Coupling considerations in optical data buses

The paper discusses coupling in optical data buses with major emphasis on the properties of the Star coupler. Operation of the Star coupler can be perceived as shrinking a trunk down to a single point at which all mixing and signal splitting is done in a single optical component (the Star coupler). Central to this function is the fact that light from a multimode optical waveguide fiber spreads in a cone, the angle of which is a characteristic fiber property. The advantages of a Star coupler system over a Tee coupler system are illustrated by comparing worst-case losses as functions of the number of terminals in each system.