Armored Fiber Cable for Robust and Flexible Network

Armored Fiber Cable for Robust and Flexible Network

Armored Fiber Cable for Robust and Flexible Network

 

Fiber optic failures in telecommunication industry can cause a lot of problems and loss. Thus, protection of the fragile optical fibers is always an important factor to be considered during fiber cable installation. Harsh environment that might meet and impact or crushing from other objects in the future use of fiber optic cables should all be considered.

 

Why Do We Need Armored Fiber Cables?

 

Traditionally, outside fiber optic cables are deployed in conduit which is like a strong and robust jacket protecting fiber cables from the outside impact. However, adding conduit for fiber optic cable installation increases the costs for both time and money. The deploy process is complex and required a lot of labor. So adding a build-in robust shield—metal armor for the fiber optic cable could be an ideal alternative to decrease costs and installation time. The deployment and cabling of fiber optic cable with armor are more flexible. Thus, armored fiber optic cables are being widely deployed in telecommunication network.

Structure of Armored Fiber Cables

 

The biggest difference from armored fiber cable and other fiber cable is the build in metal tube inside the armored fiber cable. There is a wide range of armored fiber cable according to the structure, fiber count, jacket type, fiber type, etc. Here offers the example of a commonly used 12-fiber armored cable for indoor and outdoor applications. This armored fiber cable has 12 fibers and two layers of jacket one outside jacket and one inner jacket. A steel tube armor is between the inner jacket and outside jacket. Between the steel tube and outside jacket, there is a layer of aramid yarn as shown in the following picture.

 

Types of Armored Fiber Cables

 

As the metal tube of armored fiber cable is used to protect the optical fibers, there are also different types of armors which are used for different applications. The most commonly used metal tube of armored fiber cables usually has interlock structure or corrugated structure. The interlock armored fiber cables are generally used for indoor and indoor/outdoor applications. The corrugated armored fiber cables are usually used for outdoor applications. The following picture shows two armored fiber cables using interlock armor and corrugated armor separately.

 

Armored fiber optic cables might use armors made from different material. For now, there are two popular materials adopted by armored fiber cable—steel and aluminum. Both indoor and outdoor armored fiber cables use steel or aluminum materials for armor. But most fiber patch cables provided in the market use steel tubes.

 

Applications of Armored Fiber Cables

 

Armored fiber cable can be used for indoor, indoor/outdoor and outside plant applications. According to different installation environments, tight-buffered armored fiber cables and loose-buffered armored cables are available. For outdoor applications, loose-buffer armored fiber cables are usually used. Both loose-buffered and tight-buffered armored fiber cable can be used for indoor and indoor/outdoor applications. The following pictures illustrate three commonly used armored fiber cables for the above mentioned three applications.

 

Indoor armored fiber cables usually use interlock armors. Riser jackets or LSZH jackets are usually selected for the consideration of safety. This one shows the structure of an indoor distribution armored fiber cable.

 

Indoor/outdoor armored fiber cable is very popular in today’s telecommunication network, which allows links from building to building eliminating the transition from indoor cable to outside plant cable. The following picture shows the structure of commonly used multi-fiber I/O armored fiber cable.

Outdoor armored fiber cable usually uses corrugated armor and very durable jacket to protect optical fibers extra crush-resistance and rodent protection. The following picture shows the structure an outdoor armored fiber cable.

 

Conclusion

 

Armored fiber cable can provide cost-effective and reliable solution for optical fiber protection and installation. There is a wide selection of armored fiber cable available in the market, for applications like indoor, outdoor plant, and indoor/outdoor. There is also specially designed armored fiber cable for special applications like armored GYFTZA53 double armored fiber cable for mining application. For data center and server room applications, armored fiber patch cables can also be used. Kind contact sales@fiber-mart.com or visit fiber-mart.com for more details about armored fiber cables.

Understand Ports On CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX

Understand Ports On CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX

The Must-Have Ports on CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX

 

The basic function of the CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX is combining data rate of different wavelengths over the same fiber cable to increase the network capacity. Thus, channel ports supporting different wavelengths and Line port used to connect the WDM MUX/DEMUX are the must-have ports for these devices.

 

Channel Port

CWDM uses 18 wavelengths ranging from 1270nm to 1610nm with a channel space of 20nm. Channel port count on CWDM MUX/DEMUX is usually ranging from 2 to 18. The following picture shows a full-channel CWDM MUX/DEMUX with all the 18 CWDM wavelengths: 1270nm, 1290nm, 1310nm, 1330nm, 1350nm, 1370nm, 1390nm, 1410nm, 1430nm, 1450nm, 1470nm, 1490nm, 1510nm, 1530nm, 1550nm, 1570nm, 1590nm, 1610nm.

