PLC – Planar Lightwave Circuit Splitter

Advantages

  • Suitable for multiple operating wavelengths (1260nm – 1650nm); unstinted.
  • Equal splitter ratios for all branches.
  • Compact configuration; smaller size; small occupation space.
  • Good stability across all ratios.
  • High quality; low failure rate.

Disadvantages

  • Complicated production process.
  • Costlier than the FBT splitter in the smaller ratios.

FBT – Fused Biconical Splitter

Advantages

  • The product is well-known and is easy to produce, thus reducing cost of production.
  • Splitter ratios can be customized.
  • Can work on three different operating bands (850nm, 131 Onm, and 1550nm).

Disadvantages

  • Restricted to its operating wavelength.
  • Because of errors in equality insertion loss, the maximum insertion loss will vary depending on the split and increase substantially for those splits over 1:8.
  • Because an exact equal ratio cannot be ensured, transmission distance can be affected.
  • High temperature dependent loss (TDL). The operating temperature range is 23 °F- 167 °F. Any changes in temperature can affect the insertion loss.
  • The larger the split, the larger the encapsulation module.
  • Susceptible to failure due to extreme temperatures or improper handling.

 

Parameters FBT Splitter PLC Splitter
Fabrication Method Two or more pieces of optical fibers are bound together and put on a fused-taper fiber device. The fibers are then drawn out according to the output branch and ratio with one fiber being singled out as the input. Consists of one optical chip and several optical arrays depending on the output ratio. The optical arrays are coupled on both ends of the chip.
Operating Wavelength 1310nm and lSSOnm (standard); 850nm (custom) 1260nm -1650nm (full wavelength)
Application HFC (network of fiber and coaxial cable for CATV); All FTIH applications. Same
Performance Up to 1:8 – reliable. For larger splits reliability can become an issue. Good for all splits. High level of reliability and stability.
Input/Output One or two inputs with an output maximum of 32 fibers. One or two inputs with an output maximum of 64 fibers.
Package Steel Tube (used mainly in equipment); ABS Black Module (Conventional) Same
Input/Output Cable Bare optical fiber; 0.9mm, 2.0mm, and 3.0mm Same
Part Number Example FOSPLT-T-FBT-1/2-E-SM-SC/APC FOSPLT-T-PLC-1/2-E-SM-SCI APC