Monash University Handbook 2011 Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Students will study the characteristics of key components that make up optical communications systems, including: lasers and advanced lightwave sources and direct modulation, optical modulators, optical fibres, optical amplifiers, filters and multiplexers, optical receivers and associated electronics. Secondly, students will use this knowledge to analyse and design optical communications systems. Examples will include local-area networks, metropolitan area networks, long-haul links and transcontinental networks.

Objectives

Knowledge of characteristics of fibres, including dispersion and non-linearity, and of multiplexers, filters and Raman optical amplifiers. Ability to prepare a power budget for an optical communications link. Understanding of the dispersion limits and compensation techniques for optical links. Knowledge of wavelength division multiplexing in links and networks. Skills to design optical communications links for short, medium and long-haul applications, and select appropriate components during link design. Ability to simulate the interactions of components and understand performance measures. Ability to propose optical network architectures for access and metropolitan networks. Ability to specify the performance of networks from an operator's perspective. Experience in making basic measurements on optical components and systems.

Assessment

Continuous assessment: 30%
Examination: (3 hours): 70%. Students must achieve a mark of 45% in each of these two components to achieve an overall pass grade.

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Arthur Lowery

Contact hours

3 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory and practice classes and 6 hours of private study per week

Prerequisites

ECE2021 (or ECE3202 or PHS2022) and ECE2041 (or ECE3402)

Prohibitions

ECE4405, ECE5043, ECE5405