 

DWDM uses the wavelength ranging from 1470nm to 1625nm usually with channel space of 0.8nm (100GHz) or 0.4nm (50GHz). DWDM MUX/DEMUX can support much more wavelengths that of CWDM MUX/DEMUX. The channel port of a DWDM MUX/DEMUX is usually ranging from 4 to 96.

 

Line Port

 

There are two types of line port available for CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX. One is dual fiber line port, and the other is single fiber line port. The selection of the line port depends on applications. The WDM MUX/DEMUX with a single fiber line port is very different from the WDM MUX/DEMUX with a dual fiber line port on the using of wavelengths.

 

Dual-fiber MUX/DEMUX uses the same wavelength for dual-way transmission, which means the TX port and RX port of every duplex channel port supporting the same wavelength. The WDM MUX/DEMUXs with dual fiber line ports installed on the two ends of the network could be the same.

 

For single-fiber WDM MUX/DEMUX, all the wavelengths just flow in one direction. And the TX port and RX port of every duplex channel port supporting two different wavelengths. The above picture shows the front panel of an 8-channel DWDM MUX/DEMUX with single-fiber line port. As it is clearly marked the TX port and RX port use different wavelengths. If you choose a single-fiber WDM MUX/DEMUX on one side of the network, there should be a single-fiber WDM MUX/DEMUX which supports the same wavelengths but has the reverse order on the TX port and RX port of every duplex channel port. Please note, the line port of some  single-fiber CWDM MUX/DEMUXs is made into a duplex port, but one one port is function. Here takes the example of fiber-mart.com FMU CWDM MUX/DEMUX as an example, as shown in the following picture, the single-fiber CWDM MUX/DEMUX has a duplex port, but one of the port marked as “N/A” is not in use.

 

The Functioning Ports on CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX

Except the above mentioned must-have channel ports and line port, WDM MUX/DEMUX can also be added with other ports which bring more profits to the existing WDM network. The following will introduce these special ports that are often added on CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX.

Expansion Port

 

Expansion port added on WDM MUX/DEMUX is really useful. If you installed a CWDM network which just using several of the CWDM wavelengths, you can use this expansion port to increase the network capacity by connecting the expansion port with the line port of another CWDM MUX/DEMUX supporting different wavelengths. Then the network of this CWDM network can be increased easily. Both CWDM MUX/DEMUX and DWDM MUX/DEMUX support this expansion port. Kindly click the following picture for details of how to use expansion port.

 

1310nm Port and 1550nm Port

 

The 1310nm and 1550nm are actually WDM wavelengths. How could these two wavelengths become special? It can be recognized that many fiber optic signals for are transmitted over 1310nm and 1550nm. Many fiber optic transceivers support long distances use these two wavelengths. However, the standard channel port on WDM MUX/DEMUX can only be connected to color coded fiber optic transceiver like CWDM SFP/SFP+ and DWDM SFP/SFP+. With these special designed 1310nm port and 1550nm port, the signal running through ordinary fiber optic transceivers can be combined together with other CWDM wavelengths.

 

Please note that DWDM MUX/DEMUX can only add special 1310nm port. For CWDM MUX/DEMUX, not all the wavelengths can be added, if you add special 1310nm or 1550nm port on the device. There is a simple rule for how to add the special ports and other standard channel ports on CWDM MUX/DEMUX. If you want to add 1310nm or 1550nm ports on your CWDM MUX/DEMUX, wavelengths which are 0-40nm higher or lower than 1310nm or 1550nm cannot be added to the MUX. The following table shows the specific details.

 

Monitor Port

 

Many technicians will add a monitor port on CWDM or DWDM MUX/DEMUX for better network monitoring and management. If you choose a single-fiber WDM MUX/DEMUX, the monitor port should be a simplex fiber optic port. For dual-fiber WDM MUX/DEMUX, you can add a duplex monitor port for the whole network monitoring, or just add a simplex port for MUX or DEMUX monitoring.

 

fiber-mart.com WDM CWDM and DWDM Solution

 

The above mentioned ports are the most commonly used in WDM MUX/DEMUX. All these ports can be customized in fiber-mart.com where affordable complete solutions for CWDM, DWDM and DWDM over CWDM network are available. Kindly contact sales@fiber-mart.com for more details if you are interested.

