Differences Between CWDM and DWDM

Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is a technology or

technique modulating numerous data streams, i.e. optical
carrier signals of varying wavelengths (colors) of laser
light, onto a single optical fiber. The goal of WDM is to
have a signal not to interfere with each other. It is usually
used to make data transmission more efficiently. It has
also been proven more cost effective in many applications,
such as WDM network applications, broadband network
application and fiber to the home (FTTH) applications and
so on.
According

to

channel

spacing

between

neighbored

wavelengths, there are two main types of WDM: Coarse

WDM (CWDM) and Dense WDM (DWDM). Though both of
them belong to WDM technology, they are quite different.
We can differentiate them from the definition, data
capacity, cable cost and transmission distance. Definition
CWDM is defined by wavelengths and has wide-range
channel spacing. DWDM is defined by frequencies and has
narrow channel spacing.

CWDM

is

method

of

combining

multiple

signals

on laser beams at various wavelengths for transmission

along fiber optic cables, such that the number of channels
is fewer than in DWDM but more than in standard WDM.
Course means the channel spacing is 20 nm with a
working

channel

passband

of

+/-6.5

nm

from

the

wavelengths center. From 1270 nm to 1610 nm, there are

18 individual wavelengths separated by 20nm spacing.
DWDM is a technology that puts data from different
sources together on an optical fiber, with each signal
carried at the same time on its own separate light
wavelength. Dense refers to the very narrow channel
spacing measured in Gigahertz (GHz) as opposed to
nanometer (nm). DWDM typically uses channel spacing of
100 GHz with a working channel passband of +/-12.5 GHz
from the wavelengths center. It uses 200GHz spacing
essentially skipping every other channel in the DWDM
grid. And it has also gone one step further using an Optical
Interleaver to get down to 50GHz spacing doubling the
channels capacity from 100GHz spacing. Data Capacity In
fiber optic network system, DWDM system could fit more
than 40 different data streams in the same amount of fiber

used for two data streams in a CWDM system. In some

cases, CWDM system can perform many of the same tasks
compared to DWDM.

Despite the lower transmission of data through a CWDM

system, these are still viable options for fiber optic data
transmission. Cable Cost CWDM system carries less data,
but the cabling used to run them is less expensive and
less complex. A DWDM system has much denser cabling
and can carry a significantly larger amount of data, but it
can

be

cost

prohibitive,

especially

where

there

is

necessary to have a large amount of cabling in an

application. Transmission Distance DWDM system is used
for

longer-haul

transmission

through

keeping

the

wavelengths tightly packed. It can transmit more data

over

significantly

larger

run

of

cable

with

less

interference. However, CWDM system cannot travel long

distances because the wavelengths are not amplified, and
therefore CWDM is limited in its functionality over longer
distances. If we need to transmit the data over a very long
range, DWDM system solution may be the best choice in
terms of functionality of the data transmission as well as
the lessened interference over the longer distances that
the wavelengths must travel. As far as cost is concerned,
when required to provide signal amplification about 100
miles (160 km), CWDM system is the best solution for

short runs.

View:www.fibercasa.com for more

information