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Fiber Optic System Components and Equipment Flashcards

6 cards from real CFOT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 Fiber Optic System Components and Equipment flashcards as text

  1. What is the primary function of an optical amplifier (EDFA) in a fiber optic network?

    Answer: Amplify optical signals directly without converting to electrical signals

    An Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) amplifies light signals directly in the optical domain using stimulated emission, without electrical conversion.

  2. What type of laser is most commonly used as the optical source in single-mode fiber optic transceivers?

    Answer: Fabry-Perot (FP) or Distributed Feedback (DFB) laser

    Single-mode transceivers use Fabry-Perot or DFB lasers because they produce narrow spectral width and high coherence required for single-mode transmission.

  3. A VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) operating at 850 nm is most commonly paired with which fiber type?

    Answer: OM3 or OM4 multimode fiber

    VCSELs at 850 nm are optimized for use with high-bandwidth OM3/OM4 multimode fiber in short-reach data center applications.

  4. What is the purpose of a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) in a fiber optic system?

    Answer: Combine or separate multiple wavelengths onto a single fiber

    A WDM device multiplexes multiple wavelengths of light onto one fiber, greatly increasing the total bandwidth capacity of that fiber.

  5. In fiber optic systems, what does the term 'SFP' stand for and what is its function?

    Answer: Small Form-factor Pluggable — a hot-swappable transceiver module

    SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) is a compact, hot-swappable transceiver module used in network switches and routers for fiber or copper links.

  6. What is the role of an optical circulator in a fiber optic network?

    Answer: Route light from one port to the next sequential port, enabling bidirectional transmission on one fiber

    An optical circulator directs light entering port 1 out port 2, and light entering port 2 out port 3, allowing bidirectional use of a single fiber.