Category: Fiber Transceivers

Optical transceivers, Active Optic Cables, data center switches, and cable management in data centers.

High Density Fiber Patch Cables For Using In Data Center

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Data center fiber optical transmission system requirements on the bandwidth shows high growth trend, while the use of a new generation of fiber optic and fiber optical module can continue to explore the potential of optical network bandwidth. Since multi-mode fiber has lower overall cost of active and passive, prompting multimode fiber applications have an absolute advantage in the data center. The launch of OM4 new category EIA/TIA492AAAD multimode fiber standard, providing a better transmission way for multi-mode fiber widely used in the future. Multimode fiber from OM1 to OM2, from OM3 cable use VCSEL laser optimization technique to OM4 cable, the bandwidth is progressively enhanced, promoted by a large growth requirements of online media and application in the cloud computing environment, this module is the ideal communication solution for data center, server farms, network switches, telecom switching centers and many other needs high-speed data transmission embedded applications, the system applications include data aggregation, backplane communications, proprietary protocol data transmission and other high-density / high-bandwidth applications.
In the 40G/100G state port device such as QSFP will be directly connected to the MTP/MPO connector, regardless if the fiber channel is connected by several fiber optic cables, or what type of connection of the fiber connected. 40G/100G of equipment and equipment ultimately channel connection need to form a special model, so that the equipment transmitting end and the receiving end of the channel correspond to each other.
MPO / MTP high density fiber pre connection system currently mainly used in three areas: high-density data center environment applications, fiber-to-building applications, inside connection applications between optical splitter, 40G, 100G QSFP SFP+ and other fiber optical transceiver devices. There are a series of high-density parallel optical connectivity products adaptable to modern data center fiber transmission, which are  OM3/OM4 MPO bundle, MPO Loopback and QSFP Jumper.
MPO/MTP Fiber Cable is offered for various applications for all networking and device needs like 100 Gigabit modules. It uses a high-density multi-fiber connector system built around precision molded MT ferrule. MPO/MTP fiber cable is available in UPC and APC finishes, and support both multimode and single mode applications. Work with both VCSEL laser and LED sources, 10G OM3 OM4 MPO/MTP Cable provide 10 gigabit data transfer speeds in high bandwidth applications and they are 5 times faster than standard 50um fiber cable. Multimode MPO/MTP Cable is the cable of choice for most common local fiber systems as the devices for multimode are far cheaper. Single-mode MPO/MTP Cable is primarily used for applications involving extensive distances. The MPO/MTP Trunk cable is designs for Data Center Applications.
The single-mode and multimode MPO/MTP cables are round cables with the outer diameter of 3.0 mm or 4.5 mm. The connector the cable is terminated on is so called MPO/MTP connector.
With server virtualization and cloud computing development and the trend of network integration, bringing greater demand of faster and more efficiently data center networks. Currently 10G switch is consist of 48 10G channels per line card, mainly limited by the SFP+ module form factor. To meet the higher bandwidth requirements, customers can use the higher-density QSFP+ ports developed by QSFP+ Jumper, and by increasing the per-channel rate and increasing port density to achieve customers’ high bandwidth requirements.

