What is a fiber optic coupler?

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Fiber optic coupler is used to
split the fiber optic light into several parts at a certain ratio. fiber optic
coupler are important passive components used in FTTX networks. A fiber-optic
splitter is a device that takes a single fiber optics signal and divides it
into multiple signals. Fiber optic is a type of technology that uses an optical
signal instead of an electrical one to send data from one place to another. The
cable is made either of glass or plastic coated in plastic, instead of the
copper wire that was commonly used in the past. But two kinds of fiber splitters
are popular used, one is the traditional fused type fiber optic coupler (FBT
coupler), which features competitive prices; the other is PLC fiber optic
coupler, which is compact size and suit for density applications. Both of them
have its advantages to suit for different requirement. The use of fiber optic
technology has become increasingly popular for several reasons. Fiber optic
cables are much less sensitive to electrical interference, marking them more
reliable than older types of cabling. They are also able to carry very large
amounts of data in comparison with that older systems can handle. This makes
them very efficient, despite the facts that there are some drawbacks to the
system. The cables  require a thicker
covering to protect the optical cables and they also need to have repeaters
installed to boost the signal strength in order for the system to work, two
hindrances to the use of this technology.

 

Despite the limitations, fiber optics
technology is in use for both home and commercial applications. The most common
type of fiber optic coupler splits the output evenly, with half the signal
going to one leg of the output and half going to the other. It’s possible to
get splitters that use a different split ratio, putting a larger amount of the
signal to one side of the splitter than the other. The Splitters are identified
with a number that represents the signal division, such as 50/50 if the split
is even, or 80/20 if 80% of the signal goes to one side and only 20% to the
other.

 

Some types of the fiber optic coupler are
actually able to work in either direction. This means that if the device is
installed in one way, it acts as a splitter and divides the incoming signal
into two parts, sending out two separate outputs. If it is installed in reverse,
it acts as a coupler, taking two incoming signals and combing them into a
single output. Not every fiber optic coupler can be used this way, but those
that can are labeled as reversible or as coupler/splitters.