Monash University Handbook 2010 Postgraduate - Unit

Synopsis

Students will study the characteristics of key components that make up optical communications systems, including: lasers and advanced lightwave sources and direct modulation, optical modulators, optical fibres, optical amplifiers, filters and multiplexers, optical receivers and associated electronics. Secondly, students will use this knowledge to analyse and design optical communications systems. Examples will include local-area networks, metropolitan area networks, long-haul links and transcontinental networks.

Objectives

• understanding of the behavioural characteristics and physics of key components in optical systems
• knowledge of characteristics of fibres, including dispersion and non-linearity, and of multiplexers, filters and raman optical amplifiers
• ability to prepare a power budget for an optical communications link
• understanding of the dispersion limits and compensation techniques for optical links
• knowledge of wavelength division multiplexing in links and networks
• skills to design optical communications links for short, medium and long-haul applications, and select appropriate components during link design
• ability to simulate the interactions of components and understand performance measures
• ability to propose optical network architectures for access and metropolitan networks
• ability to specify the performance of networks from an operator's perspective
• experience in making basic measurements on optical components and systems

Assessment

Continuous assessment: 20%
Research/project/assignment activity: 20%
Examination (3 hours): 60%. Students must achieve a mark of 50% in all three components to achieve an overall pass grade.

Contact hours

3 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory and practice classes and 6 hours of private study per week

Prohibitions

ECE4043, ECE4405, ECE5405