Connecting the World: Fiber Optic Cables

by Fiber-MART.COM

Today’s technology lets us call someone on the telephone or send an email to anyone with an email address and Internet connection, instantly. People’s lives are more connected than ever through the Internet and other technologies that make communication easier than it has ever been. But have you ever wondered what makes this possible?

 

Fiber Optic Cable

 

Since the development of fiber optic cables, fiber has become the preferred method for transporting nearly every kind of information around the world. Fiber optic cables are stretched out across the world, even traveling underneath oceans, creating a huge network of cables sending information across continents. According to an article written by Thomas B. Allen for National Geographic, the United States alone is estimated to have about 35 million miles of fiber optic cables connecting the country. Each cable is capable of transferring about 4-8 terabits of information every second. That is equal to about 68,000 hours of music or 2000 hours of movies per second.

 

What Are Fibers?

 

So how are these cables able to transfer so much information in such little time? The fibers that make up each cable make this possible. Inside each cable there are over a hundred fiber strands of purified glass, each thinner than a human hair. A laser on one end of the fiber flashes several billion times every second, with every flash signifying either a 1 or 0. The light travels through the glass, reflecting off the walls of the glass until it reaches a device on the other end of the cable that converts the laser flashes into binary code that can be read by computers.

 

Another way of understanding how the laser travels through the fiber is to imagine what happens when you shine a light into a stream of water. Imagine shining a flashlight, in the dark, at the bottom of a bottle of water as you start to pour out the water. As the water exits the bottle, you can see the light traveling with the stream, even as the stream of water bends. This phenomenon is what inspired Jean-Daniel Colladon to first create the idea of fiber optics in the 1840’s.

 

Fiber vs. Copper

 

Fiber Optic CablesThere are many networks today that still use copper cables instead of fiber optic cables, although copper cables are not as effective or efficient as fiber. There are several reasons for upgrading to fiber optic cables. The main advantage is that fibers can send information much faster than copper, and the technology is still developing, meaning that even faster transfer speeds are possible in the future. When sending information over large distances, the signal begins to fade and requires an amplifier to regenerate the signal in order to reach its destination. Fiber optic cables experience less signal loss than copper, which means they do not need as much amplification. Copper cables can sometimes produce electromagnetic interference, which can disrupt the network. Also called “alien talk,” this happens when copper and phone cables are placed too close to each other. Because fiber cables only use light, they do not create the same interference. Fiber optic cables are also much more durable than copper cables and do not need to be replaced as often.

 

Fiber cables have their shortcomings as well. They can be fragile if they are improperly installed. They are also a more expensive investment than copper cables initially. However the increased efficiency and reduced need for maintenance help save money long term and make fiber optic cables a much better option than copper.

 

The Future of Fiber

 

Fiber optic cables have made communication throughout the world easier than ever and the technology continues to develop. In 2014, Dutch and American scientists worked together to create a new kind of fiber optic cable that can send information 2,550 times faster than the current fiber optic cables being used. That could mean downloading entire movies in less than a second. The scientists even believe that this new cable can carry the entire Internet by itself. According to one of the scientists, the new cable is capable of “allowing 21 times more bandwidth than currently available in communication networks.” Although this technology is not yet ready for widespread use, this shows just how quickly fiber optic cables are developing and the kind of impact they will continue to have on our lives. This is an exciting time for all of us, and as these technologies continue to develop, it is more important than ever to make sure we all keep up with them.

SFP+ compatibility issues? Here are 5 troubleshooting tips!

by Fiber-MART.COM

Have you ever tried to plug an optic SFP+ transceiver into an SFP+ port to discover that the connection didn’t work, i.e. traffic was very slow or there was no data transmission at all? Did you manage to diagnose the problem and find a resolution? There are several possible reasons for failure. We’ve listed the five most common ones.

 

sfp_plus

First of all, let’s briefly recap what SFP and SFP+ stand for. SFPs – short for ‘small form-factor pluggable’ – are compact, hot-pluggable devices that link networking devices, like switches, routers and servers. In this article, we focus on optic transceivers, as they’re called, which deliver 1Gbps of data across single-mode or multi-mode fibers. The SFP+ is an enhanced version of the SFP that supports data rates up to 10 Gbps. Now, the difference between SFP and SFP+ is an important one when troubleshooting: the transceivers are not always interchangeable.

 

TIP 1: Check whether you’re using SFP or SFP+ transceivers and slots

SFP and SFP+ modules look exactly the same. And as they have the same size, your SFP transceiver will fit seamlessly into an SFP+ switch port and vice versa. However, the connection won’t work as you expect it to. Or, worse even, it won’t work at all. If you plug an SFP device into an SFP+ port, the speed will be locked at 1 Gbps. Plugging an SFP+ module into an SFP port delivers no results at all, as the 10G transceiver can never auto-negotiate to 1Gbps.

