How Should I Terminate My Fiber Optic Cable

In today’s day and age, we are more connected than ever. And we expect it.

 

At the work place we are attending virtual trainings on the latest technologies and we are connecting across the globe with our colleagues in real-time meetings – with just the click of a button.

 

When we leave work, we are going home using app-based scooters and bicycles that only needs the swipe of a cell phone. And if taking a highway home, you no longer search for change at a toll booth but instead you drive through a toll lane that scans and charges your account as you drive underneath it.

 

And it doesn’t stop at home. We are answering emails, while streaming Ultra HD video on our smart TV’s, all while having the latest super hero flick downloading on our tablet to watch on an upcoming business trip.

 

With the ever-increasing demand for the bandwidth needed to meet today’s expectations; how we design, install, and maintain our fiber optic networks must evolve with that same demand. In particular, the methods used to terminate, or connect, the ends of our fiber optic networks has evolved in the past 20 years quite drastically; starting with hand-polishing a ferrule with films and epoxies to achieve a finished termination. Hand epoxy polishing gave you a good, epoxy-cured connection but can be time consuming, and it took certain skill sets to achieve a good ferrule polish. Epoxy terminations lead to Mechanical Terminations which is the mechanical mating of fibers with the use of specific hand tools, v-groove alignment, and index matching gel to bridge the air gap between fibers. The benefits of using a factory-polished ferrule and the mechanical termination offered a time saving from traditional hand-polishing and allowed even some of the most novice of technicians the ability of putting a quality connector on in the field. As optical fusion splice machines and fusion splicing technology improved, technicians can now fusion splice a pigtail, a length of cable factory terminated on a single end, to a field cable that has been newly pulled or an old cable that needs to be repaired.

 

More importantly than any convenience of use though, is the performance of the termination. To enjoy some of the luxuries of connectivity mentioned before, we need a stronger optical signal to go farther than ever. Insertion Loss (IL) is a measurement of the optical power that is lost through a mated pair in decibels (dB). To compare the performance in IL of the three main termination methods, hand epoxy can typically range from .20dB - .75dB depending on installer. A typical mechanical style termination IL is 0.50dB, with loss accumulating from both the air gap of a mated pair, and the alignment of the fiber stub to your field fiber. Fusion splicing a pigtail or connector, is going to give your lowest loss of light through termination. Average fusion splice termination IL is .02dB - .05dB of loss through the splice, for a total of typical .20dB IL from your termination. By fusion splicing a connector in your network you are performing that much better in regards of your signal getting from source to receive.

 

Another important factor of your termination is how much light it reflects, you do not want your termination to be reflective. Reflectance is measured by how much light (dB) is returned back up the link, and the lower the number (farthest from 0) the better. The ferrule of your termination is the main factor in reflectance, and is categorized in 3 main stages: Physical Contact (PC), Ultra Physical Contact (UPC), and Angled Physical contact (APC). To throw a lot of numbers and letters around, PC polish typically has a reflectance of -30dB, UPC polish typical -40dB, and APC polish -65dB or better. Remember, the lower the number the least amount of reflection, so APC being -65dB is premium performance for optical termination because it returns the least amount of light per termination. Hand polishing connector does rely on skill, an experienced technician will be able to give you the best results but it still can be an imperfect science. Mechanical connectors allowed anybody to be able to put on a connector with the use of specific tools and simple termination procedures, but because of the reflectance of the matching gel, along with the mating of the ferrules, you will achieve around the -40dB referenced above. By being able to fusion splice a factory terminated pigtail to a field fiber, you achieve maximum performance of the ferrule polish due to the low reflectance fusion splice technology. A -65dB return loss on an APC termination is possible because a typical core alignment fusion splice is actually considered a non-reflective event. As we bring fiber closer and closer to the home, with lab environment transmission of 400gB of data over fiber, we can’t afford the return of light that our networks of days past allowed us.

 

With fusion splicing becoming the termination method of choice for performance, it’s now about installation and how we can make it easier. Pigtail splicing while practical, can be cumbersome with cable management and could require more rack space for that management. You prep your field fiber, you prep your pigtail, you splice them together and manage the slack, and you have a high performing termination.

 

The industry is now seeing Splice on Connectors as a popular choice of termination vs traditional pigtails because of the cost, space, and time savings they offer. Now you can use a factory terminated connector that can be spliced right at the end of your trunk cable, allowing a time savings in cable prep, a space saving without the excess length of traditional pigtails, and still giving your connection an Insertion Loss as low as .20dB, and a minimal return loss as low as -65dB. Splice on Connectors can arguably be your lowest cost, easiest to install, and best performing termination method.

 

In conclusion, I want to say that I am writing on my laptop while streaming a basketball game, my wife is streaming her reality TV while scrolling home improvement blogs on her phone, and our demand for bandwidth isn’t slowing down. As our use of technology evolves, so must our data networks. And in terms of how we terminate our fibers, the practice of using splice on connectors has us all trending in the right direction.

Choosing a Fiber Optic Cleaver

The old adage, “You get what you pay for” applies to most purchases that you make in life. Fiber optic cleavers are no exception!

 

When choosing a fiber optic cleaver there are two types of devices to consider:

 

• Precision Cleavers – These are used to prepare fiber for fusion splicing. This is a process in which a separate tool called a fusion splicer or fusion splicing machine uses a powerful electric arc to fuse (or splice) two fibers together. Precision cleavers also provide superior results when used to prepare fibers for mechanical splicing.

