Passive Optical Network ( PON ) refers to the type of optical network that uses splitters , it’s those splitters that are passive part of the PON, there no electronics in a splitter , it’s a passive ( not separately powered ) device, in OR’s case it’s a 32 way split , the same ‘signal’ that enters the splitter on 1 fibre , exits it on 32 fibres , it’s just that the signal is now attenuated by the splitter process ( by 15dB ) , but if the signal ‘strength’ is still sufficient that doesn’t matter , it’s a series of optical prisms, that split the light source, so 1 splits into 2, 2 in to 4, 4 in to 8, 8 into 16, 16 into 32.
So to your question , if there is a PON , is there also an AON ( active optical network ) , and the answer is No.
Probably not a brilliant analogy, but comparing ‘passive’ and ‘active’ could be easier to understand if thought if in terms of as HiFi with separate speakers , the speakers don’t need a power supply themselves, the ‘wire’ that carry’s the audio signal also powers the speakers , these speakers are ‘passive’ , you could also have a HiFi with ‘active’ speakers , where the speakers also connect to a separate power supply , and the wires from the HiFi only deliver the audio signal , any extra ‘amplification’ , provided by the active elements of the speakers…the reason comms company’s use passive networks ( and not active ones ) is that there is less to go wrong .