Things to Know About Bend Insensitive Multimode Fiber

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Bend insensitive multimode fiber (BIMMF) has become a very active area within the telecommunication industry once it was introduced and popularized. It typically signifies technical advancements in the production of multimode optical fiber for easier installation, and cable management for multimode fiber cables through improvements in bend insensitivity. This article will focus on some useful information about BIMMF from the perspective of its working principle, performance in networking and unique advantages as well.
What Is Bend Insensitivity?
An optical fiber consists of a core and a cladding. Although both of these regions are made from glass in telecommunications grade fibers, they are significantly different from each other. Each region is designed to capture light within the core and transmit it to the opposite end of the fiber. During this process, the light may follow many paths, depending on the angle at which the light hits the boundary, it is either reflected back into the core, or it gets lost into the cladding. Therefore, the light losses during transmission cause a weaker optical signal at the other end.
Optical fiber is sensitive to stress, particularly bending. When conventional fibers are bent tightly, some of the signal will leak out of the fiber at the site of the bend due to macrobend loss, which will results in system failure and unplanned downtime. Various attributes in the fiber determine when this occurs. The relative ease with which this happens is known as bend sensitivity. On the contrary, bend insensitivity is a positive feature that can provide for additional robustness and simplify installation of multimode fiber.
Introduction to Bend Insensitive Multimode Fiber (BIMMF)
Bend-insensitive multimode fiber (BIMMF) has an innovative core design that enables it to significantly reduce macrobend loss even in the most challenging bend scenarios. It is hence natural that bend insensitive multimode fiber can withstand tough treatment. The difference between traditional multimode fiber and BIMMF mainly lies in the fact that the BIMMF design can include an optical trench. This trench effectively improves the fiber’s macrobend performance by retaining more of the light that would have escaped the core of a traditional multimode fiber. So when compared with standard multimode fibers, BIMMF is proved to be a good candidate for loss and bend critical applications because of their higher immunity to bending losses, without loosing performances or compatibility to other standard high bandwidth multimode fibers.
Compatibility With Conventional Fibers
There is a lot of buzz around the issue of bend insensitive fiber— is it compatible with regular fibers? Can they be spliced or connected to other conventional fibers without problems? Modeling and testing on BIMMF has shown that an optimized BIMMF is backward compatible and can be mixed with non-BIMMF without inducing excess loss. Hence, BIMMF and MMF could easily be mixed in an optical channel without complicating the estimation of losses. Moreover, BIMMF may lead to higher tolerance to possible misalignments when two connectors are mated. This is an additional positive feature for 40 and 100 Gigabit applications.
In summary, a well-designed BIMMF complies with all relevant industry standards and adheres to the following:
BIMMF OM2, OM3 and OM4 multimode fibers are fully compliant and fully backward-compatible with all relevant industry standards.
BIMMF is fully backward-compatible and may be used with the existing installed base of 50/125um multimode grades including OM2, OM3 and OM4.
BIMMF may be spliced or connectorized to conventional 50/125um fiber types with commercially available equipment and established practices and methods, no special tools or procedures are required.
BIMMF not only meets all relevant macrobend standards, but sets a new level of bend performance.
Advantages of BIMMF
Bend insensitive multimode fiber is available in all laser optimized grades, OM2, OM3 and OM4, and exhibits 10 times less signal loss in tight bend scenarios and therefore protects enterprise and data center systems from unplanned downtime due to signal loss and associated significant revenue loss.
This fiber type offers extremely low bending loss at both the 850 and 1300 nm operating windows, while maintaining excellent long term fiber strength and reliability. The fiber can be installed in loops as small as 7.5 mm radius with less than 0.2 dB bending loss at 850 nm and 0.5 dB at 1300 nm.
In addition, bend insensitive multimode fibers enable new possibilities for cable and patch panel design to further improve the benefits of using fiber. Optical cable manufacturers can now design thinner, more flexible trunk cables, making for easier cable installation and further improving airflow in conduits, patch panels and racks. Due to the ability of the fib cable to be bent tightly with significantly less signal loss, connector modules can be made smaller which in turn leads to an increased density within racks and smaller racks.

 