 

• Mechanical Cleavers – A mechanical cleaver is used to prepare fiber for mechanical splicing only. Instead of fusing, mechanical splices rely on mechanical gripping mechanisms to hold the two fibers together. Mechanical cleavers are not considered accurate enough to prepare fibers for fusion splicing. That being said, even low cost mechanical cleavers have their place.

 

This blog will help you decide which type of cleaver is best suited to your needs and budget.

 

Precision Cleavers Vs. Mechanical Cleavers

 

A Closer Look

 

Before an optical fiber can be spliced to another fiber, the end of the fiber must be prepared prior to splicing. The fiber endface must be cleaved, which means breaking (cleaving) the fiber in a precise manner that produces a cleaved surface with the proper geometry and smoothness to ensure optimum signal throughput after the splice is completed. The goal is to minimize light scattering and back reflection at the juncture of the two fibers.

 

The degree to which such accuracy can be achieved depends on whether you are using a cleaver meant for fusion splicing (precision cleaver) or mechanical splicing (mechanical cleaver).

 

Precision Cleavers

 

Precision cleavers are capable of producing a near perfect cleave in which the cleaved endface of the fiber is at a 90 degree angle relative to the length of the fiber, in other words after cleaving the fiber endface is perpendicular relative to the length of the fiber. Generally, this is the ideal angle at which to fuse two fibers together. Some precision cleavers are designed to produce cleave angles other than 90 degrees, such as may be required for specialized applications involved in the manufacture of semiconductors and laser diodes. Angled cleavers are also sometimes used with mechanical splices to minimize back reflectance.

 

In either case, the goal is to achieve consistent cleave angles within 1 degree of accuracy, this can only be achieved using a Precision Cleaver.

 

Operation

 

When using a precision cleaver, the technician simply places the fiber in the device and clamps it down in the correct position. The tool then completes the cleaving operation automatically. There is no chance that the operator will apply the wrong amount of pressure to score and snap the fiber. The precision cleaver does it all, with accuracy, repeatability and reliability.

 

Applications

 

• Single mode and Multimode Networks

• Telecom and Datacom

• Component Assembly

• High Strength Splicing Applications

• Splice-On Connectors

 

Advantages

 

• Cleaves both single mode and multimode fiber

• Produces high precision cleaves that mitigate signal loss

• Provides reliability and repeatability

• Ribbon splicing option

 

Disadvantages

 

• Cost - Relatively high cost compared to mechanical cleavers. Typical prices range from $500 to $1,000 or more.

 

Mechanical Cleavers

 

If your application allows splicing fibers by mechanical means (as opposed to fusing them together) you can probably get by with a relatively inexpensive mechanical cleaver. Mechanical cleavers are used to prepare fibers for mechanical splices, which employ mechanical gripping mechanisms to hold the two fibers together. Mechanical splices may also use Index Matching Gel between adjoining fibers to help reduce back reflection and signal loss due to irregularities in the fiber endfaces. Mechanical cleavers are also known as pocket cleavers, field cleavers, beaver cleavers and staple-type cleavers.

 

Operation

 

A notable characteristic of a mechanical cleaver is its long leaf spring. Typically. the fiber is held in position on the spring by a retainer while a blade is brought into contact with the fiber to scratch (score) the fiber. The technician then bends the leaf spring, causing the fiber to break along the score line. A skilled technician can achieve a cleave angle within 2 degrees of accuracy.

 

Applications

 

• Mechanical Splices

• Mechanical Connectors

• Multimode Networks

• Premise and Campus Installations

• Local Datacom Multimode Networks

• Other multimode applications not subject to tight loss budgets

 

Advantages

 

• Cost – Affordable enough to put one in every tool box. Prices range from $100 to $200.

• Low Maintenance – Simple mechanical design

 

Disadvantages

 

• Less Accurate – Provides less precision and repeatability when compared to a precision cleaver. Not suitable for preparing fiber for fusion splicing.

• Multimode Only – Not suitable for cleaving single mode fiber.

 

Summary

 

If you are required to do fusion splicing, there is no question about it – you need a precision cleaver. If you are doing mechanical splicing only, you can likely get by with a lower cost mechanical cleaver.

 

Be aware that a precision cleaver can perform both types of cleaving, allowing you to minimize signal loss in both single mode and multimode networks. Although purchasing a precision cleaver involves a higher upfront cost, it may prove to be the best value in the long term.

 

Cleaver Specifications (Typical)

 

Precision Cleavers – Models are available for use with 250-µm to 900-µm coated fibers. V-groove alignment and adjustable cleave lengths can provide consistent cleave angles of 90 Degrees +/- 0.5 Degrees. Precision cleavers are available with diamond blades, with 16 or more blade positions that provide up to 3,000 cleaves per position. Precision cleavers can be purchased with fixtures that enable the cleaving of ribbon fibers and can accommodate 2 to 24 fibers.

 

Mechanical Cleavers – Models are available for use with 80µm to 200µm fibers or 900µm buffer or 250µm coated fiber. Mechanical cleavers provide cleave lengths of 2 to 20mm. These cleavers are available with ceramic blades that offer 1,000 cleaves or more, or carbide blades that can provide 5,000 cleaves or more. Mechanical cleavers typically include a graduated scale to indicate various cleave lengths.