FBT Multimode Dual Window Fiber Splitter with ABS Box

FBT Multimode Dual Window Fiber Splitter with ABS Box

by Fiber-MART.COM

FBT Multimode Dual Window Fiber Splitter with ABS Box

FM SKU#:SKU00241I
Model#:FM-MM-112ABSD

As one of the key components for GPON FTTx networks, optical splitters can be placed in the Central Office or in one of the distribution points (outdoor or indoor) because the FBT splitters are highly stable for multiport optical signal splitting with low insertion loss. FBT couplers are designed for power splitting and tapping in telecommunication equipment, CATV network, and test equipment

Fiber-Mart Fused Biconic Tapered (FBT) splitters are available with 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x5, 1x6, 1x8, 1x12, 1x16, 1x18, 1x20 and 1x24, 2x2, 2x4, 3x3 configurations with single mode or multimode fiber and we offer all type connectors of pre-connectorized like SC, FC, ST, LC and E2000 etc.
The 1x12 Multimode Dual Window Fiber Splitter with ABS Box can splitter the optical signals into 12 parts, and the coupling ratio can be customized

Key Features

• Low insertion loss
• Low polarization dependent loss
• High Return Loss
• Optional Split Ratio 20/80, 40/60...(50/50 as default.)
• Compact for small application areas like in closure or splice trays
• Wide Operating Temperature and Wavelength
• Excellent Environmental & Mechanical Stability
• Qualified Under Telcordia GR-1221 and GR-1209
• High Quality Plastic ABS Box
• Multimode Type: 62.5um/125 as default
• Wavelength of Dual Window: 850nm/1310nm as default

Applications

• FTTX (FTTP, FTTH, FTTN, FTTC)
• Passive Optical Networks (PON)
• Local Area Networks (LAN)
• CATV Systems
• Amplifying, Monitoring System
• Test Equipments

Order Information

For FBT Splitters, Fiber-Mart provides a whole series of this kind customized for specific applications:
a. Different coupling ratio can be customized according to your requirement.
b. Two out of the 1310nm, 1490nm and 1550nm operating wavelength can be selected.
c.1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x5, 1x6, 1x8, 1x12, 1x16, 1x18, 1x20, 1x24, 2x2, 2x4, 3x3 configurations of splitters are available.
d. 2. 0mm or 3.0mm LSZH fiber cables can be selected.
e. The length of input or output fibers can be also customized; 1m length as default.
Welcome to contact us for customized solutions.

Mechanical Drawing

Fiber-Mart offers cost-effective standards-based 1x12 FBT Splitter Multimode Dual Window Fiber Splitter with ABS Box. As a 3rd party OEM manufacturer, our 1x12 FBT Splitter Multimode Dual Window Fiber Splitter with ABS Box is delivered to worldwide from our factory directly, and they are all based on thin film filter technology and metal bonding micro optics packaging. What's more, our 1x12 FBT Splitter Multimode Dual Window Fiber Splitter with ABS Box are tested in-house prior to shipment to guarantee that they will arrive in perfect physical and working condition. Please contact us at sales@fiber-mart.com if you want to know more details.

OperatingWavelength(nm)	850nm/1310nm
Directivity(dB)	>55dB
OperatingTemperature	-20°C~+85°C
StorageTemperature	-40°C~+85°C
FiberType	CorningMultimodeSMF-28
FiberPigtailLength(m)	1morCustomonRequest

Brief introduction of CWDM XFP Transceiver

by Fiber-MART.COM

CWDM-XFP 10G-40 Transceiver

10G CWDM XFP is designed for single mode fiber and operates at a nominal wavelength of CWDM wavelength. There are four center wavelengths available from 1270nm to 1330nm, with each step 20nm.

Key Features

• The 10GB CWDM XFP 1270nm to 1330nm 40km optical transceiver
• Average Output Power:-1.8~4.0dBm
• Receiver Sensitivity:-15.8dBm
• High Quality with ISO9001, TUV, CE, FCC, UL and RoHS certificates
• Condition: Factory New
• Supports 9.95Gb/s to 11.1Gb/s bit rates
• Hot-Pluggable XFP footprint
• Operating Case Temperature Standard: 0°C~+70°C
• Duplex LC connector
• Temperature-Stabilized CWDM Rated EML Transmitte
• Build-in digital diagnostic functions

Applications

• 10GBASE-LR/LW 10G Ethernet
• 1200-SM-LL-L 10G Fiber Channel
• 10GE over G.709 at 11.09Gbp
• Other Optical Link

• Packaging

  • Antistatic bag
  • Packed on pallets in a box(Default Customer Options)
  • Specific Labels as Request
  • Seperate white Box for each transceiver

  OEM and ODM

  Combining our extensive design and engineering capability in optical transceiver industry, with our competitive advantages from integrated manufacturing capability, internal supply chain, and cost competitive and scalable operation infrastructure, Fiber-Mart provides OEM, ODM, and contract manufacturing service to world leading customers with our manufacturing facilities in China.We are also mainly engaged in providing complete sets of optoelectronic device solutions to gain more brand extensions and influence for Fiber-Mart in the world.
  • OEM/ODM order is available
  • We can supply CWDM-XFP10G-40 according to your requirements, and design CWDM-XFP10G-40 label and packaging for your company. We welcome any inquiry for customized CWDM XFP optical transceiver.

