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.

How to Clean the Dirt and Dust In Data Center

by Fiber-MART.COM

Wipe your finger on a distribution cabinet or a patch panel in a data center. Then watch your finger, can you see the scene shown in the picture on the right side? Your finger is attached with dust or dirt. This situation is so familiar to most telecom engineers working in data centers. However, how many people really care about it? You might recognize that the data center needs cleaning, but you might just think about it. This is the contaminant that can be seen and checked directly by eyes or touching. How about those dust or dirt inside the equipment? Over time, without timely cleaning, the accumulation of dirt and dust will lead to problems like overheating and various network failures. This is just the start of troubles, more are there to be deal with, if no proper action was taken.

 

Why Clean the Data Center?

What would happen, if there is no regular cleaning in data center? As mentioned, the most direct result of contaminant is overheating. Why? Dust and pollutants in the data center are usually light-weight. If there is air flow, dust or dirt will move with it. The cooling system of the data center is largely depending on server fan which can bring the dust and dirt into the cooling system. The accumulation of these contaminant can cause fan failure or static discharge inside equipment. The heat dissipation will need more time and heat emission efficiency is limited. The following picture which shows the contaminant at a server fan air intake, answers this question intuitively.

 

With the cooling system being affected by the dust and dirt, the risk of the data center will be increased largely. Contaminants won’t stop at cooling system, they will capture every possible place where they can get to. In addition, today’s data center is largely depend on electronic equipment and fiber optic components like fiber optic connectors, which are very sensitive to contaminants. Problems like power failures, loss of data and short circuit might be happened if the contaminants were not cleaned. What’s worse, short circuit might cause fire in data center, which could lead to irreparable damage.

 

Dust and dirt can also largely affect the life span of data center equipment as well as their operation. Cleaning and uptime usually run hand-in-hand. The uptime of a data center will be reduced if there are too many contaminants. Cleaning the data center regularly would be a good deal to reduce data center downtime and extend the life span of data center infrastructure equipment, comparing the cost of restarting the data center and repairing or replacement of the equipment.

 

Last but not least, Data center cleaning can offer an aesthetic appeal of a clean and dust-free environment. Although it is not the main purpose, but a clean data center can present a more desirable working environment for telecom engineers, especially for those who need to install cable under a raised floor or working overhead racks and cabinet. No one would reject the cleaning data center.

 

Contaminants Sources of Data Center

It is clear that data center cleaning is necessary. But how to keep the data center clean? Before take action, source of contaminants of data center should be considered. Generally, there are two main sources, one is inside the data center, and the other is from outside of the data center. The internal contaminants are usually particles from air conditioning unit fan belt wear, toner dust, packaging and construction materials, human hair and clothing, and zinc whiskers from electroplated steel floor plates. The external sources of contamination include cars, electricity generation, sea salt, natural and artificial fibers, plant pollen and wind-blown dust.

 

Data Center Cleaning and Contaminants Prevention

Knowing where the dust and dirt come from, here offers some suggestions and Tip to reduce the contaminants.

 

Reduce the data center access. It is recommended that limit access to only necessary personnel can reduce the external contaminants.

Sticky mats should be used at the entrances to the raised floor, which can eliminate the contaminants from shoes largely.

Never unpack new equipment inside the data center, establish a staging area outside the data center for unpacking and assembling equipment.

No food, drink or smoking in the data center.

Typically all sites are required to have fresh air make-up to the data center, remember to replace on a regular basis.

Cleaning frequency depends on activity in the data center. Floor vacuuming should be more often is the traffic in the data center increased.

Inspect and clean the fiber optic components regularly, especially, fiber optic connector and interface of switched and transceivers.

The inside and outside of racks and cabinets should be cleaning.

 

Conclusion

Data center is the information factory today. It deals with numerous information and data. Data center cleaning is necessary. On one hand, If the “factory” is polluted by dust and dirt, how could it provide reliable and high quality services. On the other hand, data center cleaning can extend the life span of equipment and saving cost for both cooling and maintenance.