Common Fiber Network Issues

Something that I take a lot of pride in, is the technical support and service that my department provides our customers on a daily basis, free of charge. I always feel a huge sense of satisfaction when the technical department can provide a solution to our customer’s questions. 

 

Why is my fiber Ethernet link not working?

 

One common problem many of our customers have come to me with is “Why is my fiber Ethernet link not responding, I even get a link light but I am not getting any transmission of data?”, This old problem raised its ugly head as recently as last week. This reoccurring fiber related issue usually results from speed mismatches between the Ethernet equipment. As we know, Ethernet commonly transmits data at 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 1000 Mbps (1 Gig), 10 Gig and now 40 Gig. Both copper and fiber switches exist to support these speeds. As an example, a copper switch that runs at 1000 Mbps will list the port speeds as 10/100/1000. This is because copper can negotiate network speeds, meaning if a 100 Mbps device is plugged into the 10/100/1000 port, the switch can slow down the port to the 100 Mbps speed. This statement is not true when it comes to fiber. A fiber port cannot negotiate its speeds, so in this same situation the fiber equipment MUST be 1000 Mbps on each end. Typically, I see where a 1000 Mbps fiber switch port is plugged into a media converter that is rated for 100 Mbps, or vice versa, this will cause a link failure because of the speed mismatch. The reason fiber Ethernet ports do not negotiate speeds is solely due to light sources. For example, 10 Mbps fiber runs using an 850nm LED light source, 100 Mbps uses a 1300nm LED and 1000 Mbps utilizes a 850nm VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser), so it really comes down to economics. Fiber Ethernet ports that could auto negotiate speeds would have to be built with a minimum of three light sources, theoretically tripling the price of the port. The easiest answer is to just make sure that the fiber port speed and the media converter are an exact match, as in my example from last week, the customer purchased a 1000 Mbps media converter and the problem was solved.

 

Why does my fusion splicer work better some days than it does on others?

 

Without a doubt, the single most reoccurring question the technical department receives is related to fusion splicing, or should I say the inconsistent results when splicing a fiber. The conversation always starts with the statement. “Why does my (insert manufacturer here) fusion splicer work very well some days and other days it seems to produce failing results”? One thing I stress when splicing is at a minimum, to perform an Arc Check every time you start the splicer. An arc check is calibrating the splicer against the current environmental conditions. Temperature, relative humidity and barometric pressure all contribute to the performance of a fusion splicer. When turning on a splicer, it will be performing splices according to the last time an arc check was performed. If the environment has changed, bad splices can occur. Bubbles, cracks, high attenuation and broken splices are usually a result of incorrect splice settings and can usually be corrected by running the arc check program.

 

A few things you need to know when performing an arc check;

 

• Number one: Always use Singlemode fiber when performing an arc check, even if you are splicing multimode that day, Singlemode must be used.

 

• Number two: If an arc check results in a NG (No Good), a second arc check must be performed, in fact several may need to be performed, (I am talking to you Denver), you must see an OK before proceeding.

 

• Number three: If and when you receive a NG message it is important to press the “Optimize” button, this will make the incremental changes to the splice settings.

 

 

MPO/MTP Systems – Polarity Matters

 

The most difficult questions we receive here have to do with the use and implementation of MPO/MTP multi-fiber cables and cassettes. Here at FIS we are constantly training our sales and support staff on the correct methods and polarities associated with these connectors. MPO/MTP connectors usually contain 8, 12, or 24 fibers in a single connection; because of the volume of fibers used, routing the fibers to the correct location can be confusing. MPO/MTP are used for space saving and also for multiple lane transmissions to achieve 40 and 100 Gig (8 fibers used for 40 gig and 20 used for 100 gig). About a month ago, I had a customer that could not get his fibers to the correct destinations using these connectors, and the solution was not easy to come to.

 

A little back story first; when using MPO/MTP connectors there are typically three polarity options (A, B, and C) A and B are the most commonly used and make up over 90% of our sales. Polarity B is the easiest to implement but cannot be used for Singlemode, let me explain. Polarity B cables install the connectors in a key up to key up configuration, this will flip the fibers so that transmit and receive fibers exit flipped on the other side of the cable, and this is a good thing. Typically, these cables are inserted into rack mountable cassettes that break the fiber out into individual LC connectors.

 

When using method B for both cables and cassettes, straight through patch cords, that we keep in stock, are used for each transmit/receive pair of LC connectors. This is an ideal situation.

 

When using method A cassettes and cables, this is a key up to key down solution, the problem is that it the cable does not flip the transmit and receive fibers, meaning the installer has to use standard straight through patch cords with the type A method cassettes on one side but on the opposite side MUST use flipped patch cords. This can be confusing and create installation errors. The reason Singlemode must use the A method is that the ferrules are angled and must mate opposite to each other, whereas multimode are flat ferrules and we do not have to work with an angle.

 

Now back to my customer’s issues a month ago, they were using method B cables and cassettes so the patch cord issue did not come in to play here. After long conversations we determined that they had installed method A mating sleeves (key up to key down) in the cassettes and not method B (key up to key up) like it should have been. By installing the wrong mating sleeves it flipped the fibers in a way that routed the fibers to the wrong ports.

 

When choosing a method for MPO/MTP connectors it is important to remember that the cables and the cassettes must be the same polarity/method (A or B) as well as all internal components. It can be frustrating when troubleshooting MPO/MTP issues, but ultimately it takes time to walk through the problem and experience to understand it and give your customer a solution.