  Order Procedure

  Please contact us with any special requirements you may have, we can help you create a custom solution to meet almost any application. Our engineer will review the project and provide a quotation within 1-2 business days.
  a. Email (sales@fiber-mart.com) us a rough sketch to a detailed drawing.
  b. Our engineer will review the project and provide a quotation within 24 hours.
  c. We can arrange production as low as 1 piece and as high as 1,000 pieces in 1~4 business days once an order is placed.

  Shipment

  International Express: Fedex, DHL, UPS, TNT and EMS.If you have another preferred carrier, please notify us in advance.
  FedEx Overnight: It will take 1-3 business days (weekends and holidays excepted) for delivery.
  DHL: It will take 2-4 business days (weekends and holidays excepted) for delivery. For Spain, Italy, Brazil and some other countries, items will take longer time to arrive due to customs clearance period.

  Save Cost By Buying CWDM XFP From Original Manufacturer Fiber-Mart Directly.

  Fiber-Mart is an professional manufacturer & supplier of CWDM XFP transceivers. All of our CWDM XFP transceivers are tested in-house prior to shipping to guarantee that they will arrive in perfect physical and working condition. We guarantee CWDM XFP transceivers to work in your system and all of our CWDM XFP transceivers come with a lifetime advance replacement warranty. If you have questions about CWDM XFP optics, please feel free to contact us at sales@fiber-mart.com.

Assemble & Operation Video of SUNMA AFCM-2000 Fiber Cable Cutting Machine by Fiber-MART.COM

Assemble & Operation Video of SUNMA AFCM-2000 Fiber Cable Cutting Machine by Fiber-MART.COM

Why CPAK Transceiver is Different in 100G Solutions?

Why CPAK Transceiver is Different in 100G Solutions?

by Fiber-MART.COM

Nowadays, as the bandwidth, transmission speed and network traffic volumes continue to escalate, 100G transceiver market is booming and will be more popular in the future. At present, there are several types of 100G optical transceivers on the market: CFP, CFP2, CFP4, QSFP28 and 100G CPAK. All of them are playing a critical role in 100G networks. This post will give a detailed introduction of 100G CPAK module.

 

Overview of 100G CPAK Transceiver

CPAK transceiver is a hot-swappable I/O device that plugs into the 1-Port 100 Gigabit Ethernet EPA (EPA-1X100GE). It was launched by Cisco in 2013. The modules have a total of 82 pins (40 pins on the top row and 42 on the bottom row) on the electrical interface and either a duplex SC or 24-fibers MPO connector on the optical interface. CPAK is the first transceiver which is based on complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) photonics technology, aiming to provide industry-leading optical integration, performance, power savings, and scalability. Unlike other form factors like SFP+, QSFP and CFP family, 100G CPAK is totally Cisco propriety.

 

CPAK modules combine the greatest density and bandwidth with the lowest power consumption available in the market. And they are available in several IEEE-standard optical interface, which makes them well suit for connections in service provider data center, enterprise and edge networks.

 

What Makes CPAK Transceiver Different in 100G Networks?

 

As the increasing fierce competition between optical transceivers and the exploding demand for bandwidth on networks, many customers are eager to seek a solution to make 100G more cost-effective and significantly increase the density of 100G interfaces in networking equipment. Some vendors like fiber-mart.com have cut the price of 100G QSFP28 transceivers to offer big savings for their customers. Under this situation, what makes 100G CPAK module different?

 

COMS Based Technology

 

Although the data center and networks are struggling to keep up with the fast growth of data traffic, the limit of optical interconnect technologies is still a big problem. However, COMS technology offers an alternative for this matter. COMS photonics is a type of semiconductor technology controlling flow of photons in place of electrons. It integrates multiple circuit components in a highly efficient design, then printing entire circuits directly on silicon wafers to produce optical devices. This production method brings extremely efficient, low-power optical circuits. With the use of this technology, CPAK has smaller 100G footprint, which can offer higher port density.

 

Power Saving & High Density Port

 

In the past decades, even if the ASICs have developed rapidly, optical advanced come much more slowly. Although the optical interface reach 100 Gbps, the sheer physical size of the modules, excessive heat and power they dissipate are limiting the ability to scale networking and data center equipment to meet the increasing demand. Therefore, Cisco announced the 100G CPAK modules.

 

CPAK represents a significant advancement in optical networking, providing dramatic space and power efficiency. Compared with other alternative transceiver form factors such as CFP, Cisco CPAK modules can reduce space and power requirements by over 70 percent. And they can provide up to 20 percent greater port density and front-panel bandwidth than other competing products.

 

Summary

 

CPAK transceiver dramatically reduces space and power requirements, making 100Gbps network more widely deployable. Now, in order to maximize the benefits of our customers, fiber-mart.com has cut the price of QSFP 40G SR4 and QSFP28 100G SR4 modules. At the same time, fiber-mart.com will introduce 100G CPAK modules in the near future to provide more choices and better services for our clients. Welcome to visit our website www.fiber-mart.com for more detailed information.

