TPE AND SILICONE ALMOST REAL SEX DOLLS – WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

When you’ve made the decision of buying a sex doll, you’re left to face one of the hardest decision which is regarding the material of the sex doll. Sex dolls are made of a variety of materials such as plastic, latex, silicone, TPE, etc. The most popular materials used for making almost real lifelike sex dolls are TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) and silicone. Both of these materials have their own pros and cons and are suitable for different people depending on their different requirements.

To make your choice easy, you might ask yourself a few questions: how much would you like to spend on a high-quality sex doll; whether you want to use the doll only for sex or you want to take her into hot showers with you; whether you want the doll to be more realistic or more durable; how often are you going to use the doll; how much time can you spend on maintenance; whether you want to dress her up in nice clothes or you don’t really care; whether you want a more flexible doll or a more real-looking doll. After you have the answers to these questions, read on to know the differences between real sex dolls made of TPE and silicone.

The technology of producing silicone and TPE have undergone many changes during the past few years and the techniques have been vastly improved. Silicone is basically a silicon rubber mixed with carbon,and oxygen.  TPE is a thermoplastic elastomer, which is basically plastic and rubber mixed together. Let us consider both these materials on a different basis.

Cost:

TPE dolls have been gaining great popularity over the recent years, much due to their low cost. The thermoplastic elastomer is very inexpensive to produce and the sex dolls, therefore, bear a low cost. Also, this low cost doesn’t mean poor quality, so it provides an added. Silicone sex dolls are expensive in comparison to the TPE ones, and therefore, only a few who are willing to spend some extra money can afford to buy silicone dolls. TPE basically provides for an inexpensive alternative to silicone sex dolls with almost the same quality as silicone.

Realistic:

Both TPE and silicone are soft materials, so both of them are almost similar in their degrees of realism, with only minor differences. But if we’re talking about realism and life-like feature, silicone sex dolls have an upper hand, because the silicone industry has grown and refined because of new technologies in the recent years. Silicone sex dolls have the most refined vagina and other body parts. And TPE industry is in its growing phase, so TPE sex dolls are not as well-defined as the silicone ones but still have a realistic touch to their appearance.

Porous/ Non-porous:

Realistic silicone sex dolls are non-porous. They are easy to sterilize and thus, are very hygienic. They have no pores where any moisture or water can be trapped. TPE dolls, on the other hand, contain pores, so they cannot be sterilized. This makes it difficult to clean them and moisture stays inside the vaginal and anal cavities, which can be unhygienic and can cause infections. However, both are materials are hypoallergenic.

True-to-life sensations:

One obviously wants to have true to life sensations while having sex with love dolls. Both TPE and silicone provide different  regarding these sensations. Although both TPE and silicone can retain warmth silicone is less sensitive to heat. So, you can take hot showers with your silicone doll but not with a TPE doll. Both TPE and silicone are soft materials, but TPE is more elastic which makes it smoother to touch than silicone which feels rather dense to touch, and can be sticky to touch, sometimes. This elasticity makes TPE sex doll’s breasts and butts will wiggle when you have sex with it, which makes it much sexier. Also, since TPE is an elastic material, it is more flexible so you can make different positions with her.

Maintenance:

Since silicone dolls are easy to clean and sterilize, they require very little to no maintenance. Also, silicone doesn’t stain easily. TPE is not as resistant to water, heat, stains as silicone, so it requires maintenance after regular intervals.

Longevity:

Silicone is said to be less durable than TPE, so TPE has an upper hand if we talk about the longevity. However, this largely depends upon the quality of material that is being used in making the doll.

To sum up, both silicone and TPE have their own pros and cons, and it can be difficult to make a choice between them while buying a sex doll. However, both TPE and silicone sex dolls come in good quality and are similar in many degrees. But different people have different preferences. Know your requirements well, and then decide which sex doll would be the best for you.

WHAT YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE BATHING WITH A SEX DOLL?

We doll lovers fancy the idea of being adventurous with our silicone consorts. Living out those erotic fantasies with our love dolls is one of those prime reasons one gives a positive nod to buying these dolls. But like those complicated romantic scenarios, here too, we have to look out for a few complexities that may arise when we take sex dolls in our reveries.

One of the common erotic desires that soothes the romantic impulses of us many would be the idea of bathing with our dolls. Well, it’s a stimulating thought that is hard to resist, but diving headfirst in the bathtub with your doll is not a recommended move - you'll hurt your head to begin **wink**. There are many things you must learn and look out for before going for a bath with your doll.

By following this guide, you can wipe off that confusion which bothers you regarding bathing with your TPE sex doll. Here, we will step-by-step cover the factors you must consider before taking a dip with your doll companion. So, without further adieu, let’s begin -

The Applied Cleansers  

Can’t bathe without soap and bubbles now, can we? In here, that’s the first aspect we cover. The soaps, conditioners, or shampoos we use might not be a suitable option for our sex dolls. The cleansers for our beloved dolls are often different from what we apply on our skin. The regular soaps might not react well to the skin texture of the dolls. Although certain dolls display high resistance to ordinary soaps and chemicals but resistance is not equivalent to immunity. So, exercising caution is a wise man’s choice. 

