RF-over-Fiber Signal Integrity: From Challenge to Measurement

Higher bandwidth, frequencies and system complexity are driving RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) adoption. By transferring RF signals into the optical domain, RFoF enables low-loss, long-distance transmission with galvanic isolation and immunity to electromagnetic interference. However, it also creates new signal-integrity challenges across electrical, optical and RF interfaces. This presentation covers the key performance parameters – frequency response, gain, loss, noise, distortion, modulation quality and time-domain behavior – and introduces practical measurement strategies.