With the advent of big data, organizations need highly efficient and capable data transmission speed. And it has been possible with CWDM and DWDM Mux Demux devices. These technologies can transport an extremely large capacity of data traffic in telecom networks. It’s said that the technologies can easily deal with the bandwidth explosion from the access network.
The only problem with organizations is which device to choose. They are very confused between CWDM and DWDM Mux Demux devices. To make the selection easier, we will discuss the differences between these two devices. But before that, we will discuss CWDM and DWDM technology along with Mux and Demux.
About CWDM and DWDM technology
These are two types of wavelength division multiplexing or WDM that solve increasing bandwidth capacity needs. They are specifically designed to tackle different network challenges.
Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing or CWDM technology supports eight wavelengths per fiber and is designed for short-range communications. The technology uses wide-range frequencies with wavelengths spread far apart.
The cost of CWDM is generally low with a lower capacity of sub-10G and shorter distance applications where cost is an important factor. Compared to DWDM, CWDM supports less capacity of links as well as distance. It’s capable of transporting up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 16G Fiber Channel.
On the other hand, Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing DWDM uses tighter wavelength spacing to fit more channels onto a single fiber, compared to CWDM. In this, the number of multiplexed channels is much denser. As the DWDM system supports 96 channels spaced 0.8 nm apart, it transmits a huge quantity of data through a single fiber link.
DWDM systems can carry high amounts of data across long distances spanning up to hundreds or thousands of kilometers.
About Mux and Demux
Mux or multiplexer combines multiple signals over a channel in the form of a single complex signal. This process is known as multiplexing. In other words, the multiplexing process transmits various digital input signals, analog signals, or streams of data over a single channel, integrating various low-speed channels into high-speed ones for the transmission process.
On the other hand, Demux works in a reverse manner to the Mux. The process is known as demultiplexing. In this technique, a demultiplexer acts as a combinational circuit, accepting only one data input but directing through various outputs. In other words, demultiplexing reconverts a signal back into its unrelated and separate signals.
Difference between CWDM and DWDM Mux Demux devices
The major difference between CWDM and DWDM Mux Demux devices is the number of channels and ports.
- CWDM can have 18 channels but DWDM can have up to 96 channels
- CWDM is available in 8 and 16-port models but the common configurations of DWDM are 4,8,16 and 32.
Though there are only two differences between CWDM and DWDM Mux Demux devices, these differences matter. So, you should choose wisely when you go to buy a DWDM Mux/Demux device and a CWDM Mux/Demux device.