 

It has been said that time is the price we pay for experience and I truly believe it. The FIS technical support staff has truly paid for their expertise and I implore you to take advantage of our 100+ years of combined experience to help you resolve your fiber related questions.  

How to Choose Fiber Enclosure for Your Data Center

The data center is the heart of a fiber optic network. To ensure its long-term reliable network performance, all the optical equipment within data center should be well organized. However, the current multi-fiber counts and high-density optical cabling put strain in the cable management. Fiber patch enclosure provides solid fiber-optic-link protection and space-saving cable management, which is becoming a must-have component in data center. There are several fiber optic enclosures available on the market that are widely utilized in data center or server room. This article will briefly introduce the commonly used fiber enclosure designs to better meet your data center requirement. LC to LC fiber cable and patch panels are mounted in a fiber enclosure in the following picture.

 

Fiber Enclosure Designs

 

Rack mount fiber enclosure is the commonly used type in data center as it provide a convenient and rugged termination point for fiber jumper cables. This rack mount enclosures offer a flexible connectivity system using a variety of adapter plates and MPO cassettes. The enclosures work equally as well with armored cable as they do with multiple trunk cables and are available in 1U-4U versions.

 

1U enclosures fit standard 19-inch racks and have rear cable management rings. 2U, 3U and 4U enclosures are designed for side or rear trunk cable entry, have removable front and rear covers, edge guards on the front for cable assembly protection and front and rear cable management rings. 2U, 3U and 4U enclosures also fit standard 19 and 23-inch racks and have a clear plastic, removable front door that can be outfitted with a label for easy identification of connections.

 

Except for different size, there are two types of rack mount enclosures: fiber enclosure with a removable lid and slide-out fiber enclosure (see in the following figure). The slide-out version is typically more expensive than the other version. But slide-out fiber enclosure can allow customers to remove the whole enclosure from the rack, thus, it can provide easier internal fiber connection access.

 

As for the design of the fiber enclosure front panel, two commonly used types are fixed front panels and removable front panel. The fixed front panel can be loaded with appropriate fiber optic adapters, while the removable front pane can accommodate several fiber optic adapter panels or cassettes just as seen in the following image.

 

How to Select the Fiber Enclosure

 

If this is your first time to install a fiber optic network, you should follow the instructions below. Only in this way can you satisfy your installation requirement, and matched your budget as well.

 

Physical requirement

First, list all the requirement that will be mounted in the enclosure and their complete measurements:height, depth, width, weight. All of these figures will ultimately determine what type of fiber enclosure you will need. Note that always select a bigger fiber enclosure for all your existing equipment as well as for future proof.

 

Critical accessories

A fiber enclosure should provide plenty of grommeted access points through the rear and top of the cabinet, as well as through the bottom for raised floor installations. Not only are the fiber optic cables mounted in the fiber enclosure, but devices like hubs, routers, patch panels, and monitors are needed to be mounted in the enclosure-network.

 

All servers should be protected by an uninterruptible power supply(UPS) system, available in a variety of rack-mount configurations. Thus power protection is needed. Remember that any accessories that are not rack-mountable will require additional trays, shelves and mounting accessories.

 

Budget

Money is always a main considerations. Thus choose the fiber enclosure that can meet your premium features at a very competitive price is the number one task. People are usually in a dilemma about whether to choose a equipment that are suitable for now or the expensive one for future proof. It is hard to say, but a premium enclosure is a durable item that will provide services for years to come.

 

Summary

 

High density fiber enclosures can maximize the amount of active equipment in a data center by minimizing the footprint of the networking infrastructure, but there’s a problem—all that fiber in a small amount of space creates problems when changes need to be made. Therefore for easiest access, quick-release side panels should be a top priority when selecting an enclosure.

 

With several years of experience in fiber optic cabling solutions, fiber-mart.COM offers the world-class optical products and services to maximize the performance and scalability of your data center applications. Our fiber enclosures provide the highest fiber densities and port counts in the industry contributing to maximizing rack space utilization and minimizing floor space. For more detailed information, you can directly contact us.

Telecom Hardware: NIC, Transceiver, Modem and Media Converter

People usually have the misconception about the devices like the network interface card, transceiver, modem and media converter in telecommunications fields. Some even don’t know how to use them correctly. In fact, these devices are all possessed with different functions. For example, a network interface card connects your computer to a local data network or the internet. A transceiver is responsible for taking the digital data represented by a series of zeros and ones. Modems takes the digital zeros and ones and converts it to an analog sound. While a media converter, as the name implies, is typically used to convert one media type to the other. To have a further understanding of their performances, you can have a look at the following article.

 

Network Interface Card

 

Just as said before, a network interface card (NIC) is used to connect your computer to a local data network. It functions as a middleman between your computer and the data network by translating the computer data into electrical signals. An Ethernet NIC is an indispensable transmission medium for Ethernet network. Note that we need to choose the right networking adapter that matches the transmission medium and network architecture we are connecting to. Today, most computers come with built-in Network Adapters, and the most popular one is Ethernet NIC.

 

Optical Transceiver

 

On an Ethernet network, a transceiver is mainly use to convert the digital signal to an electrical, radio or light signal by a method of encoding scheme. This method uses the number zero and one to represent the voltage. A 0 might be represented as a zero voltage on the wire, while a 1 might be represented by a positive voltage. Through this method, optical technician can easily know the performance of the transceiver. The old transceiver is just an adapter that took digital signals from an AUI port on one end and translated those into an electrical signal using RJ45 or some other port. Besides this transceiver type, there are several new types that will be introduced in the below part.

