Engaging Electronic Engineering Students in Realistic Engineering Problems: Calculations on the Feasibility and Implementation of Optical Communication Links

Abstract

The article describes a task on the feasibility and possible options regarding the implementation of actual optical communication links. The task regards three (3) fiber-optic links with different transmission lengths and bit-rates and the students have to decide on the feasibility and implementation options for those links. The task is formulated in a problem-solving manner (in the sense that it refers to actual situations, more than one options may be considered feasible while some solutions may lead to revisiting initial calculations on the basis of new data). The basic aim of the task is the students to work on issues that most probably will encounter during their professional life and, at the same time, develop a conceptual understanding and a working knowledge on a broad range of essential concepts and notions regarding optical communication links.