Radio Over Fibre

Fiber optic technology offers technical performance benefits over traditional coaxial feeds plus almost unlimited bandwidth and distance, RF over Fiber systems are the obvious choice for existing and next generation electronic signals platforms. High dynamic range, low noise and good communications security covering low frequency to extremely high frequency RF spectrum is the point of RF over Fiber links. Fiber optic systems can transport RF signals over kilometers with minimal loss and can be engineered for unity gain RF links. Low Noise Amplifiers can be implemented to raise the RF signal above the laser noise and post RF amplifiers can be used to overcome any optical link loss and to add signal gain at the far end receive site.

In fiber optic applications, DWDM and WDM transceivers offer the means to transport bi-directional signals onto the same fiber. This is achieved by using two laser transmitters operating at two different wavelengths. In Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) applications, multiple wavelengths in the 1550nm window are optically multiplexed and transmitted over one fiber via 1550nm lasers and consequently optically demultiplexed prior to the optical receiver. For applications requiring multiple wavelengths, such as diversity antenna configurations, one fiber system is used for both downlink and uplink transmissions. Advanced technologies that allow dynamic routing of mixed RF signals over one network are emerging. These types of networks offer unprecedented performance levels that permit the wide spread use of fiber optics in a broad range of RF applications. Whether transporting software defined radio (SDR) signals, remoting antennas and base stations, receiving mission critical tracking data, RF over Fiber links offer greater flexibility and security, cost effectively and reliably.