 

SFP Module

SFP short for Small Form Factor Pluggable, is typically used on switches and routers to easily modify the media type used by a port. SFP module is one of the common type of optical transceivers that is gaining used today, especially for Gigabit Ethernet application. Other than the former devices with a fixed media type, the port accepts the SFP module. As a result, to change the media type, we can simply plug in a different SFP module. For example, we can get an SFP to support copper or a different specifications of fiber optic. Figure 2 shows a SFP modules connected by a LC LC single mode fiber patch cable in a switch.

 

GBIC

GBIC (GigaBit Interface Converter) module is an old transceiver module, which is slightly larger than an SFP but performs the same function. A GBIC is a larger-sized transceiver that fits in a port slot and is used for gigabit media including copper and fiber optic. Besides the GBIC and SFP (or mini-GBIC), we should also mention an XFP transceiver, which is similar in size to an SFP but is used for 10 Gigabit networking. Additionally, there are QSFP+ modules for 40 Gigabit Ethernet and CFP or QSFP28 for 100G infrastructure.

 

Modem

 

Optical transceiver is mainly used to achieve the conversion between electrical signals and digital signals by the encoding scheme. A modem takes the digital zeros and ones and converts it to an analog sound signal that can be carried across the telephone wires. Modem is actually an abbreviated term that means modulator & demodulator. Modulation is happening on the sending end where binary data is converted to analog waves, and Demodulation is happening on the receiving end where the analog waves are converted back to binary data. Note that there is an encoding scheme that identifies when the signal represents a 0 or a 1, and the Network Adapter must match both the architecture and the transmission medium that is used.

 

Media Converter

 

A media converter is usually used when you need to convert from one media type to another like from copper to fiber or vice versa. Supposing you had an Ethernet network that uses copper cabling but we had a server that had a fiber optic network adapter card. In this case we could use a fiber optic to Ethernet copper cable media converter. But one thing you should remember is that media converters work within the same network architecture. It means the media converter can convert from one type of Ethernet to another that uses a different transmission cable, but it is not used to convert from something such as Ethernet to a different networking standard.

 

In order to accomplish the process of converting from one architecture to another, it would require modifying the Frame contents to modify the Data Link layer address. Media converters operate at the Physical layer, since they simply transform the signal from one encoding scheme to another. However, media converters don’t read or modify the MAC address. The following image shows a SFP to RJ45 1000BASE Gigabit Fiber Media Converter.

 

Conclusion

 

At the end of the article, you might have a basic knowledge of the above devices. These devices are equipped with unique performances that play an important role in telecommunication fields. Equipment in telecom field must be correctly selected and mixed use of the is prohibited. Therefore, if you are not sure to how to use them, please seek advice from an expert. fiber-mart.COM is a rising and professional manufacturer. We not only offers a full selections of telecom products, but aim to provide the best services to the customers.

Cabling Guide for Cisco Nexus 9508 Switch

Due to the the ever-expanding data center consolidation, virtualization and cloud technologies, network installers feel the urge to maintain a competitive advantage of their infrastructure. Except for the performance, bandwidth and latency in datacenter cabling, management and operational agility and simplicity have also elevated themselves to the top mind of data center architects and operator. Cisco Nexus 900 series represents a familiar starting point on the journey toward a new era in software-defined network, which is announced to be the most port dense and power efficient plus fastest packet forwarder and programmable data center modular switch in the industry. This article introduces basic information of Cisco Nexus 9000 series and the cabling solutions for Nexus 9508 switch.

 

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switch

 

According to Cisco’s announcement, the Nexus 9000 Series switch is the foundation of the Cisco next generation data center solution. The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switch contains two main branches including the Nexus 9300 series fixed switches and Nexus 9500 series modular switches. Of particular interest is the Nexus 9508 of 9500 series, which is impressive in terms of performance, power efficiency, 10/40GbE and future 100GbE port density, programming environment and orchestration attributes. The following image shows the inner structure of the Cisco Nexus 9508 switch.

 

Cisco Nexus 9508 can offer up to 8 line cards slots with a comprehensive selection of modular line cards in a 13RU space. There are totally three line card options available: 48 port 1/10GbE SFP+ with four 40GbE QSFP+, 48 port 1/10GBASE-T with four 40GbE QSFP+ and 36 port 40GbE QSFP+ full line rate. The 1/10GbE line cards provide 640 Gbps of line rate capacity. And the 40GbE line card is based on QSFP+ form factor. From a network design perspective, the Cisco Nexus 9508 switch can be configurable with up to 1152 10 Gigabit Ethernet or 288 40 Gigabit Ethernet ports, which is very helpful for 10GbE & 40GbE migration.

 

Main Features of Cisco Nexus 9508 Switch

 

The Cisco Nexus 9508 is a versatile data center switching platform that can host 10, 40, and future 100 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. Other than this, the switch also has other unique features:

 

Predictable high performance—The switch delivers 30 Tbps of non-blocking performance with latency of less than 5 microseconds, enabling data center customers to build a robust network fabric that can scale from as few as 200 10 Gigabit Ethernet server ports to more than 200,000 10 Gigabit Ethernet server ports.

