What Are the Classifications of Optical Fiber Attenuators?

1. Learn about fiber attenuators

The intensity of the optical signal received by the optical receiving device needs to be within a certain range, and the optical power cannot be too strong or too weak, otherwise, the life of the device will be shortened or the device will not work normally. The optical fiber attenuator can act on it to reduce the energy of the optical signal. For optical passive devices with attenuated input optical power, avoid distortion of the optical receiver due to super strong input optical power.

The fiber attenuator reduces the optical power through the absorption, reflection, diffusion, scattering, deflection, diffraction, and dispersion of the optical signal. For example, for the absorption of optical signals, set the optical fiber attenuator to a working wavelength range that can absorb light energy. In this range, no light is reflected, unnecessary echo reflection is reduced, and the optical power attenuation effect is achieved in this way.

2. The classification of Optical Fiber Attenuators

The attenuation range of the fiber optic attenuator is 0 to 65dB. Among them, the attenuation power of the fixed optical attenuators currently on the market is between 1 and 30dB. Fixed optical attenuator is a type of optical fiber attenuator, which fixes the attenuation power at an attenuation value. Generally used in telecommunications networks, optical fiber test equipment, local area networks (LAN), and cable television (CATV) systems. For specific information, you can consult fiber optic accessories suppliers.

There is also a variable optical attenuator whose attenuation level can be adjusted, for example, from 0.5 dB to 20 dB, or even 50 dB. Some variable fiber attenuators have very fine resolutions, such as 0.1dB or even 0.01dB. Mainly used in: optical distribution frame, optical fiber network system, high-speed optical fiber transmission system, cable television (CATV) system, long-distance trunk dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) system, optical add-drop multiplexer (OADM).

Among them, the fixed optical attenuator has a pigtail type, converter type, and converter type. It can be made into FC, SC, ST, LC, MU, and other interface types, and it is very convenient to use in daily wiring. Generally, a single fiber attenuator has two interfaces, male and female, which can be male-female or female-female. The male connector interface is generally used to plug into the receiver of the device or the adapter on the adapter panel, and the female connector interface is used to connect the optical fiber jumper. T&S Optical Communications can provide various types of fixed Yin and Yang optical fiber attenuators. T&S products have stable performance and reliable quality and can meet the customized requirements of ST, SC, FC, MU, LC various connector interface types, and working wavelengths.

Among passive components, fiber optic attenuators are widely used, second only to connectors and couplers. The performance indicators of optical attenuators mainly include attenuation, insertion loss, attenuation accuracy, and return loss. High-performance optical fiber attenuators have low insertion loss, and return loss is usually above 40dB.