CRIMINALS ATTACKING FIBER OPTIC CABLES

There are criminals out there; we suppose that terrorists may be a better choice of words, as they attack fiber optic cables in California. Just recently, and for the 11th time within a year, a purposefully severed fiber optic cable was found in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to this article in Theblaze.com.

 

This is a serious crime or a, as Richard Doherty, research director of The Envisoneering Group, puts it, “terrible social crime that affects thousands and millions of people.” The FBI is currently investigating the rash of fiber optic cutting in California and is determining whether they are connected.

 

When fiber optics are disrupted or cut altogether, it affects more than Internet, it affects the very way we communicate, so that puts hospitals and schools at risk, and that might result in the loss of lives. It is called the World Wide Web for a reason – we’re all caught in it and it’s near impossible to get off the grid nowadays.

 

By damaging a cable, it is as if a piece of the web is being damaged – think of a cobweb blowing in the wind – one strong gust and the entire web comes crashing down. We’re knitted together is what we’re saying and it only takes one little thing to blackout a region, and while the situation in California isn’t drastic or severe, it is nonetheless worrisome – as the attacks can become more frequent or, worst case scenario, attack more “connected” cables.

PON Splitters And Passive Optical Network

Passive Optical Network (PON), comprises a family of Physical Layer (Layer 1) access technologies based on the specifications developed by the Full-Service Access Network(FSAN) initiative for an ATM-based Passive Optical Network scheme produced by an international consortium of vendors and ratified by the ITU-T within the G.983.1 standard (October 1998). A PON is a fiber-optic local loop network without active electronics, such as repeaters, which can be both costly and troublesome. Rather, a PON uses inexpensive passive optical splitter and fiber coupler to deliver signals form the network edge to multiple customer premises. The PON splitters are placed at each fiber junction, or connection, throughout the network, providing a tremendous fan-out of fiber to a large number of end points. By eliminating the reliance on expensive active network elements and the ongoing powering and maintenance expenses associated with them, carriers can realize significant cost savings. PON technology usually used in the local loop to connect customer premises to an all-fiber network.

In fact, an efficient and reliable optical network (PON), depends on appropriate testing and measurement. During the construction phase, proper testing is the only way to guarantee that all the required transmission specifications are met, the network is ready for actual traffic, and subscribers are supplied with the expected service quality. During initial commissioning and subscriber activation, testing and diagnosis can ensure that the whole system operates within the acceptable specifications. When the network is activated and operation begins, the quality of service (QoS) must be tested and monitored to meet up with service-level agreements with subscribers. When problems are detected and diagnosed (e.g. Low signal or no signal), troubleshooting networks help to minimize network downtime, rapidly restore failed services, and efficiently manage network performance.

A PON is a point-to-multipoint, fiber-to-the-premises network architecture in which unpowered optical splitters (either splitting in optical power or wavelength) are used to enable a single optical fiber to serve multiple premises. Figure 1 shows the generic PON architecture. A PON does not use any active electronic components (devices consuming power), form the central office (CO) to the consumers’ premises. The network carries a single strand of fiber, which undergoes multiple splits to serve many consumer installations. This splitting is achieved by way of passive splitters. To the side of the local exchange there is an optical line termination (OLT), on the user side there is an optical network optical fibers and one or more splitters (in cascade), a number of ONUs are connected to an OLT in a tree topology. An ONU can be combined with a network termination unit(NT). This produces an optical network termination (ONT). The OLT has the interfaces with the backbone network that supply the services to the users. Hence a PON’s passive part consists of splitters and fibers located within the field. Reasonably complex active components are needed in the local exchange (the OLT) and on the side of users (the ONU/ONTs).

