit the course are welcome during the first two classes and are advised to
contact the instructor after that.
Note:
Plagiarism – that is, the presentation of another person’s thoughts or words as though they were the
student’s own – must be strictly avoided. Cheating and plagiarism on exam and assignments are
unacceptable.
University Regulation and Code of Conduct:
Please see the Green Book for further information about academic regulation and policies, including
withdrawal and grading, appeals and penalties for plagiarism and academic misconduct.
Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities are required to inform the Department of EEE of any specific requirement for
classes or examination as soon as possible.
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Class & Exam Schedule, Topics and Readings:
Classes
Topics
Week 1
Overview of optical fiber communications (OFC)
Week 2
Fibers and transmission characteristics (Part-1)
Fibers and transmission characteristics (Part-2);
Week 3
CLASS TEST 1
Assignment-1: Current Trend of Research in Fiber
Nonlinearities
Week 4
Optical sources and transmitters
Week 5
Optical detectors and receivers
Lightwave systems and optical amplifiers (Part-1);
Week 6
CLASS TEST 2
Assignment-2: Current Trend of Research in fiber
amplifiers/lasers
Week 7
Week 8
Midterm Exam
Dispersion management; Optical components
Learning Outcome
1. Students will be able to know each other
2. Students will learn about the course policy
3. Students will be able to plan for the exams
After completing this lecture students are able to :
1. Understand the transmission limits of electrical
cables and the need for fibre optics.
2. Be familiar with the different types of optical
fibre used in modern telecom networks, their
methods of manufacture, and their transmission
characteristics.
3. Know how to estimate the bandwidth of step
index multimode fibres and how graded index
fibres offer improved performance.
4. Be able to solve the propagation equation in a
single mode fibre and calculate pulse broadening
through the fibre.
After completing this lecture students are able to :
1. Know the main optical sources used in
communications systems and their main
characteristics.
After completing this lecture students are able to :
1. Understand the main components that make up
the optical receiver, the causes of noise, and how
the error performance is predicted.
After completing this lecture students are able to :
1. Understand how electronics and optics limit the
information capacity of an optical fibre and how
the use of WDM systems exploit fibre
bandwidth.
2. Understand the main components that comprise
a WDM network and their characteristics.
3. Know the basic principles of the erbium doped
fibre amplifier, Raman amplifier and how to
calculate a simple expression for the nonlinear
gain as well as designing of fiber amplifier.
-------------------------------------------------------After completing this lecture students are able to:
1. Know what are the main types of dispersion in
single mode fibres and their effect on
bandwidth.
Readings
Handout (available on
Virtual Learning System)
From Textbook 1;
Handout (available on
Virtual Learning System)
From Textbook 1;
Handout (available on
Virtual Learning System)
From Textbook 1;
Handout (available on
Virtual Learning System)
From Textbook 1;
Handout (available on
Virtual Learning System)
From Textbook 1-2;
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Multichannel lightwave systems (WDM/DWDM); Next
generation lightwave systems (Soliton, CO-OFDM);
Week 9
CLASS TEST 3
Assignment-3: Current Trend of Research in next
generation lightwave systems
Week 10
Week 11
Optical Networks;
Lab Demonstration
CLASS TEST 4
Week 12
Week 13
Project Report and Presentation
Final Exam
2. Be able to analyse the propagation of a Gaussian
pulse through a dispersive fibre and relate the
results to dispersion penalty of the fibre.
3. Understand loss limited transmission and
dispersion limited transmission and the idea of
power penalty in a fibre optic system.
4. Understand
the
need
for
dispersion
compensation and the main methods available
for dispersion management.
5. Understand the working principle of optical
components
After completing this lecture students are able to:
1. Understand how to increase channel
capacity of lightwave system.
2. Understand current lightwave systems and
trend of research for increasing fiber
capacity
After completing this lecture students are able to :
1. Understand how electronics and optics limit the
information capacity of an optical fibre and
how the use of WDM systems exploit fibre
bandwidth.
2. Understand the main components that comprise
a WDM network and their characteristics.
After completing this lecture students are able to :
1. Demonstrate hands-on working knowledge of
fiber optic components, their handling,
measurement, fault analysis, and how they are
integrated for information transmission.
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Handout (available on
Virtual Learning System)
From Textbook 1-2;
Handout (available on
Virtual Learning System)
From Textbook 3;
Handout (available on
Virtual Learning System)
Handout (available on
Virtual Learning System)
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