ALT="Persistent Vision Pty Ltd"

Optical-Fibre Ring Networks

John returned to the Photonics Research Laboratory at the University of Melbourne from 1996 to 1999. He worked on two projects concerned with wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) in optical-fibre ring networks. WDM allows several message-streams to be transmitted through the same glass fibre by using a different wavelength (or colour) for each stream.

The first project used spectrum-slicing - selective filtering of a broad-band optical-noise source - to provide the different wavelengths.

Photograph courtesy of University of Melbourne

The second project is the development of a WDM ring network, named Mawson, demonstrating the application of advanced photonic circuits and networking techniques.

John's Contributions

• System calculations for the spectrum-sliced ring network.
• Project manager for the initial stage of the network demonstrator.
• High-speed ECL circuit design.

Skills

• Expertise in synchronisation techniques
• Analog and digital circuit design
• Mathematical modelling and analysis
• Multi-layer PCB layout

Reference

"WDM ring network employing a shared multiwavelength incoherent source", R.D.T. Lauder, J.M. Badcock, W.T. Holloway and D.D. Sampson, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 294-296, Feb. 1998.