Good Forecasts for Global Optical Fiber Cable Market

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An optical fiber cable uses light wave for voice and data transmission, its data transmission capacity is 4.5 times more than conventional copper cables. So in the past several decades, we have seen that fiber optic cables are superior to traditional copper twisted-pair cable or coaxial cable because of its unique physical characteristics, allowing information to travel at speeds increasingly approaching the speed of light without interference between adjacent wavelengths. In leading market, the global drive to implement FTTx into more new venues is good news for the market of optical fiber cables. Another good trend is that the price erosion of optical fiber cables had been 10 to 15 percent annually, in result that the demand of optical fiber cable is expected to continue growing in the foreseeable future. And the growing data transmission workloads placed by high-performance computers, servers and network storage systems is helping spur growth in the market. Consequently, fiber optic cables are now the indispensable backbone of today’s communication network. This article will analyse the global optical fiber cable market in three main applications, including long-distance communication, submarine cable and FTTx network.
Global Optical Fiber Cable Market to Grow at 9.8% till 2021
According to the report “Fiber Optics Market by Cable – Global Forecast to 2021”, the optical fiber cable market is anticipate to grow at a CAGR of over 9.8% during 2016-2021. The growing importance of cloud computing, data transfer & storage, and IoT is driving the use of Internet, which is driving the fiber optic cable market, as it acts as the backbone for data transmission. Moreover, growing technological advancements increase in number of connected devices and data centers are expected to positively influence global optical fiber cable market. In addition, next generation technologies such as LTE and FTTx, which require last mile connectivity, is expected to propel the demand for optical fiber cables in the coming years. All these factors have led to an increase in Internet users, which in turn has led to the higher usage of optical fiber cable to transfer information over the Internet, thus driving the fiber optics market.
Optical Fiber Cable Market in Long-distance Communication
Currently, the growing adoption of optical technology in the telecommunications appears to be promising. Optical fiber has virtually unlimited capacity and low signal attenuation allowing long distances without amplifier or repeater, no exposure to parasite signals or crosstalk, and no electromagnetic interference (EMI). So fiber optic cable is especially advantageous for high-speed data transfer services in long-distance communications over electrical cabling. Furthermore, the increasing cloud-based applications, audio-video services, and Video-on-Demand (VoD) services further stimulate the demand for optical fiber cable installations.
Submarine Optical Fiber Cable Market
Submarine optical fiber cables are undersea cables used for carrying data across interconnected networks between continents. With the advancements of technology, most of the submarine optical fiber cables that currently form the backbone of the Internet connect the U.S. to Europe and Asia by crossing the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Instead, there is a proposal for deployment of Trans-polar submarine cable system in Arctic Ocean. Laying an undersea fiber optic cable is meant to connect Asia and Europe by crossing the Arctic Circle – the shortest practical distance yet for Internet signals traveling between the two continents. According to the report by Global Industry Analysts (GIA), cumulative installations of submarine optical fiber cables globally are projected to reach 2 million kilometers by 2020, driven by the growing demand for fiber broadband and the ensuing deployment of fiber optic cables in the Internet backbone. Presently, submarine optical fiber cables transmit 100% of the international Internet traffic, and more than 95% of the world’s combined data and voice traffic.
Optical Fiber Cable Market in FTTx Networks
In recent years, the market for optical fiber cable has shifted dramatically to local deployments, away from long haul and regional. This is the impact of FTTx, which calls for far more dense applications in neighborhoods, cities and other highly focused areas. Optical fiber cable is being caught up in the global move to broadband in the near future. The next generation of high bandwidth applications, along with the proliferation of connected devices, is expected to require faster and higher bandwidth networks which will require the use of multimode fiber cable for data transfer. This growth in the FTTx networks in turn is expected to drive the fiber optics market. Future Market Insights (FMI) forecasts the global fiber to the home (FTTH) market’s value will grow from $9.5 billion in 2017 to more than $37 billion by the end of 2027, a 14.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). In the leading Asian economies, more than 44% of all homes and buildings are already directly connected to the fiber optic cable network; in North America penetration is 8.4%, in Europe 5.6%.