News for Thursday 25 May, 2017
• Why Fiber Optic Cables Are The First Option For Data Transmission?
• Outdoor Fiber Optic Cables

Why Fiber Optic Cables Are The First Option For Data Transmission?

by Fiber-MART.COM

Fiber Optical Cable has brought a revolution to the data transmission system. As the earlier Electrical Wire System was difficult to manage and was sometimes also hazardous to life. With the emergence of Fiber Optical Cable, data transmission is no more an irksome job. It is now simplified, providing much more convenient than ever imagined.

Following Are The Reasons For Choosing Optical Cables For Network Cabling:

 

Safe To Use: Fiber Cable is far better than copper cable from the safety point of view. Copper and Aluminum Wire are good conductors of electricity and carry electric current. But when their outer insulated coating gets damaged, one can experience electric shock that can be dangerous to life. In this regard, Fiber Cables are safer to use because they do not transmit current but rather light waves.

 

Withstand Rough Conditions: Fiber Cable is capable of resisting tough conditions that co-axial or any other such cable cannot do. The reason is that other cables are usually made up of one or the other metal and are prone to corrosion, while Fiber Cable is covered with protective plastic coating with glass inside and transmits light impulses in spite of electric current, which make it resistant towards corrosion.

 

Long Distance Data Transmission: There cannot be any comparison in terms of data carrying capacity of Fiber Optical Cable and Copper Cable. Fiber Cable can transmit signals 50 times longer than Copper Cable.

 

Moreover, signal loss rate of Fiber Optical Wire is also very less, and thus does not need any kind of reminder in transmitting the signals at same pace. Fiber Cable has higher bandwidth that is amount of data communication resources available or consumed – this is the reason how Fiber Cable can transmit data at longer distances.

 

Easy Installation: Ethernet Cable is long and thin with intact cables inside. It is also light in weight which makes its installation at almost every place easier as compared to other wires.

 

No Electrical Interference: Fiber Optical Cable neither carries electric current nor need earthing. Therefore, it does not get affected by the electrical interferences. Fiber Cable is immune to moisture and lighting, which makes it ideal to be fitted inside the soil or an area where there is high Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).

 

Durable and Long Lasting: Fiber Optical Cable is durable and lasts longer than any other cable such as Co-Axial Cable, Copper Cable, etc. It is perfect for network cabling.

 

Data Security: Extra security can be provided with Fiber Optical Cable as it can be tapped easily and data transmitted through it remains secure, while in case of the Copper Cable there is no surety of data security and any loss of data cannot be obtained back.

 

There are various types of optical fiber cables available on the market, including 250um Bare Fiber, 900um Tight Buffer Fiber, Large Core Glass Fiber, Simplex Fiber Cable, Duplex Fiber Optic Cable, OM4 OM3 10G Fiber Cable, Indoor Distribution Cable, Indoor & Outdoor Cable, Outdoor Loose Tube Cable, Fiber Breakout Cable, Ribbon Fiber Cable, LSZH Fiber Optic Cable, Armored Fiber Optic Cable, FTTH Fiber Optic Cable, Figure 8 Aerial Cable, Plastic Optical Fiber, PM fiber & Special Fiber, etc. They are used for different applications, one must do a thorough research before buying fiber cables for network cabling.

Outdoor Fiber Optic Cables

by Fiber-MART.COM

Fiber optic cable provides protection for the fibers from the environment encountered in an installation. Outdoor Fiber Cable is designed strong to protect the fibers to operate safely in complicated outdoor environment, it can be buried directly, pulled in conduit, strung aerially or even placed underwater. While indoor cables don’t have to be that strong.

 

Outdoor fiber optic cable is composed of many fibers enclosed in protective coverings and strength members. Common features for fiber optic cable include polarization maintaining, graded index, and metalization. Most outdoor fiber cables are loose buffer design, with the strengthen member in the middle of the whole cable, the loose tubes surround the central strength member. Inside the loose tube there is waterproof gel filled, whole cable materials used and gels inside cable between the different components will help make the whole cable resist of water.

Typical outdoor fiber optic cable types are used for aerial, direct buried and duct applications.

 

Loose Tube Cables

 

Loose Tube cables are the most widely used cables for outside plant trunks, as it can be made with the loose tubes filled with gel or water absorbent powder to prevent harm to the fibers from water. Loose Tube Fiber Optic cables are composed of several fibers together inside a small plastic tube, which are in turn wound around a central strength member and jacketed, providing a small, high fiber count cable. They can be installed in ducts, direct buried and aerial/lashed installations for trunk and fiber to the premise applications. Loose tube cables with singlemode fibers are generally terminated by spicing pigtails onto the fibers and protecting them in a splice closure. Multimode loose tube cables can be terminated directly by installing a breakout kit, also called a furcation or fan-out kit, which sleeves each fiber for protection.