Almost every love doll manufacturing company prescribes specific soaps and detergents that are friendly to the skin and health of their product. So, going with these recommended products is our prescribed lane. If you're in doubt, baby shampoo and soap is always a good choice. Do a patch test on some small body part, e.g. bottom of her heal, to see if there are any adverse effect before going all in. 

The Head of the Doll 

Now we come down (or top?) to the second aspect that demands a mindful approach. The head of the doll requires different cleaning tactics and submerging it in plain water isn’t one of them. Certain pieces of equipment are designated for this task. The hair, eyes, lips and other parts of the face are required to be cleaned in a separate manner. The makeup and other face beautifying applications can sometimes be included in this process. In some cases, water or moisture will remain inside the head cavities of your doll that may lead to damage or mold. The bottom line is - enjoy the ambiance of a romantic evening in a bathtub, but without drowning the head of your love doll. 


Apt Water Temperature 

The last and final aspect we need to invest our attention in, the water temperature. Silicone sex dolls aren’t designed to stand extreme temperatures and that’s what we must look out for. The lukewarm water is the best fit if you plan on diving neck-deep with your dolls. Even though many dolls don’t display any such delicacy towards water temperature, but still, paying heed to the advised procedure is the best way to go. Even while casual cleaning of dolls, the aspect of apt water temperature should not be ignored.

Finishing Touches

The bath or shower is now done. Hopefully, you two had fun! Before storing your dolly back, make sure she's completely dry - inside and out to avoid mold or skeleton rust. Dry off her skin and apply some baby powder or corn starch so absorb the excess moisture. 

Conclusion 

Finally, we hit the concluding grounds. In this guide, we talked about various areas and aspects that must be given an attentive thought before going for a sexy bath with a love doll. We learned that simple cleaning, washing and bathing might not go well with the sex dolls as they demand some sophisticated measures when it comes to bathing and cleaning.

SEX DOLL MANUFACTURER HIGHLIGHT - IRONTECH

So, you have found your way here, well then, we would like to welcome you to the society of masterful unconventional craftsmen, i.e.Irontechdoll.They are the minds behinds familiarizing the world withsex dolls. Taking pride in their unique crafty design that breathes life into these inanimate gorgeous dolls, this unique organization is slowly becoming the face of the sex doll industry.


Irontechdoll is a world of archetypal doll smiths. It is a diverse landscape with various minds always bubbling with innovative ideas. The world as we see is still hesitant to the concept of sex dolls. To many in our society, these dolls stand on the road of taboo, but the idealists that they are, believe every phenomenon start off as taboo.


Their creations epitomize the unspoken desires many hide deep within their consciousness. What they do, finds its accomplishment when those cloaked needs are satiated. The inventor of bespoke inventions for those unspoken desires, that’s them.


At Irontech Doll, many hands work by the code of diligence. They never fancy themselves with the idea of aggressive marketing with bland product design. Irontechdoll never portrays itself as a mere doll factory in the adult industry rather it’s a company that is as alive as its creations.  They are more about depth than quality. So, a brief glimpse of their work will help you understand better -

Creation of Lifelike magnificence

Their well-crafted design speaks for itself. They are the ones who can’t spell dull and inorganic when it comes to sketching their craft. However, they do carry a pragmatic outlook as well. It takes the fusion of both analytics and creativity to make those abstract models structured to reality. 

The purpose of sex dolls can take diverse shifts and they model their dolls by keeping those disparate needs of customers in mind.Irontech dolls don’t merely boast of superficial aesthetics, it’s overall lifelike glow is a result of a meticulously designed blueprint which covers everything that would make it near-human perfect. 

By stressing on human physiological aspects like a skeleton, hair, touch of skin, private parts, they have finally reached the pinnacle of near-alive sex doll models. From its look to its touch, every process is carried by a methodical approach. Makeup work as the final touch to add more to the grace. Each model is given a distinctive identity in the form of a unique name. This name is more humane than a mere product code. 

These steps homogenize to create a realistic design that radiates an appealing aura.

The presence of Irontechdoll is scattered all around the planet. Its relation with the market is more than a demand-supply association. They are the players who read the market. Understanding the current flow of trend, the contemporary nature of demand and incorporating that all in their design models is an approach followed by them.

From small-time retailers to giant wholesalers, their multifaceted affiliation at various levels helps them make their presence known across the globe. They take due consideration of the complex design of the market. The audience they entertain can never slot their desires under a particular type or category. It’s an ever-changing market. 

The entire Irontechdoll team is very well versed with this form of trade. Understanding the unspoken is more like its signature trait. 

“Their expertise in covering each and every shade of desire that people bury deep in their psyche takes the credit of enabling them to maintain a firm footing in the industry.”

They never play favorites, they create favorites. They highly value the customer feedback they receive.Let your work speakis something this organization abides by. 

 They value their customers. The very core of the company is built around the principles of consumer satisfaction. Each and every product that their hands have worked on, derived its inspiration from the mood of their target audience. They understand the volatile nature of sexual interests. They can never be specifically categorized.