Unlike the point-to-point terrestrial and undersea amplified wavelength-division-nultiplexed (optical amplifier) fiber systems, the point-to-multipoint nature of PON has made the optical diagnosis, performance monitoring, and characterization a challenge. The key tests performed during a PON’s construction include total link loss measurement (optical power budget), optical return loss (ORL) measurement–especially when cable TV (CATV) services are provided, link characterization using an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR). During a PON’s opteration, network operators need to detect signal presence, measure them,and verify that they are within acceptable power ranges. Thorough performance assessment, accurate bit-error-rate (BER) measurement can help to define competitive, customer-retaining service-level agreements, and, most importantly, to make sure and sustain them.

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.

PON – Passive Optical Networks / Passive optische Netze

PON – Passive Optical Networks / Passive optische Netze

by Fiber-MART.COM

Ein passives optisches Netz ist ein Glasfasernetz, welches zur Signalverteilung ohne aktive Komponenten auskommt. Es arbeitet mit optischen Splittern, die über keine elektrischen Vermittlungsfunktionen verfügen. Passive optische Netze sind im Bereich zwischen Vermittlungsstelle und Teilnehmeranschluss für Gigabit-Glasfaseranschlüsse installiert. Sie funktionieren als Zugangsnetze für die Teilnehmer zum weltweiten Daten- und Kommunikationsnetz.

Man unterscheidet zwischen passiven optischen Netzen, die auf einer Punkt-zu-Punkt-Architektur und einer Punkt-zu-Mehrpunkt-Architektur basieren.

Die Abkürzung PON für Passive Optical Networks (Passive optische Netze) hat sich als Synonym für PtMP-Topologien entwickelt, obwohl z. B. PtP-Ethernet auch ein passives optisches Netz ist. Das heißt, wenn von PON die Rede ist, dann ist damit ein passives optisches Netz mit PtMP-Topologie gemeint.

PtP – Point-to-Point

Bei einer Punkt-zu-Punkt-Architektur hat jeder Teilnehmer von der Vermittlungsstelle (OLT) aus gesehen seine eigene Glasfaser, die bei ihm in der Wohnung oder im Einfamilienhaus endet. Weil für jeden Teilnehmer eine eigene Glasfaser verlegt ist, lässt sich Leitung und Dienst für jeden Teilnehmer entbündeln. Somit ist eine PtP-Topologie technologieunabhängig. Jeder Teilnehmer kann auf seiner Glasfaser einen anderen Anbieter wählen und der seine eigene Technologie. Auch ein späteres Aufrüsten gestaltet sich einfach. Mit PtP können die Anbieter flexibler auf die Bedarfsentwicklung der Kunden reagieren.

Ein Nachteil ist die hohe Anzahl an Ports in den Netzknoten. Denn jeder Teilnehmer hat seine eigene Glasfaser, die gespeist werden muss. Dafür braucht man Platz im Splitter und auch inder Vermittlungsstelle (OLT).

PtMP – Point-to-Multipoint

Bei einer Punkt-zu-Mehrpunkt-Architektur hat jeder Teilnehmer seine eigene Glasfaser, aber nur bis zum nächsten Kabelverzweiger. Dort befindet sich ein passiver optischer Splitter, der das Signal von einer Glasfaser aus der Vermittlungsstelle (OLT), auf alle Teilnehmerglasfasern aufteilt. Der Vorteil, für PON (PtMP) braucht man weniger Ports in der Vermittlungsstelle und damit weniger Platz- und Energiebedarf für Switches. In einem PON-Netz ist dafür das Entbündeln von Leitung und Dienst schwieriger, weil sich hier mehrere Teilnehmer eine Leitung teilen. Auch die Einführung einer neuen Technologie ist schwierig, weil sie für mehrere Teilnehmer auf einen Rutsch erfolgen muss.

Differences Between SFP, BiDi SFP and Compact SFP

Differences Between SFP, BiDi SFP and Compact SFP

by Fiber-MART.COM

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 SFP in one SFP module. Therefore, a compact SFP is also with two ports as the common 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).

 

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).

 

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).

 

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.

 

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.

Pluggable Fiber Optic Transceivers

Pluggable Fiber Optic Transceivers

by Fiber-MART.COM

An optical transceiver can best be described as a device that converts high-speed data from a cable source to an optical signal for communication over optical fiber. Optical transceivers are used to update the communications networks to manage broadband, to update the data center networks to make them manage traffic with higher speeds, to implement the backbone network for mobile communications.

