How does a toslink (optical) splitter not affect the end result?

[alfa147x]

How does a toslink (optical) splitter not affect the end result?

I was skeptical when I ordered a splitter. I needed one so I could push digital audio to both my DAC (Schiit BIFROST) and my receiver.

Well so far I haven't had any issues. I can even run both at the same time with no issues. Does the splitter not cause a decrease in how much light is being passed through?

 

[Howard]

The brightness of the light is not necessarily what dictates signal strength.

 

[alfa147x]

What dictates signal strength?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I think that they use passive splitters in FIOS distribution boxes.

 

[Modelworks]

It does effect the signal. Data encoded as light is generally a square wave, when you damage the signal the square wave distorts but as long as the square wave maintains a reasonable amount of similarity to the original no data is lost. If you damage the signal too much though the hardware has problems determining a rising edge from a falling edge and you get corruption. All materials change light as it passes through them and things like passive switches for fiber use mirrors to bounce the light to another path, the quality of the mirror is what matters. You can take a flash light and shine it on a mirror and see the reflected light change its shape based on the angle of the light, distance, etc. That change in angle also effect the quality of the pattern that the hardware will see. Imagine a row of very fine vertical lines, wrong angle or poor quality mirror and those vertical lines can blur together.

So it isn't so much brightness but keeping the pattern intact with little distortion.

 

[alfa147x]

Thanks for the info. I ended up digging up a Firestone BRAVO we had laying around. Now coaxial to the DAC and optical to my receiver.