FIBER OPTICS STANDARD DICTIONARY THIRD EDITION JOIN US ON THE INTERNET WWW: http://www.thomson.com EMAIL: [email protected] thomson.com is the on-line portal for the products, services and resources available from International Thomson Publishing (ITP). This Internet kiosk gives users immediate access to more than 34 ITP publishers and over 20,000 products. Through thomson.com Internet users can search catalogs, examine subject-specific resource centers and subscribe to electronic discussion lists. You can purchase ITP products from your local bookseller, or directly through thomson.com. Visit Chapman & Hall's Internet Resource Center for information on our new publications, links to useful sites on the World Wide Web and an opportunity to join our e-mail mailing list. Point your browser to: bttp:/Iwww.cbapball.com or http://www.thomson.com/chaphaWelecteng.html for Electrical Engineering A service of I ® JI FIBER OPTICS STANDARD DICTIONARY THIRD EDITION MARTIN H. WEIK SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.v. JOIN US ON THE INTERNET WWW: http://www.thomson.com EMAIL: [email protected] thomson.com is the on-line portal for the products, services and resources available from International Thomson Publishing (ITP). This Internet kiosk gives users immediate access to more than 34 ITP publishers and over 20,000 products. Through thomson.com Internet users can search catalogs, examine subject­ specific resource centers and subscribe to electronic discussion lists. You can purchase ITP products from your local bookseller, or directly through thomson.com. Cover Design: Said Sayrafiezadeh, Emdash Inc. Copyright © 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Originally published by Chapman & Hali in 1997 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover 3rd edition 1997 Ali rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems-without the written permission of the publisher. I 23456789 10 XXX 0100 99 98 97 Library of Congress Cataioging-in-Publication nata Weik, Martin H. Fiber optics standard dictionary / Martin H. Weik. - 3rd ed. p. cm. Includes bibiiographicai references. ISBN 978-1-4613-7760-3 ISBN 978-1-4615-6023-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-6023-4 1. Optional communications - Dictionaries. 2. Fiber optics­ Dictionaries. 1. Title. TK5102.w45 1997 621.36'92-dc21 97-6013 CIP British Library Cataloguing in Publication nata available "Fiber Optics Standard Dictionary, 3rd edition," is intended to present technically accurate and authoritative information from highly regarded sources. The publisher, editors, authors, advisors and contributors have made every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of the information, but cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy of ali information or for the con­ sequences of its use. To my wife, Helen, for the love and encouragement she has given me during the preparation of this and prior editions And God said, Let there be light; And there was light. And God saw the light, That it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3-4 Now the whole Earth had one language and few words. And the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people; And they have all one language; And this is only the beginning of what they will do; And nothing that they propose to do Will now be impossible for them." Genesis 11: 1,6 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 Contents Preface IX Introduction xvii Definitions 1 Appendices A. Abbreviations and Acronyms 1127 B. Tables 1204 Table 1: Frequency Ranges and Designators Table 2: Higher Frequency Ranges and Extension Designators Table 3: The Metric System of Units Table 4: Prefixes Used with Metric Units Table 5: Radiometric Terms Table 6: T-Carrier Hierarchy for North America Table 7: T -Carrier Hierarchy for Japan Table 8: T -Carrier Hierarchy for Europe (CEPT) Table 9: Near, Intermediate, and Far Field Characteristics Table 10: T -Carrier Characteristics C. Bibliography 1210 Preface Fiber Optics Vocabulary Development In 1979, the National Communications System published Technical InfonnationBulle­ tin TB 79-1, Vocabulary for Fiber Optics and Lightwave Communications, written by this author. Based on a draft prepared by this author, the National Communications System published Federal Standard FED-STD-1037, Glossary of Telecommunications Terms, in 1980 with no fiber optics tenns. In 1981, the first edition of this dictionary was published under the title Fiber Optics and Lightwave Communications Standard Dictionary. In 1982, the then National Bureau of Standards, now the National Institute of Standards and Technology, published NBS Handbook 140, Optical Waveguide Communications