If you have ever paid attention to the schematic diagram on the floor, you will find that whether it is a residential building or a commercial building, it is equipped with at least one weak current room with intricate wiring, like a wire hole.
After all, without it, there would be no broadband cable. If something goes wrong with it, everyone in the building would be disconnected, and it would be very troublesome to repair it. However, on May 27 in Wuhan, the emergence of a new technology broke the stereotype that weak current rooms must be equipped. It was called "all-fiber network solution" and solved the problem of the last 100 meters of optical fiber communication.
Under the overwhelming wave of 5G, what does the technological breakthrough of optical fiber communications mean?
Let me first talk to you about one of the most important communication methods at present: optical fiber communication!
In 1969, the Chinese physicist Kun Kao confirmed that ultra-transparent glass can effectively transmit signals by measuring the inherent loss of fused silica at 4 dB/km. After that, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the research of optical fiber communication, and his hard work paid off. In 1971, the world's first optical fiber was born!
Although it is only one kilometer long, ten years later, the first optical fiber communication system was put into use. At this moment, most viewers do not have an optical fiber in their homes, and they have also heard of optical fiber. Cat, optical fiber transmission can surpass the communication giants, naturally because it has many advantages.
The first thing that bears the brunt is wide channels and fast Internet speeds. Some viewers may still remember the two "tentacles" on the TV. At that time, in order to watch an episode of TV with peace of mind, people had to flick the antenna a few times from time to time. Rao is so careful that once a naughty child touches it crookedly, he has to re-adjust it according to his feel.
In fact, the TV antenna uses the VHF frequency band, and the carrier frequency is only 48.5MHz to 300Mhz. As a result, with a bandwidth of only 250MHz, it can only transmit 27 sets of TV sets and dozens of sets of radio broadcasts. In terms of communication, , the higher the carrier frequency, the wider the frequency band width that can transmit signals. For optical fibers that use visible light frequency transmission, the carrier frequency is more than one million times that of the VHF band.
Although optical fiber cannot absorb every ray of light like a sponge, and there will still be some loss during the propagation process, if you think about the comparison between network cables and antennas, you can also see that the most "narrow" optical fiber , how effortless it is to eliminate the “widest” antenna.
Some viewers may be thinking, when did the antenna become a thing? Aren't you bragging on purpose?
Then, if we pull out the cable TV, that is, the coaxial cable, no matter what medium or signal is used for transmission, it will suffer losses, just like a piece of meat will be lost no matter what plate it is served on. Save a few drops of oil. Even if a coaxial cable with a metallic luster uses the most advanced materials, when transmitting an 800MHz signal, the loss per kilometer is 40dB, which is an attenuation of more than 10,000 times.
In comparison, the loss data of optical fiber is almost negligible. According to experimental data statistics, when optical fiber transmits light of 1.31μm, which is about one-fortieth of the thickness of a hair, The loss per kilometer is below 0.35dB.
If the transmitted light is slightly thicker, such as 1.55μm, then its loss per kilometer will be smaller, reaching less than 0.2dB.
Audiences need to pay attention to the fact that the number in front of the unit dB is very particular. 40dB is not two hundred times 0.2dB, because -10dB means attenuation 10 times, but -20dB means attenuation 100 times. Every time you add one to the tens digit, there will be an extra zero at the end of the multiple.
Therefore, under the same conditions, the power loss of optical fiber is 100 million times smaller than that of coaxial cable, and it can naturally run farther.
In addition to these, there are two big killers of optical fiber transmission loss:
In any cable TV channel, the loss number is the same, and there is no need to go through a lot of troublesome equalization like a cable trunk line. equalizer.
The loss will not change due to the external temperature. There is no need to worry about the signal interruption caused by the fluctuation of the main line level due to overheating or cold weather.
What keeps the optical fiber signal stable is its excellent anti-interference ability. When I was a child, when there was a thunderstorm, parents would nervously ask their children to turn off the computer, and they would turn off the TV without hesitation. But now, because the basic component of optical fiber is quartz, its embrace is only open to light. No matter how the electromagnetic field changes and interferes in various ways, the optical signal will not pay attention.
Because of this, the signals transmitted by optical fiber are not easy to be eavesdropped and have high fidelity. In some application scenarios, this is the key point.
So, with such excellent optical fiber communication, what is the problem with the "last 100 meters"?