 

Nonblocking, high-density 1 to 10 & 10 to 40 Gigabit Ethernet transition—The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform helps organizations transition from existing 1 Gigabit Ethernet Cisco Catalyst®6500 series switches server access designs to 10 Gigabit Ethernet server access designs with the same port density. And it can also helps organizations transition from 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure to 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure to support the increased bandwidth demands.

 

Advanced optics—This switch can directly use the pluggable 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ bidirectional transceiver that enables customers to use existing 10 Gigabit Ethernet data center cabling to support 40 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.

 

Highly available, scalable, and robust solution—All major components are redundant, including supervisors, system controllers, power supplies, and fan trays. The switch line cards use a mix of merchant and Cisco application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) to produce a low-complexity, low-cost design. All buffer memory is integrated into the forwarding ASICs, avoiding the need for a large number of external memory modules.

 

All transceivers are pluggable to support the highest possible mean time between failure (MTBF) for the switch. What’s more, the flexible and efficient chassis design has 100% headroom for future expansion with the capability to support more bandwidth and cooling and twice the number of power supplies needed to support today’s maximum configuration.

 

Power efficiency—The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform is the first switch chassis designed without a midplane. Line cards and fabric modules connect directly. This design approach provides optimal front-to-back airflow and helps the switch operate using less power. In addition, all Cisco Nexus 9000 series power supplies are 80 Plus Platinum rated. The typical power consumption per 10 Gigabit Ethernet port is less than 3.5 watts (W). The typical power consumption of each 40 Gigabit Ethernet port is less than 14W.

 

QSFP+ Direct Attach Copper Cabling

 

As we all know, direct attach cables (DACs) are often used to connect two or more switches which are in the same rack or in the adjacent rack. This is done to reduce the cabling cost for which DACs are much cheaper than transceivers and fiber patch cords. The following figure shows a wiring option for a Cisco Nexus 9396 to Cisco Nexus 93128 using 40G QSFP+ to 40G QSFP+ DAC cabling assemblies.

 

40G QSFP+ to 4 x 10 SFP+ Interconnection

 

The Cisco Nexus 9508 switch can also be operated in 4×10 Gigabit Ethernet mode. If the interface is logically configured as a 4×10 Gigabit Ethernet port, then each port becomes four 10Gbqs port. This will be accomplished by using copper twinax, hydras or breakout cables. This scenario can be achieved by connecting a Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switch to a Cisco Nexus 2232 using a QSFP+ to four SFP+ copper hydra cable assembly.

 

40GE QSFP SR4/CSR4 Optics Cabling Options

 

Multimode fiber cabling is generally preferred when the distance between Cisco Nexus 9508 switch and other switches is less than 400 meters. In this circumstance, 40G QSFP+ SR4/CSR4 transceivers and MPO interconnect cable assemblies are often used. The following scenario shows how the Cisco Nexus 9508 switch is connected to Cisco Nexus 93128 switches with 40G QSFP+ SR4/CSR4 optics and MPO cable assemblies.

 

40GbE Connectivity With 40G BiDi Optics

 

As noted before, Cisco 40G SR-BiDi QSFP can be used in Cisco Nexus 9508 switch for 40G connectivity. The 40G BiDi QSFP multiplexes two 10GbE signals into one 20GbE stream and runs two 20GbE wavelengths on the optics side, and delivers a QSFP pluggable MSA compliant electric signal to the switch module, thereby only requiring the termination of a dual LC connector as used in 10GbE optical infrastructure. The SR-BiDi QSFP enables the re-use of existing 10GbE multimode fiber cable infrastructure plus patch cables as it supports the same LC connector. The SR-BiDi QSFP eliminates the cable infrastructure upgrade requirement of today’s 40GbE, which can lower capex of cabling and switch hardware. The following image shows the Cisco Nexus 9508 switch using 40G BiDi transceiver providing a zero-cost fiber cabling upgrade path for 10GbE to 40GbE.

 

Cisco is offering a practical way to transition to higher speed data center networking through favorable economics. With the use of Cisco Nexus 9508 switch, designers will embrace a new programmable network platform ready for the age of software-defined networking. fiber-mart.COM provides various 40G QSFP+ transceivers and fiber optic cable for the 40G connection of Cisco Nexus 9508 switch. 10G SFP+ transceivers and MPO/MTP-LC harness fiber patch cables for the 10G SFP+ to 40G QSFP+ direct connection are also provided. 

How to Reduce the Cost of FTTH Architecture

In our digital world, people increasingly require higher bandwidth to facilitate daily life, whether for leisure, work, education or keeping in contact with friends and family. The presence and speed of internet are regarded as the key factor that subscribers would take into account when buying a new house. Recently there are a growing number of independent companies offering full fiber to the home (FTTH) services, ranging from local cooperatives and community groups to new operators. Today’s article will pay special attention to the reasons why we should implement FTTH network and the methods to reduce the cost of FTTH network.

 

Why Should We Deploy FTTH Network?

 

No denying that the world is changing rapidly and becoming increasingly digital. People nowadays are knowledgeable workers who rely on fast connections to information stored in the cloud to do their jobs. Therefore, installing superfast FTTH broadband is an investment in equipping communities with the infrastructure they need to not just adapt to the present life, but to thrive in the future.

