Advantages of WDM | Disadvantages of WDM | Wavelength Division Multiplexing
This page covers advantages and disadvantages of WDM. It mentions WDM advantages or benefits and WDM disadvantages or drawbacks. WDM stands for Wavelength Division Multiplexing.
What is WDM?
Introduction:
The WDM is the short form of Wavelength Division Multiplexing.
This optical multiplexing uses different frequencies at different wavelengths to transmit data
separately over multiple channels.
The WDM assigns unique frequencies of light having certain bandwidth to different optical signals. The multiplexed wavelengths are transmitted over single fiber. At the demultiplexer end, these signals are selected using tuner of desired bandwidth.
In WDM, all the signals arrive at the same time with different wavelengths unlike TDM. Refer What is WDM >> and TDM versus WDM >>.
Benefits or advantages of WDM
Following are the benefits or advantages of WDM:
➨Full duplex transmission is possible.
➨Easier to reconfigure.
➨Optical components are similar and more reliable.
➨It provides higher bandwidth.
➨This could be the best approach as it is simple to implement.
➨High security
Drawbacks or disadvantages of WDM
Following are the disadvantages of WDM:
➨Signals can not be very close.
➨Light wave carrying WDM are limited to 2-point circuit.
➨Scalability is a concern as OLT (Optical Line Termination) has to have transmitter array with one transmitter
for each ONU (Optical Network Unit).
Adding a new ONU could be problem unless transmitters were provisioned in advance.
Each ONU must have a wavelength specific laser.
➨Cost of system increases with addition of optical components.
➨(WDM in PON:) Inefficiency in BW utilization, difficulty in wavelength tuning,
difficulty in cascaded topology
Fiber Optic RELATED LINKS
DWDM system basics Tutorial on FTTH basics Single mode vs Multimode fiber Single mode step index vs multimode graded index fiber Types of WDM PDH versus SDH SONET versus SDH What is PDMA? What is WDM? SONET SDH tutorial SDH Networks SDH Frame structure SDH Modulation PDH over SONET PDH Frame structure
Optical Components Links
Optical Components Optical Isolator Optical Circulator Optical Amplifier Optical Filter Optical Coupler Optical MUX DEMUX Optical Equalizer Optical Switch Wavelength converter
Advantages and Disadvantages of other wireless technologies
What is Difference between
difference between OFDM and OFDMA
Difference between SC-FDMA and OFDM
Difference between SISO and MIMO
Difference between TDD and FDD
FDMA vs TDMA vs CDMA
FDM vs TDM
CDMA vs GSM