This book is an outgrowth of a course given by the author for people in
industry, government, and universities wishing to understand the
implica- tions of emerging optical fiber technology, and how this
technology can be applied to their specific information transport and
sensing system needs. The course, in turn, is an outgrowth of 15
exciting years during which the author participated in the research and
development, as well as in the application, of fiber technology. The aim
of this book is to provide the reader with a working knowledge of the
components and subsystems which make up fiber systems and of a wide
variety of implemented and proposed applications for fiber technology.
The book is directed primarily at those who would be users, as opposed
to developers, of the technology. The first half of this book is an
overview of components and subsys- tems including fibers, connectors,
cables, sources, detectors, receivers, transmitters, and miscellaneous
components. The goal is to familiarize the reader with the properties of
these components and subsystems to the extent necessary to understand
their potential applications and limitations.