Receiver Sensitivity and Dynamic Range

Receiver sensitivity and dynamic range are the minimum acceptable value of received power needed to achieve an acceptable BER or performance. Receiver sensitivity takes into account power penalties caused by use of a transmitter with worst-case values of extinction ratio, jitter, pulse rise times and fall times, optical return loss, receiver connector degradations, and measurement tolerances.

The receiver sensitivity does not include power penalties associated with dispersion or with back reflections from the optical path. These effects are specified separately in the allocation of maximum optical path penalty. Sensitivity usually takes into account worst-case operating and end-of-life (EOL) conditions. Receivers have to cope with optical inputs as high as –5 dBm and as low as –30 dBm. Or stated differently, the receiver needs an optical dynamic range of 25 dB.

August 30, 2011

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