But Iron Tech team is mindful of the changing interests their customers carry. What they create, has glimpses of those interests. Their design policy is created in such a manner that it provides them with a customer perspective that ultimately aids them in creating products that resonate with their overall customer base. 

This separates them from the herd. A creation that speaks the language of their customer’s needs serves as a foundation for all the operations they undertake. The amount of effort they put on a realistic and alluring design leads them to consumer satisfaction and that’s exactly what they believe. 

Common Armored Fiber Optic Cables

Armored fiber optic cables are often installed in a network for added mechanical protection, as they have extra reinforcing in the cable housing to prevent damage. Two types of armored fiber optic cables exist: interlocking and corrugated. Interlocking armor is an aluminum armor that is helically wrapped around the cable and found in indoor and indoor/outdoor cables. It offers ruggedness and superior crush resistance. Corrugated armor is a coated steel tape folded around the cable longitudinally. It is found in outdoor cables and offers extra mechanical and rodent protection.

 

The Structure Of An Armored Fiber Optic Cable

 

In basic armored fiber cable designs, the outer sleeve provides protection against wind, solvents, and abrasion. This outer sleeve is usually made of plastic such as polyethylene. The next layer between the sleeve and the inner jacket is an armoring layer of materials that are difficult to cut, chew, or burn, such as steel tape and aluminum foil. This armoring material also prevent the fiber from being stretched during cable installation. Ripcords are usually provided directly under the armoring and the inner sleeve to aid in stripping the layer for splicing the cable to connectors or terminators. The inner jacket is a protective and flame retardant material to support the inner fiber cable bundle. The inner fiber cable bundle includes strength members, fillers and other structures to support the fibers inside. There are usually a central strength member to support the whole fiber cable.

 

There are several potential jacket materials are considered for armored indoor outdoor cable. The choice of jacket material depends on the required level of flame retardance in the final cable, including Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) jacket, Halogen Free Polyolefins (HFPO) and Coated Steel Armor. Armored cable is also available with a double-armor protective jacket for added protection in harsh environments. The steel armor should always be properly grounded to an earth ground at all termination points, splice locations and all building entrances.

 

OM1 62.5/125 Multimode Duplex Fiber Optic Pigtail

 

Benefits Of Installing Armored Cable

 

During some fiber optic installations, there is a need to provide extra protection for the cable due to the installation environment. That environment may be underground or in buildings with congested pathways. Installing an armored fiber-optic cable in these scenarios would provide extra protection for the optical fiber and added reliability for the network, lessening the risk of downtime and cable damage due to rodents, construction work, weight of other cables and other factors.

 

But one inconvenience is the need to bond and ground the cable. This inconvenience can be eliminated by using a dielectric-armored cable. Dielectric-armored cable options exist that offer the required protection without the hassle of grounding and bonding the armor, or the extra steps of installing a conduit and cable when the cable is without any armored protection.

 

Compared With Other Common Fiber Optic Cables

 

These armored fiber optic cables are the same diameter with commonly seen 2mm O.D or 3mm O.D cables, and their optical performance is also same as the common fiber optic cables. The difference is armored fiber cables are with stainless steel armor inside the cable jacket and outside the optical fiber, this stainless steel armour are strong enough to make the cables anti-rodent and the whole cable can resist the steps by an adult people.

 

Armored fiber optic patch cables are also can be single mode and multimode types, the connectors optional including commonly used LC, SC, ST, FC, E2000, MU, SMA, etc. Cable structure can be simplex, duplex or multi-fiber types. Armored fiber cables from fiber-mart.com can be with custom made colors and cable length, they are manufactured according to industrial and international standards.

Fiber Optic Patch Cable & Its Production Process

Introduction of Fiber Optic Patch Cable

Fiber optic patch cable, also called fiber optic patch cord or fiber patch cord, is one of the most basic and important parts in optical communication. Fiber optic patch cable is generally used for linking the equipment and components in the fiber optic network, eg. linking between the fiber optic converter and termination box. At the ends of fiber optic patch cable, there are fiber optic connectors. In general, the fiber optic patch cable types are classified by the fiber optic connector types. The commonly used fiber optic patch cable types include SC fiber patch cord, ST fiber optic patch cord, LC fiber optic patch cord, FC fiber optic patch cord etc. In addition, if fiber optic patch cable has the same type of connector on both ends, we call it the same connector type fiber patch cable, otherwise, it is called hybrid fiber optic patch cables. According to its fiber cable mode or fiber cable structure, fiber optic patch cable can be divided into singlemode fiber optic patch cable and multimode fiber optic patch cable or simplex fiber optic patch cable and duplex fiber optic patch cable.

 

 

Production Process of Fiber Optic Patch Cable

The traditional production process of fiber optic patch cable can be divided into three parts: assembly of fiber optic cable andconnectors, end face polishing, inspection & testing. As we know, when the optical signal transmitted through the end face of the fibers, due to back reflection or other reasons, it will have a part of loss. A good polishing end face is very necessary for fiber optic transmission. Thus, among the three parts of fiber optic patch cable production process, the latter two parts are very important for producing a high quality fiber optic patch cable. And this is why many manufactures attach great importance to introduce the advanced equipment and technology to achieve good performance in this operation.