 

Ribbon Cable

 

Ribbon cable is preferred where high fiber counts and small diameter cables are needed. This cable has the highest packing density, since all the fibers are laid out in rows in ribbons, typically of 12 fibers, and the ribbons are laid on top of each other. Not only is this the smallest cable for the most number of fibers, it’s usually the lowest cost. Typically 144 fibers in ribbons only has a cross section of about 1/4 inch or 6 mm and the jacket is only 13 mm or 1/2 inch diameter! Some cable designs use a “slotted core” with up to 6 of these 144 fiber ribbon assemblies for 864 fibers in one cable! Since it’s outside plant cable, it’s gel-filled for water blocking or dry water-blocked. These cables are common in LAN backbones and data centers.

 

Armored Fiber Optic Cable

 

Armored cable is used in direct buried outside plant applications where a rugged cable is needed and/or for rodent resistance. Armored cable withstands crush loads well, for example in rocky soil, often necessary for direct burial applications. Cable installed by direct burial in areas where rodents are a problem usually have metal armoring between two jackets to prevent rodent penetration. Another application for armored fiber optic cable is in data centers, where cables are installed under the floor and one worries about the fiber cable being crushed. This means the cable is conductive, so it must be grounded properly.

 

Aerial Fiber Optic Cable

 

Aerial cables are for outside installation on poles. They can be lashed to a messenger or another cable (common in CATV) or have metal or aramid strength members to make them self supporting. A widely used Aerial Cable is optical power ground wire (OPGW) which is a high voltage distribution cable with fiber in the center. The fiber is not affected by the electrical fields and the utility installing it gets fibers for grid management and communications. This cable is usually installed on the top of high voltage towers but brought to ground level for splicing or termination.

 

Indoor/Outdoor Cables

 

Fiber Optic Indoor/Outdoor Cables are designed to meet both the stringent environmental requirements typical of outside plant cable AND the flammability requirements of premise applications. Ideal for applications that span indoor and outdoor environments. By eliminating the need for outside to inside cross-connection, the entire system reliability is improved and with lower overall installation costs.

 

Underwater and Submarine Cables

 

It is often necessary to install fibers under water, such as crossing a river or lake where a bridge other above water location is not possible. For simple applications a rugged direct burial cable may be adequate. For true undersea applications, cables are extremely rugged, with fibers in the middle of the cable inside stainless steel tubes and the outside coated with many layers of steel strength members and conductors for powering repeaters. Submarine cables are completed on shore, then loaded on ships and laid from the ship, often while operational to ensure proper operation.

 

fiber-mart.com offers a comprehensive range of multimode fiber cable and single-mode fiber optic cables. Indoor, outdoor, armoured, tight buffered or loose tube structures, which cover all possible applications.

How to Select the Suitable Copper Patch Panel?

by Fiber-MART.COM

In the data center, copper patch panel is an ideal method to create a flexible, reliable and tidy cabling system. Today, various types copper patch panels can be found in the market, such as shielded or unshielded, flat or angled, etc. So how to select the most suitable one for your applications? This article will guide you to make the right decision.

 

What Is Copper Patch Panel?

A copper patch panel is used in a local area network (LAN) as a mounted hardware assembly that contains ports to connect and manage incoming and outgoing Ethernet cables. The patch panels apply copper patch cords to create interconnection. Copper patch panels are designed for both shielded and unshielded copper cables like Cat 5e, Cat 6, Cat 6a and Cat7. And the configurations can be different from numbers of ports, such as 12-port, 24-port, 48-port, 96-port.

 

Copper Patch Panel Types

 

Shielded vs. Unshielded

 

There are shielded and unshielded copper cables. Thus, shielded and unshielded patch panels are required to match with cable applications. However, some may forget to consider this factor before buying a suitable patch panel. So you may wonder if it’s ok to use shielded cable with an unshielded patch panel.

 

It’s known that shielded patch panels are designed for high EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) environments, where interference is a risk. These patch panels can protect your high speed network from noise and EMI especially when the copper cables run near power cables.

 

Whether you can use unshielded patch panel for shielded cable, it depends on the environment in which your cable will run through. If the place has no high power electrical wires, you can go with unshielded patch panel. However, if you are in a noisy environment like using arc welders or near high power radio transmitters, then you should better select shielded. One more suggestion is that you may also consider the network speed. Both shielded and unshielded are ok for 1G while only shielded is proper for 10G network.

 

Flat vs. Angled

 

Copper patch panels include flat and angled types from appearance design. Flat patch panels help horizontal cable managers to organize and route cables into vertical managers. Angled patch panels are easy for cable termination and can improve patch cord routing. They serve as alternatives for management that need no rack space for horizontal management. The angled design increases rack density, managing high-density applications in one-fourth the area needed for conventional cable management systems. But angled panels are not good for cabinet installation due to the front depth requirements.