 

TIP 2: Ensure that the SFPs have identical wavelengths at both ends 

Data transmission implies that data is sent from one end to another. The SFP+ transceiver on one end converts electrical signals into optical signals . A built-in laser transmits light through the fiber to the other side. Here, an optical diode converts the light back into an electrical signal. To guarantee that the SFP+ at the other end is capable of doing this, the SFPs at both ends should support the same wavelength. An 1310nm transceiver, for example, will not talk to an 850 nm transceiver.

 

sfp_flat

→ Here, too, look at the specs on the sticker of the modules or check out the details on the manufacturer’s website. Don’t look into the laser light ! Use your smartphone camera if you want to verify that light is coming out of the cable.

 

TIP 3: Use the correct single or multi-mode fiber cable 

Still in trouble even though you are sure you did not mix up SFP and SFP+ and are supporting the same wavelengths at both sides? If so, then verify if the optical transceivers on each end use the same fiber type, i.e. for single-mode or multi-mode fiber. And use the corresponding fiber cable.

 

Single-Mode Fiber (SMF): featuring a narrow core (typically around 9μm), SMF allows only a single mode (or “ray”) of light to propagate. It is mostly used to transmit data over long distances (max 2km – 120km).

Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF): as MMF has a much wider core (typically 50μm or 62.5μm), it allows multiple modes of light to propagate. The common MMFs are used for short distance transmissions (max 100m – 500m)

The type of fiber can be identified by use of standardized colors on the outer jacket:

 

fiber_type

TIP 4: Are both ports compatible with your SFP+ modules?

Even when using compatible SFP+s at both ends of the right cable, it is key that both of your devices support SFP+. Make sure that the SFP+ ports on your devices are compatible with the SFP+ modules you want to use. Some brands allow you to use only their own modules.

 

TIP 5: Is your optic cable in good shape?

Fiber optic cables are exceptionally vulnerable. Dust, dirt or tampering might cause physical damage. So, if you’re experiencing problems when connecting devices, check the connector, the module, and the module slot to make sure they’re not damaged.

 

To avoid physical damage, avoid extreme bends in fiber optic cables when storing them and put dust-caps on your cable ends if you disconnect them.

 

In summary, make sure that you know what you are doing when plugging in SFP+ modules and fiber optic cables! It may look simple, but transceivers and slots are not always compatible. Always check the specs on the sticker of your transceiver/the slot, or verify the details on the manufacturer’s website. Only when done right, using fiber optic cables that are in good shape, will you be able to transmit data at the desired speed!

 

Fiber Optic Patch Cable & Its Production Process

Introduction of Fiber Optic Patch Cable

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

 

 

Production Process of Fiber Optic Patch Cable

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

 

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

 

Correct tools and assembly procedures is necessary

Using high quality fiber optic connector parts

Stable polishing machines is very important

>High quality polishing sandpaper

Correct operating procedures

Accurate and reliable test equipment

Responsible and experienced operators

Clean and dust-free working environment

 

Fiber Optic Patch Cable Using Tips

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

Fiber Optic Patch Cable Solution

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

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CABLE AND FIBER OPTIC BROADBAND

When it comes to broadband internet connections, most people value speed. They want to be able to access the internet and transmit data as quickly as possible. Moreover, in order to do this, people typically rely on either cable or fiber optic broadband service. However, what many people don’t realize is that there are notable differences between the two:

 

CABLE VS. FIBER OPTIC BROADBAND

Fiber optic broadband relies on fiber optic cables to move data around. Fiber optics cables are known for being capable of moving information very quickly, and they are much more reliable than other types of cables. Cable broadband, despite its name, also relies on fiber optic cables to move data around. This can be a little bit confusing for some people to understand, but cable broadband is quite similar to fiber optic broadband in this way.

 

What sets the two broadband services apart is how they actually connect to your home. There are some fiber optic broadband providers that do it with fiber optic cables, but for the most part, fiber optic broadband companies use copper phone lines to connect to your home. Fiber optic cables run to street cabinets and carry data there before copper phone lines finish the job. Cable broadband, on the other hand, utilizes coaxial cables to create a connection between the cabinet and your home rather than copper phone lines. Coaxial cables are known to be a lot faster than copper phone lines when it comes to transmitting data.

 

Cable and fiber optic broadband are both incredibly fast, but before you choose one over the other, it’s important to understand how they work. It’s also important to remember that they both use fiber optic cables for the most part, which proves just how vital fiber optic cables are to communications today.

 

Connected Fiber offers a variety of services to those who need assistance with fiber optic cables. If you need help, call us at 1-862786-1199 today to learn about the services that we can offer to you.

