What is Reach Extension and how can I use it?
Reach extension is the general term for the “boosting” or re-creating the signal in order to allow it to allow it to travel greater distances. Because of the analog nature of transmission, optical signals undergo degradation when transmitted across optical links due to dispersion, loss, crosstalk and nonlinearities associated with fiber and optical components. Two common techniques are used to combat these degenerative effects: Regeneration and Amplification. Regeneration is the re-creation of the signal by converting the optical signal to an electrical signal, manipulating the signal, then converting it back to an optical signal. Amplification is the increasing of the amplitude of the optical signal (db power) of the signal without converting it to an electrical signal.
