Fiber optics has gained significant traction over the past few years and is expected to grow further in the years to come. There are many benefits to using a fiber optic solution. The good news is that you can use it to extend existing legacy networks. For any network, efficient and fast data transmission and reception is critical, which can be achieved through optical modules in fiber optic networks. These are compact devices designed to transmit and receive data over fiber optic cables.
In fiber optics, data is sent at high speed and over long distances in the form of light pulses or signals. Optical modules will convert existing electrical signals into optical signals, which is why they are important devices in a network. This article discusses the types of optical modules, the differences between them, and more.
Introduction to Fiber Optic Modules
There are mainly two types of optical modules - single-fiber optical modules and dual-fiber optical modules.
Single Fiber Optical Module: In this device, the transmission and reception of data takes place on a single fiber. Therefore, it is bidirectional and is often referred to as BIDI. Technically, it only requires half the actual length of the fiber. The single-fiber optical module acts as a photoelectric conversion device and also uses WDM technology. WDM integrates and splits the data according to the wavelength of the light. The wavelength range varies from 1300 to 1600 nm. These happen to be more stable in terms of signal strength. The good part is that this type of optical module can be used in remote areas where fiber is scarce.
Dual Fiber Optic Modules: This is the most common type of the two. Dual fiber optical modules use the same wavelength on both fiber lines. It has two different channels or ports for data transmission and reception. In these channels, TX is used for transmission and RX is used for reception. The core function of converting electrical signals to optical signals remains the same, albeit in a different way.
Dual fiber optical module
The difference between single-fiber optical module and dual-fiber optical module
The definitions of these two types of optical modules clearly point out some differences. Nonetheless, this is the difference between single-fiber optical modules and dual-fiber optical modules.
Dual fiber optical modules can be converted to single fiber and vice versa as needed. This can be done if the connectivity provider provides a single fiber and the complex or area requiring the network has dual fiber optical modules. They have different numbers of ports. Dual types have two ports, while single types have only one.
In terms of cost, single-fiber optical modules are more expensive than dual-fiber optical modules. BIDI sends and receives data on a single fiber, while dual-fiber optical modules operate on two fibers.