Glossary, which was also published by the General Services Admin­ istration as PB82-166257 under the same title. Also in 1982, Dynamic Systems, Inc., published the Fiberoptic Sensor Technology Handbook, co-authored and edited by this author, with an extensive Fiberoptic Sensors Glossary. In 1989, the handbook was republished by Optical Technologies, Inc. It contained the same glossary. In 1984, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers published IEEE Standard 812-1984, Definitions of Terms Relating to Fiber Optics. In 1986, with the assistance of this author, the National Communications System published FED-STD-1037A, Glossary of Telecommunications Terms, with a few fiber optics tenns. In 1988, the Electronics Industries Association issued EIA-440A, Fiber Optic Terminology, based primarily on PB82-166257. The International Electrotechnical Commission then pub­ lished IEC 731, Optical Communications, Terms and Definitions. In 1989, the second edition of this dictionary was published. Also in 1989, the Department of Defense published MIL-STD 2196(SH), Glossary: Fiber Optics. The original draft was pre­ pared by this author while he was serving as a consultant to the Naval Sea Systems Command's Fiber Optics Program Office. In 1991 the National Communications System, again with the assistance of this author, published Federal Standard FED­ STD-1037B, Glossary of Telecommunications Terms, with considerably more fiber optics tenns than were in the FED-STD 1037 A of 1986. In 1996 the National Commu­ nications System published Federal Standard FED-STD-1037C, Glossary ofTelecom­ munications Terms, with a very much larger number of fiber optics tenns and defini­ tions than were in FED-STD 1037B, particularly in the area of lightwave communications. Hundreds of tenns and definitions were taken from or directly based on the definitions in the second edition of this dictionary. This author actively participated in all of these standards efforts aimed at producing fiber optics vocabula­ ries, sometimes by being a member of the standards body responsible for the publica­ tion, sometimes by chairing the committee responsible for the publication, and some­ times by editing or submitting comments on drafts of the publications. ix Preface x This Edition This third edition of the Fiber Optics Standard Dictionary is based not only on these publications, but also on the enonnous volume of scientific and technical literature in the area of fiber optics published by technical societies, research institutions, technical magazines, book publishers, and manufacturers of fiber optic systems and components. Limitations of Current Fiber Optics Glossaries and Vocabularies The Shortfall: Each of the aforementioned glossaries or vocabularies, and others, was designed to (a) cover a specific fiber optic application area, such as communications, sensing, or illumination, (b) reach or appeal to a specific audience, or (c) cover the tenns used in a specific publication or series of publications. Thus, none of these individual works constitutes a comprehensive coverage of the fields of optical systems, fiber optics, lightwave communications, optical sensing, and illumination. Each was prepared by a group of professional people representing a specific interest group. Usually the definitions within a given standard, and among standards, were not always consistent. Each standard had a different fonnat for the definitions. Each standard had a specific purpose and was designed for a specific audience, such as scientists, engineers, technicians, contractors, government employees, or corporate employees. Very little attempt was made to correlate tenns and definitions among the various standards. Thus, a truly comprehensive dictionary has a requirement to serve as an umbrella that covers all related areas and interests even if it becomes necessary to resort to multiple definitions of the same tenn. For example, to communications systems operating personnel, an open circuit is a circuit available for use, i.e., an available line. To systems installation and maintenance personnel, an open circuit is one that has an optical or electrical discontinuity. The Need: By their very nature, standards are devoted primarily to fundamental principles and theory, rather than changing state-of-the-art and advanced technology, the very areas in which persons in a field are currently engaged and have a need for a current dictionary. Technical and scientific papers, technical specifications of products, work statements for contracts, and technical books are being prepared that require up-to-the-moment definitions. Proper tenns and definitions are needed now in order that workers in the field