 

In order to achieve best results, a good fiber optic patch cord production includes the following 8 elements:

 

Correct tools and assembly procedures is necessary

Using high quality fiber optic connector parts

Stable polishing machines is very important

>High quality polishing sandpaper

Correct operating procedures

Accurate and reliable test equipment

Responsible and experienced operators

Clean and dust-free working environment

 

Fiber Optic Patch Cable Using Tips

 

When using fiber optic patch cable, we need to pay attention to some details. The following tips will give you some help to more understand the fiber optic patch cables during its application.

 

Choose the right cable with right connectors and lengths according to your requirement.

An unused or spare fiber optic patch cable should be protected with the dust caps. Because contamination, such as dust and grease will damage the fiber optic connectors on the ends of the fiber patch cable.

When you plan to use fiber optic patch cables, be sure what type of cable mode would you need. In general, singlemode fiber optic patch cable is yellow while its connectors and protective cover is blue. singlemode fiber optic patch cable is usually for long distance transmission. Multimode fiber is generally orange or grey, with a cream or black connector that is used for shorter distance transmission.

Don’t excessively bent the fiber optic patch cable when using that will increase the attenuation of optical signal in transmission.

When using with the fiber optic transceiver module, you should ensure that the fiber optic transceiver modules in both ends of the fiber patch cable should be the same wavelength. There is a simple method to judge: ensure the color of the modules must be consistent.

 

Fiber Optic Patch Cable Solution

fiber-mart provides a full set of fiber optic patch cable solution cover from the production processes, product series introduction, description, application and using guide to after-sale maintenance that can satisfy our customers with a full range of services. In addition, fiber-mart can also offer the custom service for your special requirements. We will keep on improving to achieve offering the high quality fiber optic patch cables for your projects.

 

Compact SFP (CSFP) – What it is and when it is used?

SFP type and BiDi SFP type optical modules are very popular and widely used in optical communication while CSFP (Compact Small Form-Factor Pluggable) optical transceivers are much more rare. In this article we would like to explain main difference between SFP, BiDi SFP and Compact SFP, mention in which scenarios Compact SFPs are mostly used, which vendors in which platforms support them and how it relates back to EDGE Optical Solutions CSFP portfolio.

 

SFP, BiDi SFP and Compact SFP (CSFP) differences.

 

As an old Chinese proverb goes: “One Picture is Worth Ten Thousand Words” let’s start with a Picture where we can see detailed differences between SFP, BiDi SFP and Compact SFP (CSFP) optical modules link construction principles:

 

SFP principle:

 

We know that for one of most widely used product types in our industry SFP we have 2 ports one is TX which is used to transmit the signal and other port is RX which is used to receive the signal. This communication require 2 optical fiber connection. To make connection we simply use 2pcs of this product type put in Site A and in Site B, correctly plug optical cables and we will get the link up and communication can start.

 

BiDi SFP principle:

 

If we go further BiDi SFP modules are as well very popular, key advantage for BiDi SFP comparing to regular SFP is that we only need to use 1 optical fiber to make same 1xGE transfer. In situations where fiber resources are scarce or operator needs to rent out fiber, BiDi SFP brings significant benefit to the network design and can reduce the cost a lot. BiDi SFPs work in pairs, there are A side and B side modules. A side modules on standard distances 3-40km have Tx: 1310nm and Rx:1490nm or Tx:1310nm and Rx:1550nm, while B Side modules on standard distances will have Tx:1490nm Rx:1310nm or Tx:1550nm and Rx:1310nm. We should connect them accordingly in pairs Tx:1310nm/Rx:1490nm A side together with Tx:1490nm/Rx:1310nm B side OR Tx:1310nm/Rx:1550nm A side together with Tx:1550nm/Rx:1310nm B and we will get the link running.

 

Compact SFP (CSFP) principle:

 

Compact SFP (CSFP) goes even further, by using same SFP port we can have 2 BiDi bidirectional streams of traffic, thus we can get 2xGE out from one SFP port. Only thing which is required that equipment line card support CSFP and actually for this not so many vendor equipment has been designed to accept CSFP modules.

 

When Compact SFP (CSFP) is used?

 

Most commonly CSFP is used in Central Office/Aggregation site operating at Tx1&Tx2:1490nm Rx1&Rx2:1310nm and it get’s connected to 2 CPE sites which have simple BiDi SFP operating in Tx:1310nm Rx:1490 at each site. Compact SFP (CSFP) major application is to use it in FTTx scenario where we have (point-to-point) connections from Central Office/Aggregation Site to (CPE) Customer Premises Equipment. With help of CSFP we can double the Central Office/Aggregation Site port density (we can achieve 2xGE from one aggregation site port) and as well reduce power consumption in Central Office as we use 2 times less ports.

 

Which Vendor platforms support Compact SFP (CSFP)?

 

Most popular vendors which support Compact SFP are Cisco, Huawei and Nokia (ex. Alcatel) and here as well we need to be careful as not all Cisco, Huawei and Nokia (ex. Alcatel) platforms will support Compact SFPs.