 

Common vs. High Density

 

Common patch panels are always designed in 8 or 12-port configurations. While high density patch panels are available in flat and angled designs with 24 or 48 ports configurations. High density patch panel is suitable for installations with limited space. It’s a good choice for small home and office networks. High-density patch panel is specially designed for fast Ethernet applications and conserves rack space. So space is the first factor to be considered for making the decision between common and high density patch panels.

 

Conclusion

 

Since there are so many types of copper patch panels in the market, choosing a suitable one is necessary for easy cable management. The above content has given a brief introduction of several common types. Hope it can help you make a choice when you prepare to buy patch panels.

How to Use Field Assembly Connector?

by Fiber-MART.COM

How to Use Field Assembly Connector?

 

The expansion of FTTH application has brought prosperity to the manufacturing of field assembly connectors for fast field termination. This type of connector gains its popularity due to the applicability to cable wiring and compact bodies which are easily stored in optical fiber housings. With excellent features of stability and low loss, field assembly connector has now become a reliable and durable solution for fiber optic systems. However, do you really know the field assembly process of the connector? This article provides an easy guide to show you the way of using field assembly connector.

 

Introduction to Field Assembly Connector

 

Before getting to know the instruction process, let’s have a look at the basic knowledge about field assembly connector. Field assembly connector or fast connector is an innovative field installable optical fiber connector designed for simple and fast field termination of single fibers. Without using additional assembling tools, field assembly connector can be quickly and easily connected to the drop cable and indoor cable, which saves a lot of required termination time. It is specially designed with the patented mechanical splice body that includes a factory-mounted fiber stub and a pre-polished ceramic ferrule. Field assembly connector is usually available for 250 µm, 900 µm, 2.0 mm and 3.0 mm diameter single-mode and multimode fiber types. The whole installation process only takes about 2 minutes which greatly improves the working efficiency.

 

Internal Structure of Field Assembly Connector

 

From the following figure, we can see the specific internal structure of field assembly connector. The ferrule end face of the connector is pre-polished in a factory for later connection with the fiber. A mechanical splice is also formed at the end of the ferrule for mechanical fixation of optical fiber. The mechanical splice consists two plates, one with a V groove, another with flat surface above the V groove, and a clamp for the insertion of the two plates. When inserting the fiber, a wedge clip will keep the V groove open for easier installation. After the fiber insertion, the wedge clip can be extracted from the V groove.

 

Features and Applications

 

Key Features

Field-installable, cost-effective, user-friendly

No requirement for epoxy and polishing

Quick and easy fiber termination in the field

No need for fusion splicer, power source and tool for pressure

Visual indication of proper termination

Applications

Fiber optic telecommunication

Fiber distribution frame

FTTH outlets

Optical cable interconnection

Cable television

 

Conclusion

Fiber assembly connector enables quick termination to improve reliable and high connector performance in FTTH wiring and LAN cabling systems. All the above solutions provided by fiber-mart.com are available to meet your requirements. Please visit the website for more information.

Common Passive Fiber Optical Splitters

Common Passive Fiber Optical Splitters

by Fiber-MART.COM

Fiber optic splitter, also named fiber optic coupler or beam splitter, is a device that can distribute the optical signal (or power) from one fiber among two or more fibers. Fiber optic splitter is different from WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) technology. WDM can divide the different wavelength fiber optic light into different channels, but fiber optic splitter divides the light power and sends it to different channels.

 

Work Theory of Optical Splitters

Optical splitters “split” the input optical signal that received by them between two optical outputs, simultaneously, in a pre-specified ratio 90:10 or 80:20. The most common type of fiber optic splitter splits the output evenly, with half the signal going to one leg of the output and half going to the other. It is possible to get splitters that use a different split ratio, putting a larger amount of the signal to one side of the splitter than the other. Splitters are identified with a number that represents the signal division, such as 50/50 if the split is even, or 80/20 if 80% of the signal goes to one side and only 20% to the other.

 

Some types of the fiber optic splitter are actually able to work in either direction. This means that if the device is installed in one way, it acts as a splitter and divides the incoming signal into two parts, sending out two separate outputs. If it is installed in reverse, it acts as a coupler, taking two incoming signals and combing them into a single output. Not every fiber optic splitter can be used this way, but those that can be labeled as reversible or as coupler/splitters.

 

Passive and Active Splitters Overview

 

Fiber optic splitters can be divided into active and passive devices. The difference between active and passive couplers is that a passive coupler redistributes the optical signal without optical-to-electrical conversion. Active couplers are electronic devices that split or combine the signal electrically and use fiber optic detectors and sources for input and output.

 

Passive splitters play an important role in FTTH (Fiber To The Home) networks by permitting a single PON (Passive Optical Network) network interface to be shared among many subscribers. Splitters include no electronics and use no power. They’re the community parts that put the passive splitter in PON network and are available in a wide range of break up ratios, including 1:8, 1:16, and 1:32.

