The basic optical receiver consists of a photodetector to convert the optical signal into a current, a low-noise preamplifier to convert and amplify the current into a voltage, an optional low pass filter to shape the received pulse or limit the bandwidth and a high-gain. The basic optical receiver consists of a photodetector to convert the optical signal into a current, a low-noise preamplifier to convert and amplify the current into a voltage, an optional low pass filter to shape the received pulse or limit the bandwidth and a high-gain. In a fiber optic system, a transmitter encodes the data in the form of laser pulses that are transmitted over a long optical fiber. At the other end, a receiver detects the attenuated optical signal and amplifies it to digital levels. As signals travel in a fiber, they are attenuated and distorted, and it is the function of the receiver circuit at the other side of the fiber to generate a clean electrical signal from th l signal to an electrical signal. The figure below shows a block diagram of such a receiver.
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