 

Cisco Catalyst 4500 and GLC-2BX-D:

 

One of most popular Cisco platform which support CSFP optical modules is Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series which when used with X4640-CSFP-E line card accepts CSFP optical modules. Normally in this line card we can have 40xGE as 40 SFP ports are available, but if we use CSFP optical modules in same 40 SFP ports we can get 80xGE.

How the Fiber Optics Attenuators work?

An optical attenuator is a passive device used to reduce the power level of an optical signal, either in free space or in an optical fiber. There are various types of them from the fixed ones, step-wise variable, and continuously variable.

 

Attenuators are usually used when the signal arriving at the receiver is too strong and hence may overpower the receiving elements. This may occur because of a mismatch between the transmitters/receivers, or because the media converters are designed for a much longer distance than for which they are being used.

 

Sometimes attenuators are also used for stress testing a network link by incrementally reducing the signal strength until the optical link fails, determining the signal’s existing safety margin.

 

Although fiber optic attenuators are normally used in SM (Single Mode) circuits, because this is where the stronger lasers are used for distance transmission, there are also multi mode attenuators available.

 

The most common version of attenuators are male to female units, often called plug-style or buildout style. These plug-style attenuators simply mount on one end of a fiber optic cable, allowing that cable to be plugged into the receiving equipment or panel.

 

There are also female to female (bulkhead) attenuators, often used to mount in patch panels or for connecting two fiber optic cables together. More expensive, but useful for testing, are variable attenuators which are adjustable between 1dB and 30dB.

 

Fiber optic attenuators are usually used in two scenarios.

 

The first case is in power level testing. Optical attenuators are used to temporarily add a calibrated amount of signal loss in order to test the power level margins in a fiber optic communication system. In the second case, optical attenuators are permanently installed in a fiber optic communication link to properly match transmitter and receiver optical signal levels.

 

How many types of Optical Attenuators (OA) can you find?

 

There are four different types of OA and they can take a number of different forms and are typically classified as fixed or variable attenuators. What's more, they can be classified as LC, SC, ST, FC, MU, E2000 etc. according to the different types of connectors.

 

1. Fixed Attenuators: Fixed optical attenuators used in fiber optic systems may use a variety of principles for their functioning. Preferred attenuators use either doped fibers, or misaligned splices, or total power since both of these are reliable and inexpensive.

 

 

 

Inline style attenuators are incorporated into patch cables. The alternative build out style attenuator is a small male-female adapter that can be added onto other cables. 

 

Non-preferred attenuators often use gap loss or reflective principles. Such devices can be sensitive to modal distribution, wavelength, contamination, vibration, temperature, damage due to power bursts, may cause back reflections, may cause signal dispersion etc.

 

2. Loopback Attenuators: Loopback fiber optic attenuator is designed for testing, engineering and the burn-in stage of boards or other equipment. Available in SC/UPC, SC/APC, LC/UPC, LC/APC, MTRJ, MPO for single mode application. 

 

 

3. Built-in Variable Attenuators: Built-in variable optical attenuators may be either manually or electrically controlled. A manual device is useful for one-time set up of a system, and is a near-equivalent to a fixed attenuator, and may be referred to as an "adjustable attenuator". In contrast, an electrically controlled attenuator can provide adaptive power optimization.

 

Attributes of merit for electrically controlled devices, include speed of response and avoiding degradation of the transmitted signal. Dynamic range is usually quite restricted, and power feedback may mean that long-term stability is a relatively minor issue.

 

The speed of response is a particularly major issue in dynamically reconfigurable systems, where a delay of one millionth of a second can result in the loss of large amounts of transmitted data.

 

Typical technologies employed for high-speed response include liquid crystal variable attenuator (LCVA), or lithium niobate devices.

 

There is a class of built-in attenuators that is technically indistinguishable from test attenuators, except they are packaged for rack mounting, and have no test display.

 

4. Variable Optical Test Attenuators: this type generally uses a variable neutral density filter. Despite the relatively high cost, this arrangement has the advantages of being stable, wavelength insensitive, mode insensitive, and offering a large dynamic range.

How effective is high power in line optical isolator?

An opto-isolator is also known as optocoupler or optical isolator. It is the component that is transferring electric signals between two isolated circuits by using light. The isolators are preventing high voltages from affecting the system receiving the signal. The 1064nm High Power In Line Optical Isolator is a favorite choice for fiber optical isolators. There are manufacturers developing the differently sizes isolators with high power.

 

The light is reflected forward and backward in the isolator and it is valid in fiber optic correspondence system. A large portion of the reflections are unsafe in fiber optic systems and a large portion of the reflections are unsafe to the security of the framework which is valid for lasers. The manufacturers use a unique fusing technique to build SM fused WDM. It possesses the features of low insertion and low excess loss.

 

Here are the features of Fused WDM –

 

Good stability and reliability

Low PDL

Low insertion loss

High wavelength isolation

The optical isolator is used in the following applications –

 

Communication systems

EDFA module

Optical fiber amplifier

Optical fiber laser

The optical isolators are gadgets that transmit light in one way. It assumes an essential part in fiber optic frameworks by halting back-reflection and scattered light from achieving delicate segments.

 

How do optical isolators work?