 

What’s more, the economic benefits of FTTH, for residents, businesses and the wider community are potentially enormous. While there are upfront costs in FTTH deployments, particularly around the last drop, equipment and methodologies are evolving to reduce these significantly. Fiber to the home is proven to increase customer satisfaction, and enables operators to offer new services, such as video on demand, 4K TV and smart home connectivity.

 

As well as bringing in economic benefits, FTTH broadband provides local businesses with the ability to expand, invest and seek new opportunities by providing rapid connections to major markets. All of this leads to increased investment in the rural economy, providing residents with more choice and stimulating growth.

 

What to Do?

 

Although deploying FTTH network might be similar cost as deploying copper network, there are some methods that you should know about reducing the costs of FTTH architecture. Adopting the following three principles helps achieve FTTH deployment, maximizing return on investment and dramatically reducing deployment times.

 

1. Reuse the Existing Equipment

 

Time and the total cost of FTTH deployment are typically relevant with the civil engineering side of the project, such as digging a new trench and burying a new duct within it. Where possible, crews should look to reuse existing infrastructure—often there are ducts or routes already in place that can be used for FTTH and in building deployments. These could be carrying other telecommunication cables, power lines, or gas/water/sewerage. Installing within these routes requires careful planning and use of cables and ducts that are small enough to fit through potentially crowded pathways. Figure 2 shows a generic point-multipoint architecture that fiber jumper plays an important part in it.

 

Additionally utilizing the push and pull cables in FTTH infrastructure simply reduce costs and install time as network installers can easily complete FTTH deployment by using pushing or pulling cables: pushing can be aided by simple, cost-effective handheld blowing machines, or pulled through the duct using a pre-attached pull cord. Even for more complex and longer environment, FTTH deployment can be quickly completed other than requiring expensive blowing equipment to propel the cable through duct.

 

2. Choose the Right Construction Techniques

 

If it is time to start digging, always make sure you use appropriate construction methods. The appropriate method will minimize cost and time by making construction work as fast and concentrated as possible, avoiding major disruption to customers or the local area. And remember to make sure you follow best practice and use the right fiber cable and duct that can fit into tight spaces and withstand the high temperatures of the sealant used to make roadways good.

 

The cable and duct used within FTTH implementations is crucial. Ensure that it meets the specific needs of deployments, and is tough, reliable and has a bend radius. It should be lightweight to aid installation and small enough to fit into small gaps and spaces in ducts. Also look to speed up installations with pre-connectorized cables that avoid the need to field fit or splice.

 

3. Minimize the Skills Required

 

Staff costs are one of the biggest elements of the implementation budget. Additionally, there are shortages of many fiber skills, such as splicing, which can delay the rate at which rollouts are completed. Operators, therefore, need to look at deskilling installations where possible, while increasing productivity and ensuring reliability. Using pre-connectorized fiber is central to this—it doesn’t require splicing and is proven to reduce the skill levels needed within implementations.

 

Conclusion

 

To cope with the digital world, the network is in constant need of enhancements and the increasingly stressed bandwidth and performance requires ongoing adjustment. Regardless of the FTTH architecture and the technology to the curb, the pressure is on for the network installer to deploy FTTH quickly and cost-effectively, while still ensuring a high quality, reliable installation that causes minimal disruption to customers and the local area. Fiberstore offers a variety of optical equipment that are suitable in telecom field. Our fiber optic cables are available in different optical connector, single-mode and multimode fiber as well as indoor or outdoor cables. For example, patch cord LC-LC are also provided.

What Will Affect the Longevity of Your Fiber Network?

When deploying a fiber network, people nowadays not only appreciate the high-speed broadband services, but the maintenance of how long it will last. After all, optical fiber is a particular type of hair-thin glass with a typical tensile strength that is less than half that of copper. Even though the fiber looks fragile and brittle, but if correctly processed, tested and used, it has proven to be immensely durable. With this in mind, there are essentially factors that will affect the longevity of your fiber network.

 

Installation Strains

 

Stress, on the other hand, is a major enemy of fiber longevity, so the protection task is passed to the cable installer, who will ensure that the use of suitable strength elements limits the stress applied to the cable to much less than the 1 per cent proof test level. The installer then needs to ensure that the deployment process does not overstrain the cable. Figure 2 below illustrates a typical crew deployment for a trunk installation. The whole process should be paid more attention to the stress.

 

Of the three techniques commonly used—pulling, pushing and blowing, only pulling creates undesirable stretching (tensile stress). Unlike metal, glass does not suffer fatigue by being compressed, and so the mild compression caused during pushing causes no harm to the fiber.

 

Surface Flaws

 

Optical fiber typically consists of a silica-based core and cladding surrounded by one or two layers of polymeric material (see in Figure 3). Pristine silica glass that is free of defects is immensely resistant to degradation. However, all commercially produced optical fibers have surface flaws (small micro-cracks) that reduce the material’s longevity under certain conditions. The distribution of flaws on the surface of the silica-based portion of the fiber largely controls the mechanical strength of the fiber. fiber-mart.COM fiber optic cables are well tested to ensure less surface flaws, like LC to ST fiber cable.

 

To conquer this, reputable fiber suppliers carry out proof testing, which stretches the fiber to a pre-set level (normally 1 per cent) for a specified duration to deliberately break the larger flaws. And the user is then left with a fiber containing fewer, smaller flaws that need to be protected from unnecessary degradation. This means primarily stopping the creation of new flaws by coating the fiber with a protective and durable material for its primary coating.

 

Environmental Factors

 

Once deployed, the local environment has a big impact on fiber life. Elevated temperatures can accelerate crack growth, but it is the presence of water that has been historically of most concern. The growth of cracks under stress is facilitated by water leading to “stress corrosion”. You can check what the tendency of a fiber to suffer stress corrosion is by reviewing its “stress corrosion susceptibility parameter”, much more conveniently referred to as “n”. A high n value (around 20) suggests a durable fiber and coating.

 

Calculating How Long Your Network Will Last

 

Bearing in mind the three factors above, how can you calculate the lifetime of your fiber network? In general, the chances of a fiber being damaged by manual intervention, such as digging, over the same time frame is about 1 in 1,000. Quality fiber, installed by benign techniques and by careful installers in acceptable conditions should, therefore, be extremely reliable – provided it is not disturbed.

 

It is also worth pointing out that cable lengths themselves have rarely failed intrinsically, but there have been failures at joints where the cable and joint type are not well matched, allowing the fibers to move – for example, due to temperature changes. This leads to over stress of the fiber and eventual fracture.

 

Conclusion

 

To tell the truth, the biggest enemies to the carefully engineered reliability of fiber jumper can be either humans or animals, rather than the fused silica itself. The provided fibers are stored and coiled correctly, it is quite possible that they turn out to be stronger than we at first thought and perhaps the original flaws begin to heal with time and exposure to water under low stress levels. fiber-mart.COM offers high quality fiber cable assemblies such as Patch Cords, Pigtails, MCPs, Breakout Cables etc. All of our products are well tested before shipment. If you are interested, you can have a look at it.

Difference Between Twisted Pair Cable and Coaxial Cable

A wire or cable is an indispensable element in communication system for connecting optical devices like optical transceivers, router and switch. Recently the most common cable types deployed in communication system are fiber optic cable, twisted pair cable and coaxial cable. Both twisted pair cable and coaxial cable are copper cables, so what’s the difference between them? This article may help you sort it out.

 

Twisted Pair

 

Twisted pair cables as the names implies, consists of a pair of cables twisted together, which has been utilized in telecommunication field for a long time. The twisting can avoid noise from outside sources and crosstalk on multi-pair cables, so this cable is best suited for carrying signals. Basically, twisted pair cable can be divided into two types: unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) and shielded twisted-pair (STP).

 

UTP is for UNshielded, twisted pair, while STP is for shielded, twisted pair. UTP is what’s typically installed by phone companies and data communication (though this is often not of high enough quality for high-speed network use) and is what 10BaseT Ethernet runs over. However, STP distinguishes itself from UTP in that it consists of a foil jacket which helps to prevent crosstalk and noise from outside source. It is typically used to eliminate inductive and capacitive coupling, so it can be applied between equipment, racks and buildings.

 

Coaxial Cables

 

Coaxial cable is composed of an inner solid conductor surrounded by a paralleled outer foil conductor that is protected by an insulating layer. A coaxial cable has over 80 times the transmission capability of the twisted-pair. Coaxial cable has also been the mainstay of high speed communication and has also been applied to network with 10 Gigabit links data centers, because it is proved to be cost efficient for short links within 10 m and for residential network.

 

Comparison Between Twisted Cable and Coaxial Cable

 

Most people now are quite familiar with what coaxial cables are, as they are used in almost every home for cable television connections. These data cables are also popular in local area networks (LAN) because they are highly resistant to signal interference, which also gives coax cables the ability to support longer cable lengths between two devices.

 

The biggest advantage of twisted cables is in installation, as it is often thinner than coaxial cables and two conductors are twisted together. However, because they are thinner, they can not support very long runs. These tightly twisted designs cost less than coaxial cables and provide high data transmission rates. They connect with the RJ45 connector, which looks similar to a telephone jack but is designed for twisted pair pins.

 

In the end, twisted pair cabling is better suited when cost and installation are an issue and if EMI and crosstalk are not too much of a problem. But for coaxial cable, it supports greater cable lengths, and can be shielded in a variety of ways—with a foil shield on each conductor, a foil or braid inside the jacket or a combination of individual conductor and jacket shielding.

 

Additional Information About Fiber Optic Cables

 

Besides Twisted and coaxial cables, here comes a new generation of transmission media—fiber jumper. Fiber optic cables have a much greater bandwidth than metal cables, which means they can carry more data. They are also less susceptible to interference. For these two reasons, fiber optic cables are increasingly being used instead of traditional copper cables despite that they are expensive. Nowadays, two types of fiber optic cables are widely adopted in the field of data transfer—single mode fiber optic cables and multimode fiber optic cables.

 

Single mode optical fiber is generally adapted to high speed, long-distance applications. While a multimode optical fiber is designed to carry multiple light rays, or modes at the same time, which is mostly used for communication over short distances. Optical fiber cables are also available in various optical connectors, such as LC to SC patch cord, LC to ST fiber cable, SC FC patch cord, etc. The picture above shows a LC to SC patch cord.

 

Conclusion

 

Some engineers confirm that fiber optic cables is sure to be the dominant transmission media in telecommunication field, while others hold that copper cables will not be out of the stage. Thus, whether to choose fiber optic cables, twisted cables or coaxial cables, it is advisable for you to have a full understanding of your application before selecting these data cables. All types of Ethernet cables as well as fiber optic cables are provided at fiber-mart.COM. Our Quick Order Tool will help you find what you need. If you have any requirement of our products, please send your request to us.