In fact, this is a term in the communications industry, which refers to the distance from the communications service provider's computer room switch to the user's computer and other terminal equipment. Due to the nature of optical fiber itself, the traditional solution to the "100-meter" problem is to use weak current rooms. The optical fiber only reaches the floor, and multiple switches are arranged on each floor. When companies have requirements for bandwidth, the network cables pulled out will become a mess. .
And this company in Wuhan called Yiwang Wanlian is the first in the world to overcome the problem of the size of optical fiber. You know, even if the optical fiber is fully armed with a waterproof layer, reinforced ribs and protective sleeves, one fiber requires dozens of An optical cable composed of optical fibers is only a little over one centimeter in diameter.
The unique micro-tube and micro-cable construction technology of OneNet can be used to build passive optical networks, that is, from terminals to units, without any electronic equipment that uses power. This technology It also solves the problem in one fell swoop. The optical fiber itself is fragile. When routing indoors, due to force or bending, for example, being used to grind teeth by pets, or being played with by naughty children, the signal is interrupted and attenuated worldwide. problem.
At the same time, cumbersome weak current rooms, computer rooms, and access switches have also been abandoned. The 86-panel ONU product developed by Yiwang Wanlian allows users to use fiber optics like plug-in charging. , in the face of patented technology, everything has become a thing of the past.
Hubei Post and Telecommunications Planning and Design Institute is the first building to enjoy the refreshing experience. Each of the more than 700 designers has been worried that due to insufficient bandwidth, half of the works they uploaded will have to be redone. Desk Below and on the ground, there are "black snakes" crawling out from the weak electricity room.
After Wanlian took over their optical fiber, the designers' network was as smooth as silk. The only "sad" thing was the former weak current room, because it was emptied and transformed into a clutter. between.
We know that the stability and reliability of a system are inversely proportional to the number of devices in the system. Just like the more people in a tourist group, the easier it is to have disagreements. This all-fiber network solves the problem. The scheme itself does not require dozens of amplifiers like a cable system.
Therefore, its stability can be said to be world-leading, and the life of the optical fiber itself is very long. According to relevant statistics, a normally used optical fiber can have a maximum trouble-free working time of 75 Ten thousand hours, think about it, a set of network cables that have worked stably for 85 years is an artifact for a place like a design institute that focuses on inspiration and accumulation.
According to the calculations of the laws of optics, the bandwidth of normally used optical fibers for transmitting information is constantly growing and will double every six months. If the demand does not expand, the price will also decrease by 1 Times, this breakthrough in optical fiber communication technology led by our country has also kicked off the last stumbling block for large-scale cable TV systems to adopt optical fiber transmission methods.
Comrade Wang Qing, chief engineer of the Hubei Post and Telecommunications Planning and Design Institute, after experiencing it, sincerely lamented the far-reaching significance of the all-fiber network. He believed that this will be another major opportunity for our country to lead the world.
After all, the 21st century is the century of information. Take investment as an example. People who pay attention to the news always see one or two more steps than those who are late-minded. The differences between countries The same is true for trade, which is also an information pawn. The cost of fiber optic networks is two-thirds of traditional copper wire broadband.
Lao K also mentioned before that the material for making optical fiber is quartz, which is one of the most widely distributed minerals on the earth’s surface. Who hasn’t seen sand, right?
The reserves of quartz are so abundant, so with the advancement of technology in the future, the cost of making it into optical fiber will only further decrease. Low price, long life, and fast optical fiber mean that several There is no need to replace the "network cable" within ten years.
The money a family saves by not changing network cables may not be impressive, but how many families are there in our country? Once this technology begins to be widely used, the cost of network construction will be reduced and a large amount of natural resources will be saved. .
For example, the copper mines originally needed to build cables will be gratifying figures. Audiences with good memories may still remember that in the first half, the confidentiality of optical fiber communications was mentioned. In fact, all-fiber The network will also solve the problem of insufficient indoor coverage of 5G.
In the 14th Five-Year Plan, it is proposed to build a "Digital China" in the future, to use information to control the sustainable development of all walks of life, and to face global changes. So, in such a macro In this scenario, massive data exchange will become the norm.
The physical characteristics of copper wire broadband determine that it cannot be sustained for a long time, which highlights the necessity of an all-fiber network. After the problem of the last 100 meters of optical fiber is solved, the various conveniences brought by it will once again It confirms what Comrade Deng Xiaoping said: Science and technology are the primary productive forces.
The field of communication has always been our country’s strength. Fiber optic communication has once again broken through barriers and led the world. What kind of surprises will it bring? Lao K and everyone will wait and see!