 

The workings of an optical isolator depend upon polarization. An isolator is made out of a couple of direct polarizers and a Faraday rotator. The Faraday is sitting between the two polarizers and the two direct polarizers have spellbound light that is 45 degrees away. The Faraday rotator pivots the plane of polarization of lights regardless of the light voyaging bearing.  The Faraday rotator will pivot the enraptured light from the primary polarizer by 45° which precisely coordinates the polarization plane of the second polarizer.

 

The high power dual stage optical isolator is designed for high power applications by guiding light in the normal direction while minimizing back reflection. It is the ideal choice for applications in fiber amplifiers, optical fiber sensors, and pump laser diodes. The rugged laser systems are built to withstand extreme environments, from harsh temperatures and pressures to shock and vibration, allowing them to successfully operate in military and aerospace applications.

What Makes 40G Active Optical Cable So Popular?

40G active optical cable (AOC) is a high performance, low power consumption, long reach interconnect solution supporting 40G Ethernet, fiber channel and PCIE. It is widely used in many fields as well as promoting the traditional data center to step into optical interconnection. Compared to 40G copper direct attach cables and 40GBASE QSFP+ optics, what makes 40G AOC so popular?

 

What Is 40G AOC?

40G AOC, is a type of active optical cable for 40GbE applications that is terminated with 40GBASE QSFP+ transceiver on one end while on the other end, it can be terminated with QSFP+ connector, SFP+ connector, or LC/SC/FC/ST connector. Active optical cable uses electrical-to-optical conversion on the cable ends to improve speed and distance performance of the cable without sacrificing compatibility with standard electrical interfaces. QSFP+ AOC integrates four data lanes in each direction with 40Gbps aggregate bandwidth. Each lane can operate at 10Gbps with lengths ranging from one to 100m. It is compliant with the QSFP MSA and IEEE P802.3ba. The following picture shows the structure of an active optical cable and three different kinds of QSFP+ AOC.

 

Advantages of 40G AOC

40G AOCs have great advantages over 40G copper DACs and 40GBASE QSFP+ optics. 40G AOCs cost lower than SR4 modules and do not need to use with extra fiber patch cables. In particular, 40G breakout AOCs, such as 40GBASE QSFP+ to 4xSFP+ or 40GBASE QSFP+ to 8xLC AOCs are cost-effective solutions to achieve 40G migration. Additionally, using AOCs, there are no cleanliness issues in optical connector and there is no need to do termination plug and test when troubleshooting, which can help user save more time and money. 40G AOCs achieve longer reach, have lower weight and tighter bend radius, which enables simpler cable management and the thinner cables allows better airflow for cooling. Besides, AOCs have better consistency and repeatability cabling performance. With the integration and sealed design, AOCs can avoid the influence of environment and vibration. Additionally, for troubleshooting, AOCs are more easier to manage. Because users do not need to do a seires of termination plug and test on-site as they do when using SR4 modules and patch cables.

 

Applications of 40G AOC

40G AOC is commonly used for short-range multi-lane data communication and interconnect applications, for it provides light weight, high performance, low power consumption, low interconnection loss, EMI immunity and flexibility. QSFP AOC supports InfiniBand QDR/DDR/SDR, Ethernet (10 and 40Gbps), Fibre Channel (8 and 10 Gbps), SAS and other protocol applications. AOCs are highly recommended to use in data center interconnection.

 

The market of active optical cables keeps growing and has a broad prospect. Fiberstore AOCs achieve high data rates over long reaches which provide solutions for high-performance computing and storage applications. We offer all kinds of QSFP+ cable and 40G QSFP products with high performance and quality guaranteed.

100G QSFP28 Fiber Optic Modules and Standards

The developing of 100G fiber optic transceiver has experienced a lot of challenges, thus various types of 100G fiber optic transceivers are being invented. Many 100G modules appeared on the market for a while and disappeared soon. Now it seems that 100G QSFP28 module will win the competition. It has the same cabling structure as 40G QSFP+ module and high density feature, which allows network upgrade to 100G with lower cost and less time. This post will introduce several commonly used 100G QSFP28 modules and standards.

 

QSFP28 module uses four lanes for 100G optical signal transmitting like 40G QSFP+. However, each lane of QSFP28 can transmit 25G optical signal. To fit the various requirements in practical applications, IEEE and MSA standards that support different transmission distances and fiber types are being published.

 

100G QSFP28 SR4 

100G QSFP28 SR4 is a standard published by IEEE. 100G QSFP28 SR4 module uses eight multimode fibers for 100G dual-way transmission over 850nm. It can support a transmission distance up to 70m over OM3 and 100m OM4 with a MTP interface. 12-fiber MTP OM3/OM4 trunk cables are suggested to be used with QSFP-100G-SR4 modules. 100Gbase-SR4 QSFP28 is the most popular QSFP28 module according to research.

 

100G QSFP28 LR4

100G QSFp28 LR4 is another 100G standards published by IEEE. It focuses on longer transmission distance over single-mode fiber. 100G QSFP28 LR4 has a duplex LC interface and uses WDM technologies to achieve 100G dual-way transmission over four different wavelengths around 1310nm. It can support distances up to 10km.