 

Common Types of Passive Fiber Optic Splitter

 

Optical splitters are available in configurations from 1×2 to 1×64, such as 1:8, 1:16, and 1:32. There are two basic technologies for building passive optical network splitters: Fused Biconical Taper (FBT) splitter and Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) splitter. FBT coupler is an older technology and generally introduces more loss than the newer PLC Splitter. But both are used in PON network. Here is a brief introduction to them.

 

FBT Splitter

 

FBT coupler is a traditional technology with which fiber optic products can be made at a low cost but high-performance way. As this technology has developed over time, the quality of FBT splitters is good and they can be implemented in a cost-effective manner. Now FBT splitter is widely used in passive networks, especially where the split configuration is relatively smaller such as 1×2, 1×4, 2×2, etc. The following is a FBT splitter with ABS box.

 

PLC Splitter

 

PLC splitter offers a better solution for applications where larger split configurations are required. It uses an optical splitter chip to divide the incoming signal into multiple outputs. As the wide use of PLC splitter, there are various types of PLC splitter on the market. For example, blockless PLC splitters, fanout PLC splitter, bare PLC splitter, tray type PLC splitter, ABS PLC splitter, mini-plug in type PLC splitter, etc. Here is a 1×4 PLC splitter.

 

Summary

 

Enabling a single fiber interface to be shared among many subscribers, fiber optic splitter plays an increasingly significant role in many of today’s optical networks. As a professional optical products supplier, Fiberstore offers different types of high-quality splitters for your applications. If you want to know more details, please visit fiber-mart.com.

WDM PON And TWDM PON Technology

WDM PON And TWDM PON Technology

by Fiber-MART.COM

After the 10Gigabit PON(Passive Optical Network), WDM(Wavelength-division multiplexing) technology entered into traditional TDM PON fields. In April 2012, standard organization FSAN(Full Service Access Network) determined the time and wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network (TWDM PON) technology became the preferred solution for next-generation passive optical network stage-2 (NG-PON2) architecture after10G PON. To better understanding WDM PON, I list the WDM technology below.

What Is WDM?

 

WDM is a method of combining multiple signals on laser beams at various infared wavelengths for transmission along fiber optic media. WDM system uses a multiplexer at the transmitter to join the signals together, and a demultiplexer at the receiver to split them apart.

 

WDM systems are divided according to wavelength categories, generally course WDM (CWDM) and dense WDM (DWDM). CWDM operates with 8 channels (i.e., 8 fiber optic cables) in what is known as the “C-Band” or “erbium window” with wavelengths about 1550 nm (nanometers or billionths of a meter, i.e. 1550 x 10-9 meters). DWDM also operates in the C-Band but with 40 channels at 100 GHz spacing or 80 channels at 50 GHz spacing.

 

CWDM multiplexer module allows multiple optical signals at different wavelengths to pass through a single optical fiber strand. The common configuration of CWDM mux/demux module is 2CH, 4CH, 8CH, 16CH, 18CH CWDM mux/demux module.

 

DWDM Mux/Demux Modules – DWDM Mux and DWDM DeMux are designed to multiplex DWDM channels into one or two fibers. 50G DWDM Mux Demux is used to provide 50G transport solution for DWDM networking system. The common configuration is 4, 8, 16 and 32 channels, and also has 40, 44 channels. These DWDM modules passively multiplex the optical signal outputs from 4 or more electronic devices, send them over a single optical fiber and then de-multiplex the signals into separate, distinct signals for input into electronic devices at the other end of the fiber optic link.

 

WDM PON uses multiple different wavelengths over a physical point-to-multipoint fiber infrastructure that contains no active components (PON). Each provides a dedicated wavelength channel at the rate of 1Gbps to each optical network unit (ONU). The use of different wavelengths allows for traffic separation within the same physical fiber. The result is a network that provides logical point-to-point connections over a physical point-to-multipoint network topology. WDM-PON allows operators to deliver high bandwidth to multiple endpoints over long distances.

 

For simple network deployment and inventory management purposes, the ONUs use colorless tunable transmitters and receivers. The transmitter is tunable to any of the upstream wavelengths, while the receiver can tune to any of the downstream ones. Optical Amplifiers are employed at the OLT side to boost the downstream signals as well as to pre-amplify the upstream signals. ODN remains passive since both the optical amplifier and WDM Mux/Demux are placed at the OLT side.

 

This type of TWDM PON system is valuable in a market where multiple operators share one physical network infrastructure. Coexistence with previous PON generations in the legacy ODN depends on the TWDM PON wavelength plan, reuse the XG-PON wavelength bands, redefine the C-band enhancement band to contain both the upstream and downstream wavelengths and mixture of both of these plans.