 

For transceivers that plugs into Gigabit Ethernet and links to a fiber optic network, the Gigabit Interface Convertor is the standard and SFP is for small form factor pluggable transceiver. The GBIC transceiver operates as an input and output transceiver and is linked with the fiber optic network generally through the optic patch cords. GBIC transceivers are deemed to be ideal for any interconnections over the Gigabit Ethernet centers and for switches environment. The converters are virtually intended for high performance and continuing interactions that have need of gigabit or fiber channel interconnections. From SFP, users are able to generate connections utilizing the multi or single mode fiber optic ports along with the copper wiring.

The GBIC transceiver and the Cisco SFP offer companies with the opportunity to set up a Fiber Channel and Gigabit Ethernet connection effortlessly within their network. However, many Cisco GBIC transceivers would be the Cisco GLC-SX-MM, GLC-T, GLC-LH-SM, GLC-ZX-SM, and so much more. There are also 155M/622M/1.25G/2.125G/4.25G/8G/10G SFP optical transceivers, among which 155M and 1.25G are used widely on the market.

 

GBIC, SFP, SFP+, SFP, 1×9 covers low rate to 10G products, and is fully compatible with the global mainstream vendor equipment. And 10G SFP+ technology is becoming mature, with rising trend development of demand. 10G SFP optical module has been through development of 300Pin, XENPAK, X2, XFP, ultimately achieving to transmit 10G signals by the same size with SFP, and this is SFP+. SFP+, by its virtue of small size and low cost, meets the high-density requirements of devices to optic modules. Since 2010, it has replaced XFP and become the main stream in 10G market.

 

The SFP+ modules support digital diagnostics and monitoring functions, which are accessed through a 2-pin serial bus and provide calibrated, absolute real-time measurements of the laser bias current, transmitted optical power, received optical power, internal QSFP transceivers temperature, and the supply voltage. Digital diagnostic functionality allows telecommunication and data communications companies to implement reliable performance monitoring of the optical link in an accurate and cost-effective way.

 

Optical transceiver market driving forces relate to the increased traffic coming from the Internet. The optical transceiver signal market is intensely competitive. There is increasing demand optical transceivers as communications markets grow in response to more use of smart phones and more Internet transmission of data. The global optical transceiver market will grow to $6.7 billion by 2019 driven by the availability of 100 Gbps devices and the vast increases in Internet data traffic.

 

A palette of pluggable optical transceivers includes GBIC, SFP, XFP, SFP+, X2, CFP form factors are available at FiberStore. These are able to accommodate a wide range of link spans. The 10Gbps optical transceivers can be used in telecom and datacom (SONET/SDH/DWDM/Gigabit Ethernet) applications to change an electrical signal into an optical signal and vice versa.

Brief introduction of FTTx Network

Brief introduction of FTTx Network

Concept of FTTx

 

A simple understanding of FTTx is Fiber to the x, x here can be replaced such as H for home, B for building, C for curb or even W for wireless etc. It is a new technology used in today’s network. As we know, compared to copper or digital radio, fiber’s high bandwidth and low attenuation easily offset its higher cost. To install fiber optics all the way to the home or the users’ working places has always been the goal of fiber optic industry. Thanks to optical fiber all the way to subscriber, we can get unprecedented higher speed in enjoying more services at home, such as teleworking, tele-medicine, online shopping and so on. It is precisely because the demands for bandwidth keeps spiraling upwards, FTTx technology now is very popular with people and has to be imperative.

 

FTTx Enabling Technologies

Architectures

According to the different termination place, the common FTTx architectures include these following types:

 

1. FTTC: Fiber To The Curb (or Node, FTTN)

 

Fiber to the curb brings fiber to the curb, or just down the street, close enough for the copper wiring already connecting the home to carry DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Actually, FTTC bandwidth depends on DSL performance where the bandwidth declines over long lengths from the node to the home. Though the cost of FTTC is lower than FTTH in the first time installation, it is limited by the quality of the copper wiring currently installed to or near the home and the distance between the node to the home. Thus, in many developed, FTTC is now gradually upgrade to FTTH.

