Fundamentals of Bidirectional Transmission over a Single Optical Fibre

Bidirectional transmission over optical fibre networks may yield a large cost reduction because of the reduction of the network infrastructure by a factor of two and the potential cost reduction by an integrated transceiver design. It may also provide a cost-effective way to upgrade distribution networks by adding bidirectional channels. Providing an overview of bidirectional transmission in optical networks, this work handles: physical aspects - the behaviour of the fibre itself in bidirectional transmission; transmission aspects - the behaviour and design of bidirectional systems; and network aspects - the influence of bidirectional transmission on network design. Practical guidelines are also given for bidirectional system design.