Fiber Optics In Communications and How It Works

Level: Introductory
Intended For:
- Anyone new to fiber optics who wants to get started and/or learn how it works
- Managers and supervisors involved in projects involving fiber optics
Objectives: From this self-study program you should learn:
- The history of fiber optics in communications
- What types of communications systems use fiber?
- How fiber optics is used in may areas of communications
- How are communications signals transmitted over optical fibers?
How fiber works!
"Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke, "Profiles of The Future", 1961
Fiber optic communications often seems like
"magic," sending incredibly fast communications signals over hair-thin
strands of glass as pulses of light, even sending multiple signals of
different "colors" over the same fiber at once! Well, it is not magic,
just straightforward technology, and relatively easy to understand. This
short self-study program is aimed at the person getting started in
fiber optic communications, intended to give you an overview of how
fiber optics technology developed, where fiber is used and why, then
quick a introduction to how it works.
After this course, you may want to continue to the Basic Fiber Optics course or any of the more specific applications courses.
Prerequisites
None. This is the place you start.
Get Started
You may use the videos or the Online Guide links to study the material - they are essentially the same.
Want to Learn More? Here Are Some Study Guides
If you want to learn more about fiber optics, we suggest you start with the most popular introduction to fiber optics, Lennie Lightwave's Guide to Fiber Optics (online), also available in a printed version on Amazon.

At a higher technical level you can read the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics or take the Fiber U Basics of Fiber Optics Course.

This information
is provided by The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. as a benefit to those
interested in teaching, designing, manufacturing, selling, installing or
using fiber optic communications systems or networks. It is intended to
be used as an overview and/or basic guidelines and in no way should be
considered to be complete or comprehensive. These guidelines are
strictly the opinion of the FOA and the reader is expected to use them
as a basis for learning, as a reference and for creating their own
documentation, project specifications, etc. Those working with fiber
optics in the classroom, laboratory or field should follow all safety
rules carefully. The FOA assumes no liability for the use of any of this
material.
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