 

2. FTTH Active Star Network

 

FTTH active star network means that a home run active star network has one fiber dedicated to each home. It is the simplest way to achieve fiber to the home and offers the maximum amount of bandwidth and flexibility. However, this architecture generally needs a higher cost, as the requirements of the both in electronics on each end and the dedicated fibers for each home.

 

3. FTTH PON (Passive Optical Network)

 

The FTTH architecture consists of a passive optical network (PON) that allows several customers to share the same connection, without any active components (i.e., components that generate or transform light through optical-electrical-optical conversion). In this architecture, it usually needs a PON splitter. PON splitter is bi-directional, that is signals can be sent downstream from the central office, broadcast to all users, and signals from the users can be sent upstream and combined into one fiber to communicate with the central office. The PON splitter is an important passive component used in FTTH networks. There are mainly two kinds of passive optical splitters: one is the traditional fused type splitter as known as FBT coupler or FBT WDM optical splitter, which features competitive price; the other is the PLC splitter based on the PLC (Planar Lightwave Circuit) technology, which has a compact size and suits for density applications. Because it cuts the cost of the links substantially by sharing, this architecture is more prefered by people when choosing the architecture.

 

FTTx/PON Protocols

 

There are two major current PON standards: GPON(gigabit-capable PON) and EPON(Ethernet PON). The fomer uses IP-based protocol, based originally on ATM protocols but in its latest incarnation using a custom framing protocol GEM. EPON is based on the IEEE standard for Ethernet in the First Mile, targeting cheaper optical components and native use of Ethernet. In addition, there is BPON(broadband PON), was the most popular current PON application in the beginning. It also uses ATM as the protocol (BPON digital signals operate at ATM rates of 155, 622 and 1244 Mb/s).

 

Future Trends

 

Doubtless, FTTx technology will continue to spread. With the higher and higher requirement of the network speeds, the requirement of FTTx is also improved both in technology and cost saving. And the next generation of PONs, such as 10G GEPON, WDM PON etc. also play an important role in the FTTx development. Maybe one day, we could enjoy the FTTd, ie. fiber to the desk and enjoy a avariety of modern network services.

Dell S6100-ON Switch Compatible Modules and Cables

Dell S6100-ON Switch Compatible Modules and Cables

by Fiber-MART.COM

It is commonsense in telecommunications that data centers require repetitive building blocks of equipment with the advancement of Internet and increasing demand for higher data rate. For this reason, it is important for switches to have high flexibility to support different data rates and transmission medias, especially those switches for Layer 2 and Layer 3 in network migration. Besides flexibility, as new generation networks such as virtualization and cloud computing services come forth, the trend of future data centers is toward soft-ware defined networking (SDN), where all infrastructure is virtualized and delivered as a service. This requires the switches to be on-demand provisioning. Dell S6100-ON is a switch potential with these capabilities. This article will introduce some specific interfaces for S6100-ON to assist in the installation and deployment of S6100-ON in your network.

How S6100-ON Optimizes Data Center Network

The high-performance Dell Networking S6100-ON is a compact full featured modular 10/25/40/50/100GbE switch for applications in data center and computing environments. It has four I/O module slots, and there are three modules available. These three modules are 16x40GE QSFP+ I/O module, 8x100GE QSFP28 I/O module, 4x100GE CXP and 4x100GEQSFP28 IO module. Figure 1 shows its configurations. For the first module, all 16 ports of 40GbE QSFP+ can be used as 40GbE or 8 ports can breakout of 4x10GbE. The second module is 8 ports of the 100GbE QSFP28. Each QSFP28 port can be used as 100GbE or 4x25GbE or 2x50GbE or 4x10GbE with breakout cables when available. And The other two modules are 4 ports of 100GbE CXP and 4 ports of QSFP28. Each CXP port can be used as 100GbE. Each QSFP28 port can be used as 100GbE or 4x25GbE or 2x50GbEor 4x10GbE with breakout cables when available.