Tunable SFP+ VS. Fixed Wavelength DWDM SFP+ Transceiver

Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) is one of most important technologies to increase network transmission capacity. Early DWDM systems applied fixed wavelength DWDM transceivers and performance is good. However, as the demand for great traffic capacity keeps growing, more optical transceivers of different wavelengths are needed, leading to high cost. So how to deal with that? Tunable SFP+ arises your attention.

What Is Tunable SFP+

Conventional DWDM SFP+ transceivers use fixed-wavelength lasers as light sources. It means that many optical transceivers are needed for the wavelength channels in a DWDM system. While tunable SFP+ is different from fixed wavelengths modules because it applies tunable laser, which can operate at any channel wavelength, means that only one kind of transceiver is needed. Tunable lasers are now widely used as light sources in DWDM systems. Tunable SFP+ modules are only available in DWDM since CWDM grid is too wide. Tunable SFP+ optics are for the C-Band 50GHz. About 88 different channels can be set with intervals of 0.4nm, which is the 50GHz band.

For better understanding, I’ll show you a tunable module. This is a Cisco Compatible 10G DWDM C-band tunable SFP+ 50GHz Transceiver. It’s hot swappable, can support 10.3Gbps data rate up to the distance of 80km over single mode LC duplex fiber patch cable. Support 1563.86nm-1528.77nm C-band tunable wavelengths.

What you should note is that wavelengths of tunable SFP+ can be tuned only when your Cisco/Juniper/Arista/etc switch supports. If your switch only support common fixed-wavelength DWDM SFP+, you need external software to change tunable optics into certain wavelength before putting into use.

Why Tunable SFP+ Is Better Than Fixed Wavelength SFP+?

Fixed wavelength SFP+ are still in the market and not too many problems found in use. So you may feel puzzled about choosing tunable SFP+ or fixed wavelength SFP+ as tunable SFP+ is more expensive. The following will tell you why you need tunable optics.

First, save you cost. With the development of optical communication systems, the shortages of fixed-wavelength laser gradually revealed. Conventional DWDM SFP+ can lead high costs. The number of wavelengths in DWDM 50GHz has reached the hundreds. Then spare modules of each laser should be prepared for protection of the system because you don’t know which module will break down and it’s difficult to predict the number of stock in specific channels. Therefore you have to buy large quantity of DWDM SFP+ modules with fixed wavelengths. While the tunable optics are configured with different DWDM wavelengths in one module. You can select the right wavelength you need based on your optical fiber communication environment. Tunable SFP+ are typically used as “spare-optics” to save you cost.

Second, flexible network management. When running a DWDM network with lots of nodes, for instance, up to 80 different wavelengths, management could be a nightmare. You have to prepare couple of DWDM SFP+ optics of each wavelength and possibly in different locations. Field engineers may not access network nodes as quickly as you wish. Thus tunable optics would be a good choice. Tunable optics could be configured for a specific wavelength to support bandwidth changes as needed in optical network.

Third, suitable for large network capacity. As the development of increasing network transport, 400G or 1T would be the trend. Then 400G and 1T transmission formats are expected to be bulky and not fit within 50GHz spacing. These future new data rate formats require that channel spacing is flexible, that your OTN system can adapt to new rates and can re-arrange channel spacing to find place for new rates in it. Tunable optics will double the number of channels supported in this transceiver module. Upgrading to 50GHz channel spacing doubles the capacity potential in Enterprise and Metro networks.

Choose Tunable SFP+ in the Long Run

Tunable SFP+ are high-performance optics which can be tuned to the appropriate wavelength in seconds. The ability to function on various wavelengths has set these optics apart from fixed-wavelength DWDM SFP+. Tunable SFP+ will become popular among DWDM systems due to their ease of spare use and flexibility. Tunable SFP+ would be a powerful and invaluable transmission tool in high-speed network. At present, many engineers are using fixed wavelengths SFP+ transceivers. Some may be stopped by the tunable SFP+ price. But in the long run, you are suggested to consider tunable SFP+.

Fiber Optic Cable are usually used in two scenarios

Fiber Optic Cable are used in applications where the optical signal is too strong and needs to be reduced. For example, in a multi-wavelength fiber optic system, you need to equalize the optical channel strength so that all the channels have similar power levels. This means to reduce stronger channels’ powers to match lower power channels.

The attenuation level is fixed at 5 dB, which means it reduces the optical power by 5dB. This attenuator has a short piece of fiber with metal ion doping that provides the specified attenuation.

There are many different mechanisms to reduce the optical power, this picture shows another mechanism used in one type of variable attenuator. Here variable means the attenuation level can be adjusted, for example, it could be from 1 dB up to 20dB.

Fiber Optic Cable are usually used in two scenarios.

The first case is in fiber optic power level testing. Cable are used to temporarily add a calibrated amount of signal loss in order to test the power level margins in a fiber optic communication system.

