The developers of electronic circuits had to solve a variety of problems. Gradually, solutions appeared that led to the creation of separate nodes that are used in various schemes. A good example is the so-called multiplexers and demultiplexers. With the advent of new technologies and elements, they become more compact and reliable in operation. Only one thing does not change - the very principle by which all these devices work.
When working with electronic circuits, it is often necessary to switch a certain number of signals. One of them appears at the output of the device, and the rest are temporarily blocked. All this happens on the basis of reading the control digital code from the control bus. It contains information about which of the inputs needs to be switched. The inverse transformation is also interesting. In this case, a signal from a single input appears on one of several outputs of the device. Management in this case also occurs on the basis of a digital word. Multiplexers and demultiplexers perfectly cope with this task. These are compact modern devices with good performance.
These devices are widely used in radio electronics, fiber optic communications, and in the construction of electronic circuits. Multiplexers and demultiplexers are involved in the conversion of high frequency signals. Various circuit solutions based on these devices allow you to implement the most daring ideas. For example, you can convert parallel code to serial code and vice versa; change the data transfer protocol; encrypt information using a pre-designed algorithm and much more. Multiplexers and demultiplexers are easy to combine in a circuit, in order to obtain more inputs / outputs. Sometimes it is necessary to convert a large number of channels. Using the fact that the multiplexer is a device that implements the inverse function of the demultiplexer, it is possible to design circuits using both devices.
A good example of using these devices in fiber optic communications is the DWDM multiplexer. The device receives signals at four inputs. After the appropriate conversion, you can get the desired channel on one of the
serial COM ports. The device is useful for matching different devices and is specially designed to work with amplifiers EDFA and BLUE / Red-splitter. It is capable of converting input signals with a carrier frequency from 10 MHz to 10 GHz. This is quite enough to cover the range of operation of many devices and provide reliable signal conversion. The low attenuation coefficient during operation of the device (<2.5 dBl) supplements the overall positive picture. The compact, small-sized and easy-to-use device enjoys well-deserved popularity among designers.
With the development of manufacturing technology of multi - and demultiplexers, there is a steady tendency to reduce dimensions, increase speed when converting signals, reduce attenuation and increase reliability in their work.