The difference between the passive light network (PON) and the source light network (AON)?

The need for high-speed data transmission has increased rapidly in recent years due to the rise of digital communication, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This has led to the development of various optical network technologies such as Passive Optical Networks (PONs) and Active Optical Networks (AONs) to provide high-speed data transmission. In this article, we will discuss the differences between PON and AON.

Passive Optical Network (PON)

A PON is a network architecture that uses passive optical components such as splitters and combiners to distribute optical signals to multiple users. The network consists of an optical line terminal (OLT) located at the central office and multiple optical network units (ONUs) located at the end-users' premises. The ONUs are connected to the OLT via a single optical fiber that is split using passive splitters.

The PON architecture is designed to reduce the cost of deploying fiber optic networks by using passive components that require no power or maintenance. The network is capable of delivering high-speed data, voice, and video services to multiple users simultaneously.

The PON architecture has several advantages, including:

Cost-effective: The use of passive components reduces the cost of deploying fiber optic networks.

Scalability: The PON architecture can be easily scaled to accommodate additional users without significant upgrades.

Security: The PON architecture provides a high level of security by using point-to-point connections between the OLT and the ONUs.

Energy-efficient: The use of passive components reduces power consumption, making PONs more energy-efficient than AONs.

Active Optical Network (AON)

An AON is a network architecture that uses active components such as optical amplifiers and switches to distribute optical signals to multiple users. The network consists of an optical line terminal (OLT) located at the central office and multiple optical network units (ONUs) located at the end-users' premises. The ONUs are connected to the OLT via multiple optical fibers.

The AON architecture is designed to provide high-speed data transmission over long distances and is commonly used in long-haul telecommunications networks. The network is capable of delivering high-speed data, voice, and video services to multiple users simultaneously.

The AON architecture has several advantages, including:

High-speed data transmission: The use of active components allows AONs to provide high-speed data transmission over long distances.

Flexibility: The AON architecture is highly flexible and can be easily reconfigured to accommodate changing network requirements.

Reliability: The use of active components improves the reliability of the network by providing redundancy and fault tolerance.

Quality of Service (QoS): The AON architecture provides QoS guarantees by using priority-based traffic management.

Differences between PON and AON

Architecture

The main difference between PON and AON is the architecture. PONs use passive components such as splitters to distribute optical signals to multiple users, while AONs use active components such as amplifiers and switches to distribute optical signals to multiple users.

Cost

PONs are more cost-effective than AONs because they use passive components that require no power or maintenance. AONs require active components that are more expensive and require more power.

Distance

PONs are typically used in local access networks and have a limited distance of up to 20 km. AONs, on the other hand, are used in long-haul telecommunications networks and can transmit data over distances of up to thousands of kilometers.