 

Although IEEE has defined two 100G standards separately for short and long distances, the requirements of various applications cannot be fully satisfied. For instances, the 100G-QSFP-LR4 module can support 10km, which is too much for a lot of single-mode applications. It would be uneconomical to buy a 10km module for just 1km or 2km application. MSA has published two 100G standards — 100Gbase-PSM4 and 100Gbase-CWDM4, which can help to decrease the cost of 100G deployment.

 

100G QSFP28 PSM4

100G QSFP28 PSM4  module has a MTP interface working on wavelength of 1310nm for 100G transmission over single-mode fibers. It can support transmission distance up to 500 meters. 100G QSFP28 PSM4 module is much cheaper than 100Gbase-LR4 QSFP28 module. And 500 meter’s transmission distance can cover a wide range of applications.

 

100G QSFP28 CWDM4

For longer transmission distance, 100G QSFP28 CWDM4 is suggested, which supports a distance up to 2km over single-mode fiber optic cable. 100Gbase-CWDM4 standard is published by MSA, which is a more cost-effective solution for a wide range of applications compared with 100Gbase-LR4. This module uses CWDM technologies to transmit the 100G optical signal via a duplex LC interface over wavelengths near 1310nm.

 

100G QSFP28 DAC

100G QSFP28 family also includes a series of direct attach cables. There are mainly two types of QSFP28 DAC, which are QSFP28 to QSFP28 DAC and QSFP28 to SFP28 DAC. These QSFP28 DACs are cost-effective solution for 100G transmission less than 5 meters.

 

Conclusion

There are many ways to transmit to 100G network. 100G QSFP28 modules are the suggested methods. Both IEEE and MSA published standards for 100G QSFP28. For short distance transmission over multimode, 100Gbase-SR4 QSFP28 module is suggested. For single-mode applications, 100Gbase-PSM4 supporting 500m, 100Gbase-CWDM4 supporting 2km and 100Gbase-LR4 supporting 10km are available. The above table shows the basic information of these modules for your reference.

How Much Do You Know About the Ports on WDM Mux/DeMux?

WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) Mux/DeMux (Multiplexer/De-Multiplexer) is one of the most important components of WDM systems. You can easily find that there are many ports on the Mux/DeMux with 1RU housing. So, how much do you know about them? And why we need them on the equipment?

 

Common Port

The connection point of a WDM product where combined channels appear. For a MUX product, combined channels are transmitted from the common port. For a DEMUX, the combined channels are received at the common port.

 

Express or Upgrade Port

For CWDM products, there will normally be either an upgrade or an express port, but not both. The upgrade or express port on a CWDM Mux or DeMux is used to add, drop, or pass through additional channels which enables the cascading of two CWDM Mux/DeMux modules, doubling the channel capacity on the common fiber link.

 

For DWDM products, the purpose of an upgrade port is to be able to add, drop, or pass through C-band DWDM channels not already in use, namely only channels that reside in the band 1530 – 1565 nm. If the DWDM product also has an express port, then that port is normally used for additional channels residing outside the C-band, such as most of the CWDM channels.

 

1310nm Port

The 1310nm port is a wide band optic port added to other specific CWDM wavelengths in a module. For example if an 8 channel CWDM is called out it may use wavelengths 1470 nm to 1610 nm and request the 1310nm port. The 1310nm port is used in some legacy networks and sometimes as a return path. If an existing legacy network is using 1310nm port and they have exhausted all fibers and are looking for ways to increase their network capacity they can add in other CWDM wavelengths on to the same fiber while still allowing the use of the 1310nm port. Meanwhile, it can carry LR optics, LX optics etc.

 

1550nm Port

Similar to 1310nm port, allows a legacy 1550nm signal to pass and can carry ER optics, ZR optics, LX optics, ZX optics etc.

 

Monitor Port

This port is used to monitor or test the power signal coming out of a Muxed CWDM or before it gets demuxed from the signal coming through the fiber network usually at a 5% or less power level. Generally, it can be connected with measurement or monitoring equipment, such as power meters or network analyzers. Network administrators will use this to test of monitor if a signal has failed or changed without having to interrupt the existing network.

 

WDM-equipmentAs is mentioned above, the commonly used ports on WDM Mux/DeMux are with different applications. Each device has common port, but might not has express or upgrade port, 1310nm port, 1550nm port or monitor port. These ports are belong to special service and can be custom to equip with the device according to your requirement. If you have any demand on CWDM or DWDM Mux/DeMux, as well as OADM, I highly recommended you to visit www.fiber-mart.com as they can support various of WDM equipment with competitive price and ready stock advantages.

Differences Between SFP, BiDi SFP and Compact SFP

As we know, a common SFP transceiver is generally with two ports, one is TX port which is used to transmit the signal, and the other one is RX port which is used to receive signals. Unlike common SFP transceiver, BiDi SFP transceiver is only with one port which uses an integral WDM coupler to transmit and receive signals over a single strand fiber. In fact, the compact SFP is a 2-channel BiDi SFP, which integrates two BiDi SFPs in one SFP module. Therefore, a compact SFP is also with two ports as the common SFP.

