What is Active Optical Network (AON)?

What is Active Optical Network (AON)?

With the exponential growth of data-intensive applications such as high-definition video streaming, cloud computing, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, traditional network infrastructures are facing significant challenges in keeping up with the escalating demands for bandwidth and speed. Active optical networks in response to these challenges, have emerged as a promising solution, offering unparalleled performance and scalability.

Active Optical Network (AON) is a cutting-edge solution to data transmission that combines optical fiber technology and active components to achieve greater performance. Unlike passive optical networks (PONs), which use only passive components like splitters and combiners, Active optical network uses active elements like lasers, amplifiers, and switches to manage and alter data streams. It is a point-to-point network configuration in which each subscriber’s fiber-optic line terminates at an optical concentrator. This allows AONs to transcend the limits of passive networks, resulting in increased speed, flexibility, and reliability.

In active optical networks, amplifiers, transponders, and modulators are crucial devices that are key in facilitating more complex communication schemes.

• Amplifiers – Amplifiers enhance the strength of optical signals in fiber optic cable transmission. Amplifiers are generally classified into two types: analog amplifiers and digital amplifiers. The key distinction is that the former is a more cost-effective solution, employed in various settings, including large buildings like data centers and hospitals. The other type of digital amplifier utilizes laser emitters rather than LED emitters and can provide advanced features for some specific applications.
• Transponders – A transponder is an optical link signal converter that converts a signal from one format to another. For example, if you want to use a phone line to transmit a TV signal, you must first use a transponder to convert that model to a phone signal. This signal conversion makes seamless connectivity possible, letting you plug a phone line directly into a wall jack.
• Modulators – A modulator differs from a transponder in that it changes the wavelength of the optical signal rather than formatting the signal. This feature comes in handy, for example, when you need to use blue fiber optics to transmit a red laser beam, in which case modulators convert the red laser beam into a blue laser beam to ensure that the optical signal is compatible with the optical medium.

Types Of Active Optical Network

There are three main types of active optical networks: point-to-point, ring, and mesh.

• Point-To-Point: This type of network connects two devices together. It works by splitting up the light into different wavelengths. One part goes to the first device, while the second part goes to the second device.
• Ring: This type of network is also known as a star topology. It works by connecting each node to every other node. Each node then sends its own information to the next node until it reaches the last node.
• Mesh: This type of network works similarly to a ring network. However, instead of connecting each node to every node, it connects each node to some nodes. Then, those nodes connect to other nodes. In this way, it creates a path through the network that allows all of the nodes to communicate.

Advantages and disadvantages of Active Optical Network

AON has some benefits over PON, such as higher bandwidth, lower latency, better security, and more flexibility. AON can provide symmetrical upstream and downstream speeds, which are important for applications like video conferencing, cloud computing, and gaming. AON can also offer more privacy and reliability, as each user has a separate fiber that is not affected by the others. AON can also support different protocols and services, such as Ethernet, IP, or ATM, without requiring additional equipment. However, AON also has some drawbacks, such as higher capital and operational costs, more power consumption, and more complex management. AON requires more fiber, more active devices, more space, and more cooling than PON. AON also needs more maintenance and monitoring, as any failure in the active devices can disrupt the service.

AON vs. PON: Understanding the Differences

While both Active Optical Networks (AON) and Passive Optical Networks (PON) serve similar purposes, they differ significantly in their architecture and operational dynamics:

• Bandwidth Allocation: AON provides adjustable bandwidth per subscriber based on the interface type, allowing for more flexible and efficient data handling compared to PON where bandwidth is split among multiple users.
• Fault Impact: AON systems exhibit lower fault impact at the access node level, enhancing network reliability.
• Cost and Maintenance: PON networks typically involve lower initial costs and reduced maintenance due to their use of passive components. Conversely, AON’s reliance on active components increases both cost and complexity.
• Operational Range: AON can support long-range communications up to 100 km, making it suitable for widespread network applications. PON is limited to shorter distances, approximately 20 km.

Conclusion

In conclusion, AON networks represent a paradigm shift in the world of data transmission. They offer unparalleled speed, reliability, and capacity. Through harnessing the capabilities of optical fiber technology as well as active components, AONs help companies meet the increasing requirements for high-speed connectivity as well as applications that require data. In telecommunications, the data center, intelligent cities, or healthcare active optical networks continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of digital communication, opening the way to an ever-more integrated and data-driven world.