Fiber Optic Protected Distribution System

David L. Baldwin; Albert D. Bender

doi:10.1117/12.934022

Abstract

An optical fiber protected distribution system (PDS) has been developed for data transmission links which require cost effective protection from unauthorized access. The nonemanating characteristics of glass optical fibers make them an ideal transmission medium that precludes all but the most sophisticated attempts at compromising the signal integrity. In the PDS, intrusion attempts are limited by the use of detection alarms which activate when the optical fiber cable is penetrated or significantly altered. In an alarm condition, the data is terminated until system integrity is verified and the system is reinitialized. Even if the optical power were to be tapped, signal decoding is made difficult by burying the signal in the natural quantum noise associated with any optical power. The PDS system will transfer RS-232 data from DC to 20 kb/s over link distances up to 2 km with full quantum noise limited protection. The same data rates can be transmitted up to 10 km with alarms but with somewhat reduced protection. The optical fiber PDS offers an alternative for applications that previously required bulky, expensive ferrous metal conduit.

Citation Download Citation

David L. Baldwin and Albert D. Bender "Fiber Optic Protected Distribution System", Proc. SPIE 0355, Fiber Optics: Short-Haul and Long-Haul Measurements and Applications I, (22 March 1983); doi: 10.1117/12.934022; https://doi.org/10.1117/12.934022

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