Skip to content

What is RF over fibre technology and what are the benefits?

  • by

The RF above fibre (RFoF) method will be the approach to transforming a radio wave (RF) into mild by modulating the intensity of the light source (typically a laser) with RF signal distribution. This’s an analogue process and absolutely no digitisation is utilized. The light signal will be transmitted over a fiber optic cable which replaces and also exceeds the capabilities of a regular copper coax cable. Like coax, RFoF isn’t restricted in distance, just going to 300 foot (approximately).
RFoF has the following benefits:

Really low signal loss (less than 0.5 dB / km) allows for connections of many kilometers without the demand for amplifiers (see graph comparing RFoF to coax over frequency).
There’s no demand for slope compensation since the flat frequency reply is spread over the whole frequency band.
Fiber is a non conductive medium, thus immunity to RFI and also EMI.
Security against signal interception:
Easy deployment, minimal maintenance Cost as compared to top quality, minimal loss coax cable and also slope compensation amplifiers, Lightweight and flexible.

ViaLite’s RF over fiber also provides extra benefits:

Best dynamic range 99.999 % reliability Longest item manufacturer’s warranty (five years) Focused expertise in RFoF Full support and design service Long distance DWDM link devices to 600km

A common RF system over fibre is going to consist of three primary components:

Fiber optic cable Optical receiver (to transform to RF) Optical transmitter

The product is determined in terminology of normal RF parameters, etc., linearity, noise figure, e.g. gain, and may be addressed by a methods designer as an RF black box.

The RFoF is utilized to connect antennas to receiving and transmitting equipment.
The usual applications include:

Satcom – ground segment tools like teleports, VSAT gateways, broadcast facilities, etc.
Broadcast Production such as wireless cameras, IFBs, microphones, and Talkback – Production
GPS for timing timeservers, , and also base stations reradiating
Satcom and also maritime GPS
Government and also Defence protected marketing communications, Satellite, SIGINT Cellular and timing GPS, re broadcasting as well as Public safety and distribution Mining – timing and communications Telemetry satellite, spacecraft and missiles.