PMD Testing

As the data rates that customers want their fibres to carry increases, then so does the problem of PMD or Polarisation Mode Dispersion. Especially as data rates are expected to reach 40Gb/s in the future PMD can become a real issue for fibres that were not designed for the job. PMD is caused when the different polarisation modes within a pulse of light travel along a fibre at different speeds. Thus causing the pulse of light to spread out and consequently limit the performance of very high data rate systems operating over long distances.

Although PMD should not cause many real problems to fibre manufactured after the early 1990’s. Fibres purchased from more novel suppliers during the cable shortages of 2000 have in a number of cases been found to contain PMD values much higher than those recommended for high bit rate use.

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A full PMD footprint and set of detailed results can prove essential towards future allocation of circuits according to a fibres individual PMD value. Especially in a situation where there is no information about the fibre installed along a particular route. Pinehall’s engineers can then provide the customer with the PMD information required before any data rate issues arise.

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