 

S6100-ON Applications and Features

The S6100-ON supports applications of high density 10/25/40/50/100GbE top-of rack (ToR) server aggregation in high performance data center environments. The 2RU device can provide up to 32 ports of 100GbE (QSFP28), 64 ports of 40GbE (QSFP+), or 128 ports of 10GbE. Targeting at cloud and big data environments, it supports the new 25GbE and 50GbE specifications as well. Incorporate with Dell Z9500 switch, it can be used in large implementations, thus creating a flat, two-tier, non-blocking 10/25/40/50/100GbE data center network design. Along with other S-Series 1/10/40GbE ToR switches, it is suitable for small-scale implementation in leaf and spine, enabling cost-effective aggregation of 10/25/40/50/100GbE uplinks. It can be deployed in iSCSI storage including data center bridge (DCB) converged lossless transactions. In addition, it supports scalable L2 and L3 Ethernet switching and jumbo frame for large data transfers. Using the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE), the S6100-ON adds automated configuration and provisioning capabilities to simplify the the management of network environments. To sum up, it provides the flexibility and agility to transform data centers and offer high-capacity network fabrics that are easy to deploy. It also provides cost-effective solutions to aggregations of different network modules, creating a non-blocking switching architecture, and it offers a clear path to a software-defined data center with affordable prices.

 

Compatible Modules and Cables for S6100-ON

The Dell Networking S6100-ON switch supports a full range of 10, 25, 40, 50, 100 gigabit Ethernet connectivity options. Those 40/100G ports support installation of QSFP+ and QSFP28 transceiver modules, and QSFP+ and QSFP28 direct attach cables as well as active optical cables, and MTP to LC breakout cables. fiber-mart.com provides many high-quality compatible modules and cables for Dell S6100-ON deployment.

 

Conclusion

Dell S6100-ON provides the flexibility of moving among existing Ethernet standards and the capability of satisfying future generations of computing environments. fiber-mart.com offers all the compatible products above for S6100-ON with high performance and favorable prices. For more information, please visit www.fiber-mart.com or contact us via sales@fiber-mart.com.

Do You Know about SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ Transceiver?

Do You Know about SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ Transceiver?

by Fiber-MART.COM

There is a growing need in the data center for upgrading from 10G to 40G switch connections due to server consolidation, virtualization, and performance improvements. However, for many data center operators this upgrade and conversion is more challenging based on two primary factors. First, the potential for a reconfiguration of the physical layer of the network based on the reduced reach of the OM3/OM4 multimode optics from 10GBASE-SR (300/400 m) to 40GBASE-SR4 (100/150 m) and second, the existing fiber optic cabling plant may need to be upgraded based on the additional fiber count needed to support the IEEE-defined 40GBASE-SR4 parallel optics. These two factors bring the SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ transceiver to market.

What Is SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ Transceiver?

 

40GBASE Universal QSFP+ Transceiver for SMF&MMFAs we all know, a fiber optic transceiver may either operate on multimode fiber (MMF) or single-mode fiber (SMF). However, a SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ transceiver can be used with both MMF and SMF without the need for any software/hardware changes to the transceiver module or any additional hardware in the network. Usually, this transceiver is based on IEEE defined 40GBASE-LR4 specifications and operates in the 1310 nm band. It uses a duplex LC connector and supports distances up to 150 m over OM3 or OM4 multimode fiber and up to 500 m over single-mode fiber (different vendor may have different specifications). This is usually accomplished by combining four 10G optical channels at different wavelengths (1270, 1290, 1310, and 1330 nm) inside the transceiver module to transmit and receive an aggregate 40G signal over a single pair of multimode or single-mode fibers. At present, there are two main SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ transceiver in the market. One is the Arista QSFP-40G-UNIV universal QSFP+ transceiver, and the other is the Juniper JNP-QSFP-40G-LX4 40GBASE-LX4 QSFP+ transceiver. These two types QSFP+ for both MMF and SMF are widely installed and used for upgrading from 10G to 40G networks without modification or expansion.

