Outline

Overview

This unit builds upon the fundamentals of optical communication introduced in ELEC3405 (Communications Electronics and Photonics). It focuses on photonic network architectures and protocols, network design, enabling technologies and the drivers for intelligent optical network. Students will learn how to analyse and design optical networks and optical components. Introduction, photonic network architectures: point to point, star, ring, mesh; system principles: modulation formats, link budgets, optical signal to noise ratio, dispersion, error rates, optical gain and regeneration; wavelength division multiplexed networks; WDM components: optical filters, gratings, multiplexers, demultiplexers, wavelength routers, optical crossconnects, wavelength converters, WDM transmitters and receivers; Wavelength switched/routed networks, ultra high speed TDM, dispersion managed links, soliton systems; broadcast and distribution networks, multiple access, subcarrier multiplexed lightwave video networks, optical local area and metropolitan area networks; protocols for photonic networks: IP, Gbit Ethernet, SDH/SONET, FDDI, ATM, Fibre Channel.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Knowledge of digital communications, wave propagation, and fundamental optics
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Javid Atai, javid.atai@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Record+)	Final Exam Type B (Closed Book)	70%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 1 Solving problems related to the material covered during the lectures.	15%	Week 05 Due date: 07 Sep 2021 at 23:59 Closing date: 15 Sep 2021	7 questions
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 2 Solving problems related to the material covered during the lectures.	15%	Week 10 Due date: 19 Oct 2021 at 23:59 Closing date: 27 Oct 2021	7 questions
Outcomes assessed:
= Type B final exam ?

Assessment summary

1. Assignment 1 must be submitted through Canvas as a single file in PDF or JPEG format by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, September 7.
2. Multiple submission attempts are allowed. However, only the latest submission will be marked. If the latest submission is after the deadline, it will receive a penalty as described below.
3. Any assignment that is labelled LATE by Canvas will receive a penalty as described below.
4. There will be a 5% deduction of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date. For example, assignments submitted within 24 hours after the deadline will receive a 5% penalty. Assignments submitted after 11:59 pm on Wednesday, September 8 but before 11:59 pm on Thursday, September 9 will receive a 10% penalty and so on. Assignments submitted after 11:59 pm on Tuesday, September 14 but before 7:59 pm on Wednesday, September 15 will receive a 40% penalty.
5. Assignments submitted after 7:59 pm on Wednesday, September 15 will NOT BE ACCEPTED and will receive a mark of zero.
6. The solutions of the Assignment 1 will be discussed in the Tutorial on Wednesday, September 15.
7. Assignment 2 must be submitted through Canvas as a single file in PDF or JPEG format by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, October 19.
8. Multiple submission attempts are allowed. However, only the latest submission will be marked. If the latest submission is after the deadline, it will receive a penalty as described below.
9. Any assignment that is labelled LATE by Canvas will receive a penalty as described below.
10. There will be a 5% deduction of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date. For example, assignments submitted within 24 hours after the deadline will receive a 5% penalty. Assignments submitted after 11:59 pm on Wednesday, October 20 but before 11:59 pm on Thursday, October 21 will receive a 10% penalty and so on. Assignments submitted after 11:59 pm on Tuesday, October 26 but before 7:59 pm on Wednesday, October 27 will receive a 40% penalty.
11. Assignments submitted after 7:59 pm on Wednesday, October 27 will NOT BE ACCEPTED and will receive a mark of zero.
12. The solutions of the Assignment 2 will be discussed in the Tutorial on Wednesday, October 27.

The above information can also be found under Assignments 1 and 2 on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties are described in the assessment summary.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Fibre-optic communication systems	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Enabling technologies 1	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Enabling technologies 2	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Enabling technologies 3	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	SONET/SDH	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Optical layer	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Broadcast and select networks	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Access networks	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Shared access networks	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Wavelength routed networks	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Network design	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Photonic packet switched networks	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Optical Networks: A practical perspective, Ramaswami and Kumar, 1st edition, Morgan & Kaufmann, 1998

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate understanding of photonic packet switched networks and design considerations to the extent of the material presented
LO2. demonstrate proficiency in assessing the capabilities and the principles of operation of various optical components which are used in today's networks, using the techniques presented in the course
LO3. demonstrate an understanding of wavelength routing and switching and how it can be utilized to increase the capacity of a network
LO4. describe the interaction between various layers in the network using the in-depth technical skills developed
LO5. demonstrate an understanding of different generations of optical networks and their characteristics using concepts and principles developed or presented
LO6. solve problems related to optical network design and analyze the effect of various parameters in the performance of the system.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ELEC5512: Optical Networks

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect