Is Fibre Optic good for network speed only?

by Fiber-MART.COM

Higher Bandwidth – longer range, better network speed

Fibre optic cables are made of glass threads which transmit data at the speed of light in glass (around 180,000 to 200,000 km/s…!). Because the speed of light is the fastest speed known, data is transmitted faster than via copper wires or cables.

 

Category 6A Cable (the standardized twisted pair cable for Ethernet) is classified by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) to handle a bandwidth up to 600 MHz over 100 meters. Multimode Fibre, on the other hand, would have a bandwidth of over 1000 MHz.

 

The speed of transmission is limited by the endpoints, and not by the cable itself. Once you’ve installed fibre, you can increase your network speed simply by swapping out the endpoints.

 

 

Immunity to Electromagnetic interference

Fibre optic cables are non-metallic. They transmit signals using pulses of light in glass threads as we explained above. As a result, they are immune to Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). If you would like to know more about this subject, read this article.

 

In copper cables, the integrity of signals can be affected by electrical noise. This can also reduce speed of transmission, as larger numbers of lost and/or corrupted data packets can lead to excessive levels of retransmission.

 

Attenuation loss can be as low as 0.2 dB/km in optical fibre cables, allowing transmission over long distances without the need for repeaters than you will have with copper systems to ensure satisfactory performance over long distances with higher data rate.

 

As they don’t carry current, fibre cables can’t generate even the smallest spark. They thus eliminate the spark hazard – which is an advantage in intrinsically safe environments such as chemical plant or oil refineries.

 

Cyber Security

Fibre Optic networks have been praised to be the most secure infrastructure yet. Intercepting copper cable can be performed by connecting taps to a line to pick up the electronic signals with very little chance of detection. Putting a tap on a fiber cable to intercept data transmissions is very difficult. It is also easy to quickly identify compromised cables, which visibly emit light from transmissions.

 

However, due to the recent cyber-attacks and the increased accessibility of optical networks, it is important that communications crossing these networks are properly secured.

 

We recommend IT Network Managers to follow closely any new reports and documentations about the subject to keep up to date with best practices, from data encryption to real-time security processing at the optical layer. We recommend this study published by Princeton University.

 

 

Ease of installation

Fibre optic is easier to install than Copper Ethernet Cables. Fibre cables stays flexible whereas copper cables generally become thicker and therefore more rigid when increase the transmission capacity.

 

Fibre optic connector types are also easier to install because of their nature. You don’t have to strip your fibre cable as you will do with copper Ethernet Cables – meaning less hassle and work for the installer. Fibre cables are now quick and simple to terminate, and the latest designs can be bent through remarkably tight radii without damage.

 

Keep also in mind that the maximum length of a cat 6 (the standardized twisted pair cable for Ethernet) is up to 100 meters (328 ft) when used for 10/100/1000BASE-T.

 

40CH DWDM Mux Insertion Loss Testing

by Fiber-MART.COM

DWDM, which can add great capacity of bandwidth for long haul backbone data center by multiplexing different wavelengths into one fiber, is one of the dominant technology used in various applications. When purchasing a DWDM Mux Demux, one of the vital parameters that need to be considered is the insertion loss. Higher insertion loss means more investment in DWDM network deployment. This post focuses on the insertion loss testing of 40CH DWDM Mux to offer some help for your DWDM Mux Demux purchase.

 

Understand DWDM Mux Insertion Loss

As its name shows, insertion loss is the total optical power loss (often measured by dB) caused by the insertion of an optical component. Any component in a fiber optic interconnection will introduce loss definitely. For example, insertion loss of a connector or splice is the difference in power that we can see when inserting the component into the system. The insertion loss is affected by the fiber core meter on the transmit and receive end, as well as the receive conditions in two joint fibers.

 

In a completed network, the total loss comes not only from the optical connectors, but also from optical cables and the diverse ports of optical components inserted. As we all know, there are several types port on 40CH DWDM Mux Demux: line port, channel port and monitor port, some Muxes may have other function ports like 1310nm port, 1510nm port and expansion port. No matter which type of ports is connected to a DWDM system, some insertion loss occurs. Therefore, in order to ensure good performance of a whole DWDM optical link, a high quality DWDM Mux Demux should have a reasonable insertion loss value.

 

Insertion Loss Comparison in Different Vendors

If you are familiar with DWDM Mux Demux, you may know how great impact the insertion loss of them has on the whole network links. The higher the DWDM channel insertion loss is, the more cost may be needed, for optical amplifiers are required to keep a balance signal power in the link. And there are many vendors and suppliers of 40CH DWDM Mux in the market. Here is a graph showing the maximum insertion loss value of 40CH DWDM Mux of different vendors.

 

In a DWDM networks, the budget loss mainly comes from optical fiber path loss, DWDM OADM and Mux/Demux. If the loss of them is high, the network deployment cost will get higher certainly. In this graph, the vertical axis stands for the max insertion loss, and the horizontal axis shows several DWDM Mux vendors or suppliers like Cisco, Finisar, MRV, fiber-mart.COM, etc. From this comparison, we can see all the max insertion loss of 40CH DWDM Mux are not very high. The max insertion loss of MRV is 7.5dB, Cisco is 6.5dB and Finisar is 5dB. But compared with these vendors or suppliers, fiber-mart.COM 40CH DWDM Mux has the lowest max insertion loss—4.5dB. Besides, the typical insertion loss of fiber-mart.COM 40CH DWDM Mux is only 3dB. All these indicate that fiber-mart.COM 40CH DWDM Mux is perfect for long haul DWDM transmission.

 

How to Do Insertion Loss Testing for 40CH DWDM Mux Demux

Since insertion loss has profound influence on the whole optical networks, knowing how to test the insertion loss of 40CH DWDM Mux Demux is important. And the testing can be finished with an optical power meter if no professional equipment is available. Here offers a video to illustrate the insertion loss testing of our 40CH DWDM Mux, which uses Cisco Catalyst 4948E switch and our Cisco C25 compatible 10G DWDM SFP+ and C60 DWDM SFP+ modules that support 80km as light sources. This testing just takes channel 25 port and channel 60 port as examples to explain the testing method.

 

Summary

High quality, low insertion loss 40CH DWDM Muxs can not only manage bandwidth and expand capacity of existing optical backbones, but also save cost in DWDM network design. fiber-mart.COM 40CH DWDM Mux is a high density, low insertion loss passive modules, providing an ideal solution for DWDM networks. Custom services are also available. If you are interested, welcome to visit our website www.fiber-mart.com or contact us via sales@fiber-mart.com for more detailed information.

Enhance Network Capacity With CWDM Mux/Demux

by Fiber-MART.COM

Advanced networking technologies bring more convenience and flexibility to our lives, as well as the never-ending demand for higher bandwidth and faster transmission rates. To meet these requirements, service providers and network managers are more inclined to seek help from fiber optics. However, as available fiber infrastructure is restricted and to add more fiber is no longer a feasible and economical option, it is hence vital to search for more cost-effective methods to enhance network capacity. Wavelength-divison multiplexing (WDM) is a technology which multiplexes multiple optical signals onto a single fiber by using different wavelengths or colors of light. This technology can greatly reduce the cost of increasing network capacity without having to move a single shovelful of dirt or hang a single new fiber. This article mainly talks about CWDM.

CWDM Mux/Demux Overview

There are two types of WDM implementations: dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM). In the following part, we will introduce CWDM Mux/Demux solutions for promoting network capacity.

 

CWDM Mux/Demux, short for coarse wavelength division multiplexing multiplexer/demultiplexer, has proved to be a flexible and economical solution which allows for expanding the existing fiber capacity effectively. It enables operators to make full use of available fiber bandwidth in local loop and enterprise architectures. It can enhance capacity and increase bandwidth to the maximum over a single or dual fiber cable. Hence, by adopting CWDM Mux/Demux to the networking system, you are able to get other independent data links with less fiber cables required. CWDM Mux/Demux modules are wide from 2 channels to 18 channels in the form of 1RU 19’’ rack chassis.

 

 

The CWDM Mux/Demux has a long transmission distance coverage of multiple signals on a single fiber strand. It can support various types of signals such as 3Gbps/HD/SD, AES, DVB-ASI, Ethernet, etc. Furthermore, its ambient operating temperature is from -40℃ to 85℃, which means it is also suitable for outside plant applications. Besides, it requires no powering because of the thermally stable passive optics.

 

The Functions of CWDM Mux/Demux

Mux/Demux functions to multiplex or demultiplex multiple wavelengths, which are used on a single fiber link. The difference lies in the wavelengths, which are used. In CWDM space, the 1310-band and the 1550-band are divided into smaller bands, each only 20nm wide. In the multiplex operation, the multiple wavelength bands are combined (muxed) onto a single fiber. In a demultiplex operation, the multiple wavelength bands are separated (demuxed) from a single fiber.

 

In a hybrid configuration (mux/demux), multiple transmit and receive signals can be combined onto a single fiber. Each signal is assigned a different wavelength. At each end, transmit signals are muxed, while receive signals are demuxed. For example, in a simple full-duplex link, the transmit is assigned the 1530nm wavelength, while the receive signal is assigned the 1550nm wavelength.

 

CWDM Mux/Demux Product Solution

A CWDM Mux/Demux with up to 18 channels has been introduced to cater for the ever-increasing demand for massive bandwidth and higher capacity. Just as the name indicates, the 18-channel version can combine up to 18 different wavelength signals from different optical fibers into a single optical fiber, or separates up to 18 different wavelength signals coming from a single optical fiber. FIBER-MART.COM provides 18-CHCWDM Mux/Demux that is equipped with a monitor port, which is designed to ensure better CWDM network management.

 

This 18-CH CWDM Mux/Demux modules can multiplex and de-multiplex up to 18 CWDM sources over a single fiber with insertion loss below 4.9dB. It features a monitor port which ensures easy troubleshooting without downtime. Which efficiently contribute to expand the bandwidth of optical communication networks with lower loss and greater distance capacities.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, CWDM Mux/Demux technology is a very effective method for overcoming fiber exhaust. Employing it in your fiber optic network can greatly increase bandwidth without the need to spend capital on new fiber construction projects. It is hence natural that the technology is considered as a feasible and economical solution to realize network capacity promotion. With this technology, fiber count is no longer a constraint to most service providers and enterprises.