 

Differences Between SFP, BiDi SFP and Compact SFP

 

SFP, BiDi SFP and Compact SFP Connection Methods

All SFP transceivers must be used in pairs. For common SFPs, we should connect the two SFPs which have the same wavelength together. For example, we use a 850nm SFP at one end, then we must use a 850nm SFP on the other end (shown in the figure below).

 

common SFP

 

For BiDi SFP, since it transmits and receives signals with different wavelengths, we should connect the two BiDi SFPs which have the opposite wavelength together. For example, we use a 1310nm-TX/1490nm-RX BiDi SFP at one end, then we must use a 1490nm-TX/1310nm-RX BiDi SFP on the other end (shown in the figure below).

 

BiDi SFP

The compact SFP (GLC-2BX-D) usually uses 1490nm to transmit signal and the 1310nm to receive signal. Therefore, the compact SFP is always connected to two 1310nm-TX/1490nm-RX BiDi SFP over two single-mode fibers (shown in the figure below).

 

Compact SFP

 

BiDi SFP and Compact SFP Applications

At present, the BiDi SFP is mostly used in FTTx deployment P2P (point-to-point) connection. A FTTH/FTTB active Ethernet network consists of a central office (CO) connecting to the customer premises equipment (CPE). Active Ethernet networks use a P2P architecture in which each end customer is connected to the CO on a dedicated fiber. BiDi SFP allows a bi-directional communication on a single fiber by using wavelength multiplexing (WDM), which makes CO and CPE connection more simple. Compact SFP enormously increases CO port density by combining two single fiber transceivers into one SFP form factor. In addition, the compact SFP will significantly reduce the overall power consumption at the CO side.

 

Compact SFP FTTx

 

fiber-mart.COM BiDi and Compact SFP Sloutions

 

fiber-mart.COM provides a variety of BiDi SFPs. They can support different data rate and support transmission distance up to max 120 km that can meet the demands of today’s fiber services for carriers and enterprises.

Fiber Optical Multiplexers Catalog Introduction

fiber-mart.com is a company that have rich experience in producing and developing fiber optic multiplexer systems, and have several successful commercial product lines for video/data multiplexing in Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). fiber-mart.com optical multiplexers are designed to provide reliable fiber optic transmission of video, audio and data signals in the demanding subsea applications, robust defense systems and other platforms operating in a harsh environments.

 

Fiber multiplexer is powerful communications equipment. They allow mixing of T1/E1, Ethernet, POTS ports (FXO or FXS) and serial datacom interfaces such as V.35, RS-232, X.21 etc. Together on a single circuit of fiber optic, so that fiber is saved and higher density and capacity networks can be put together. fiber-mart.com multiplexers are supported by industry leadership in fiber optic development, including optical sensors, telemetry systems, connector design, ruggedized optics, and the widest selection of Fiber Optic Rotary Joints (FORJs). All of these fiber optic multiplexers supports remote management and have optional service line ports. Capacity starts with 4T1 or E1 interfaces on low entry models and goes up to 63T1Ss or E1s together on a single strand of fiber optic cable.

 

Typical optical multiplexers are Video & Data & Audio Multiplexers, PDH Multiplexer. Custom solutions provide support for additional signal formats or unique combinations of standard protocols. Application specific products can be also customized to reduce size or cost, optimize packaging, extend environmental performance, and integrate more directly with other equipment.

 

Video Multiplexers

Video multiplexer is used to encodes the multi channel video signals and convert them to optical signals to transmit on optical fibers. It handles several video signals simultaneously and it can also provide simultaneous playback features. With the video multiplexer, you can record the combined signal on your VCR or wherever else you want to record.

 

Video & Data Multiplexers

fiber-mart.com video & data multiplexers provide high reliable fiber optic transmission of video and data signals in demanding environments. A wide range of supported video and data formats ensure the flexibility needed for easy system configuration. Individual data channels can be mixed and matched with a variety of plug-in interface modules. Advanced optical multiplexing (CWDM, DWDM) enables system expansion to 32 video and 256 data channels as well as additional high data rate signal such as HD-SDI, ECL for advanced sonars, and Gigabit Ethernet.

 

Video & Audio Multiplexers

Video and audio multiplexer combines digital video with digital audio from the embedded signals. It has optional remote monitoring capabilities so that operation can be monitored remotely. Video & Audio Multiplexer is widely used in security monitoring and control, high way, electronic police, automation, intelligent residential districts and so on.

 

Video & Data & Audio Multiplexers

Video/data/audio multiplexers are designed for users to convert, integrate, groom and multiple video/audio/data streams effortlessly. These multiplexers can transmit and extend a maximum of video, audio and data over fiber cables up to a few tens of kilometer. They are ideal for applications like Broadcast/Studio, CCTV audio and professional AV applications.

 

fiber-mart.com now offer a full range of multiplexer products, from single channel media converters for Ethernet and HD-SDI to multi-channel CWDM and DWDM multiplexer supporting 16 or more video lines, 128 serial data channels, multiple digital I/O, plus 10/100/100M Ethernet and high bandwidth sonar interfaces, all on a single optical fiber.