 

Advantages of SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ Transceiver

With the increase in data center bandwidth requirements, migration to 40G for switch to switch connections is in higher demand. SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ transceiver is designed to allow for seamless migrations from existing 10 to 40GbE networking without requiring a redesign or expansion of the fiber network. Besides, this transceiver also provides a cost-effective solution to migrate from multimode to single-mode fiber, allows a single-mode fiber infrastructure for distances up to 500m. The advantages of SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ are as following.

 

Cabling Migrating from 10G to 40G

Existing 40G transceivers for short reach, QSFP+ SR4 and the extended reach QSFP+ CSR4, utilize four independent 10G transmitters and receivers for an aggregate 40G link, which use an MPO-12 connector and require 8-fiber parallel multimode fiber (OM3 or OM4). However, a SMF&MMF QSFP+ uses duplex LC connector, which is consistent with the existing 10G connections, which are also commonly MMF cables with duplex LC connectors. Therefore, a SMF&MMF QSFP+ allows the same cables to be used for direct 10G connections to direct 40G connections, resulting in zero-cost cabling migration.

 

Increase Number of 40G Links in the Network

As existing MMF 40G solutions need the use of 8 fibers for a 40G link, customers have to add additional fiber to increase the number of 40G links. By deploying the SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ transceiver, customers increase the number of 40G links by 4 times without making any changes to their fiber infrastructure, which greatly expand network scale and performance.

 

Migrate from Multimode to Single-mode Fiber

As data rates increase from 40G to 100G and beyond to 400G, there is a strong desire for data centers to move to single-mode fiber for cost effectiveness. Due to the limitations of multimode transceivers to support existing distances with ever increasing data rates, migrating to 100G and 400G in the future will be simpler with single-mode fiber. However, the single-mode transceivers typically cost up to 4 times more compared to multimode transceivers. As SMF&MMF QSFP+ interoperates with 10km QSFP-LR4 optics, it s a cost effective solution for SM fiber infrastructure for distances up to 500 m.

 

Simplify the Data Centers with a Mix of MMF and SMF Deployments

The SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ transceiver offers the unique advantage of operating on both multimode and single-mode fiber without any requirement for additional hardware or software. Customers can consolidate their optics and use SMF&MMF QSFP +in their network irrespective of the fiber type, which makes full use of the existing cabling systems, reduces the cost of deployment and of support, and simplify purchasing and deployments.

 

Conclusion

The SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ transceiver enables data centers running at 10G today to seamlessly upgrade to 40G without having to re-design or modify the cable infrastructure, which allows organizations to migrate their existing 10G infrastructure to 40G at zero cost of fiber and to expand the infrastructure with low capital investment. It also offers a transition path for customer planning migrations to single-mode fiber in data centers with a single transceiver that bridges the gap between multi-mode and single-mode optics. With high-density 40G switches on hand, fiber-mart.com SMF&MMF 40G QSFP+ transceiver provides a cost-effective solution for migrating to next-generation 40G data center deployments.

Armored Fiber Cable for Robust and Flexible Network

Armored Fiber Cable for Robust and Flexible Network

Armored Fiber Cable for Robust and Flexible Network

 

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

 

Why Do We Need Armored Fiber Cables?

 

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

Structure of Armored Fiber Cables

 

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

 

Types of Armored Fiber Cables

 

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

 

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

 

Applications of Armored Fiber Cables

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

Conclusion

 

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

Understand Ports On CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX

Understand Ports On CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX

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

 

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

 

Channel Port

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

 

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

 

Line Port

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The Functioning Ports on CWDM and DWDM MUX/DEMUX

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

Expansion Port

 

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

 

1310nm Port and 1550nm Port

 

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

 

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

 

Monitor Port

 

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

 

fiber-mart.com WDM CWDM and DWDM Solution

 

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