WDM stands for Wavelength-Division Multiplexing.
It’s a technology used in fiber-optic transmission that puts together data signals from different sources so they can share a single optical fiber pair while maintaining complete separation of the data streams. These multiple light wavelengths (or colours) can travel on one fiber and several signals can be transmitted at different wavelengths.
Today there are two types of WDM: CWDM (Coarse Wavelength-Division Multiplexing)and DWDM (Dense Wavelength-Division Multiplexing).
CWDM is defined by wavelengths. The channels supports fewer channels than DWDM which means that the amount of data transported is not as important but also makes it the ideal solution for short-range communications as it’s compact and cost-effective.
DWDM is defined by frequencies. It has been tailored to support more than 8 active wavelengths per fiber. It is ideal for long-haul transmission as the wavelengths are tightly packed together. DWDM costs more to implement and operate however it is the perfect solution if the spectral efficiency is an important requirement as it allows huge amounts of data to travel in one single network link. Streams being carried in different wavelengths, they do not interfere with each other which maintains the data integrity.
At Ghekko, we supply and repair a large range of CWDM & DWDM modules and transceivers. Get in touch today for more information. You can also browse our full range of DWDM & CWDM equipment!