In the second case, Cable are permanently installed in a fiber optic communication link to properly match transmitter and receiver optical signal levels.

Simplex OM1 62.5/125 Multimode Fiber Optic Patch Cable

Optical Cable are typically classified as fixed or variable Cable.

Fixed Cable have a fixed optical power reduction number, such as 1dB, 5dB, 10dB, etc.

Variable Cable’ attenuation level can be adjusted, such as from 0.5 dB to 20dB, or even 50dB. Some variable Cable have very fine resolution, such as 0.1dB, or even 0.01dB.

This slide shows many different optical attenuator designs.

The female to female fixed Cable work like a regular adapter. But instead of minimizing insertion loss, it purposely adds some attenuation.

The female to female variable Cable are adjustable by turning a nut in the middle. The nut adjusts the air gap in the middle to achieve different attenuation levels.

The male to female fixed Cable work as fiber connectors, you can just plug in your existing fiber connector to its female side.

The in-line patch cable type variable Cable work as regular patch cables, but your can adjust its attenuation level by turning the screw.

For precise testing purposes, engineers have also designed instrument type variable Cable. These instrument type Cable have high attenuation ranges, such as from 0.5 dB to 70dB. They also have very fine resolution, such as 0.01dB. This is critical for accurate testing.

Juniper Networks SFP Module EX-SFP-10GE-SR

SFP is with higher data rate and new industrial standards and it is with more compact size compared with the former 10G transceivers X2 and Xenpak, it has greater ability for density installations. With the rapid development of fiber optic technologies, 10G Ethernet products are coming to fit the increasing demand for bandwidth. SFP plus is the 10G fiber optic transceiver used for 10G Ethernet and other high speed transmissions. It is the upgraded version of the former SFP transceivers (MINI GBIC), This post will focus on Juniper Networks SFP module EX-SFP-10GE-SR.

Overview of Juniper SFP Modules

Juniper SFP transceivers are the most cost-effective standards-based optical modules fully compatible with Juniper Switches & Routers. The Juniper SFP modules are tested in-house prior to shipment to guarantee that they will arrive in perfect physical and working condition before delivered worldwide. Fiberstore provides Juniper compatible SFP transceivers which can be equivalent to EX-SFP-10GE-SR, EX-SFP-10GE-LR, SFPP-10GE-SR, EX-SFP-10GE-ER, etc. The following part will introduce Juniper EX SFP 10GE SR.

 

Juniper EX SFP 10GE SR Brief Information

This Juniper compliant EX-SFP-10GE-SR is a 10GBASE SR SFP 850nm 300m transceiver module. The EX SFP 10GE SR transceiver module combines quality with low cost and gives you an ideal alternative except for the high price transceivers. The EX SFP 10GE SR is 100% compatible with all Juniper series switches and modules which support SFP transceivers. Here is a figure for you.

 

Juniper EX-SFP-10GE-SR

 

This SFP (mini-GBIC) transceiver module is designed for use with Juniper Networks network equipment and is equivalent to Juniper Networks part number EX-SFP-10GE-SR. This transceiver is built to meet or exceed the specifications of the OEM and to comply with Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) standards. This product is 100% functionally tested, and compatibility is guaranteed. The transceiver is hot-swappable input/output device which allows a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port to link with a fiber optic network. OEM specific configuration data is loaded on to the EEPROM of the transceiver at the factory, allowing this transceiver to initialize and perform identically to an OEM transceiver. This transceiver may be mixed and deployed with other OEM or third party transceivers and will deliver seamless network performance. A list of compatible network equipment is available on the Specs tab of this page.

Key Features

 

Operating data rate up to 10.3Gbps

850nm VCSEL Transmitter

TX Power :-6~-1dBm

Receiver Sensitivity:-11.1dBm

Distance up to 300m @50 / 125 um MMF

Single 3.3V Power supply and TTL Logic Interface

Duplex LC Connector Interface, Hot Pluggable

Compliant with MSA SFP+ Specification SFF-8431

Compliant with IEEE 802.3ae 10GBASE-SR/SW

Power Dissipation < 1.0W

Built-in Digital Diagnostic Function

Applications

10GBASE-SW at 9.953Gbps

10GBASE-SR at 10.3125Gbps

Other Optical Link

 

Conclusion

fiber-mart.com have a large quantity in stock transceivers and can ship in the Juniper EX SFP 10GE SR transceivers, you will find the cost effective modules here and you will find our Juniper EX SFP 10GE SR beyond your expectation, All of our module transceivers are tested in house prior to shipping to insure that they will arrive in perfect physical and working condition. Contact us today to save the time and cost by buying from original manufacturer directly. And now fiberstore is making a discount of 30% of the price about Juniper SFP.