A Brief Introduction of Cisco BiDi SFP Transceiver

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In the early stage of optical fiber communication, one optical fiber can only transmit signals of one wavelength. This is known as conventional two-fiber Bi-Directional communication – at least two fibers are needed to accomplish the full-duplex communication with TX and RX optical signals. With the development of WDM technology, transmitting and receiving of optical signals on separate wavelength can be achieved through only one single fiber. This single fiber BiDi transmission gradually becomes a popular and cost-effective solution for today’s data center and IT infrastructure, because it helps to maximize the capacity and usage of optical fibers. Consequently, BiDi optical transceiver as the basic component plays an irreplaceable role in the WDM BiDi transmission application. This article will generally introduce Cisco BiDi SFP transceivers, including GLC-BX-U, GLC-BX-D, GLC-BX-20U, GLC-BX-20D, GLC-BX40-D-I, GLC-BX40-U-I, GLC-BX80-D-I, GLC-BX80-U-I, GLC-BX120-U, GLC-BX120-D, etc.
What Is a BiDi SFP?
BiDi SFP transceiver can be defined as a compact, hot swappable, input/output optical module that can transmit and receive data to/from interconnected equipment through a single optical fiber. Unlike traditional optical transceivers, BiDi optical transceivers are fitted with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) diplexers, which combine and separate data transmitted over a single fiber based on the wavelengths of the light. To simplify it, conventional optical module has two ports – the TX for the transmit port and the RX for receive port; but BiDi transceiver has only one port to complete the 1310nm optical signal transmitting and 1550nm optical signal receiving, or vice versa. Therefore, BiDi transceivers must be deployed in matched pairs with their diplexers tuned to match the expected wavelength of the transmitter and receiver. These BiDi optical transceivers can offer bi-directional data links over single-mode fiber up to 120 km. BiDi SFP transceiver is applicable to many access networks: passive optical networks (PON) and point-to-point, digital video and closed circuit television (CCTV) applications, inter-system communication between servers, switches, routers, optical add drop multiplexer (OADM), WDM fast Ethernet links, SDH/STM-1, SONET/OC3, metropolitan area networks and other optic link.
Common Types of Cisco BiDi SFP
1G BiDi SFP is also known as 1000BASE-BX SFP, which use two different wavelengths (1310nm-TX/1490nm-RX, 1310nm-TX/1550nm-RX, 1490nm-TX/1550nm-RX and 1510nm-TX/1570nm-RX) for transmission in different distance. The following will list some main Cisco BiDi SFP modules in 10km, 20km, 40km, 80km and 120km.
10km Cisco BiDi SFP
The Cisco GLC-BX-D and GLC-BX-U is a pair of 10km BiDi SFP transceiver with LC duplex connectors, operating on a single strand of standard SMF. The GLC-BX-U transceiver operates at 1310nm-TX/1490nm-RX wavelength with upstream bidirectional single fiber, while the GLC-BX-D transceiver operates at 1490nm-TX/1310nm-RX wavelength with downstream bidirectional single fiber. These two BiDi optical modules, compliant to 1000Base-BX standard, are rated for distances up to 10 km over SMF and a maximum bandwidth of 1Gbps. A 1000BASE-BX-D device is always connected to a 1000BASE-BX-U device with a single strand of standard SMF. In addition, the GLC-BX-D and GLC-BX-U BiDi SFPs also support digital optical monitoring (DOM) functions according to the industry-standard SFF-8472 multisource agreement (MSA). This feature gives the end user the ability to monitor real-time parameters of the SFP, such as optical output power, optical input power, temperature and transceiver supply voltage.
(GLC-2BX-U and GLC-2BX-D are 2-channel 1000BASE-BX SFP modules, also known as compact SFPs that integrate two IEEE 802.3ah 1000BASE-BX10 interfaces in one SFP module. They are designed to connect to any standard-based Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) in FTTx links.)
20km Cisco BiDi SFP
GLC-BX-20U and GLC-BX-20D are Cisco 20km BiDi SFP transceivers that work with single mode fiber. The GLC-BX-20U operates at 1310nm-TX/1550nm-RX wavelength, and GLC-BX-20D operates at 1550nm-TX/1310nm-RX. So these two BiDi SFPs always work in pairs. Their max data rate is 1000Mbps. FS.COM compatible Cisco BiDi transceivers are high performance, cost effective modules supporting data-rate of 1000Mbps and 20km transmission distance with SMF. Among the Cisco 20km BiDi SFPs, Cisco Linksys MFEBX1D provides up to 155Mbps bi-directional data transfer rate at distances up to 20km on a single fiber core. These bidirectional SFP transceivers allow data transfer in either direction through a single optical fiber by employing separate wavelengths travelling in either direction.
40km Cisco BiDi SFP
Cisco GLC-BX40-D-I and GLC-BX40-U-I is a pair of 40km BiDi SFP modules for Gigabit Ethernet 1000BASE-BX and Fiber Channel communications. They support link length of up to 40km point to point on single mode fiber at 1Gbps bidirectional and use an LC connector. The GLC-BX40-D-I is 1550nm-TX/1310nm-RX 40km BiDi WDM SFP simplex transceiver module, GLC-BX40-U-I is 1310nm-TX/1550nm-RX BiDi WDM SFP module. They are specified for duplex optical data communications such as 1000BASE-BX Gigabit Ethernet per IEEE802.3z and 1G Fiber Channel extended reach application.
80km Cisco BiDi SFP
The Cisco GLC-BX80-D-I and GLC-BX80-U-I SFPs are 1G BiDi SFP modules that provide 80km transmission distance over single strand of single-mode fiber. GLC-BX80-D-I operates at 1570nm-TX/1490nm-RX wavelength, whereas GLC-BX80-U-I operates at 1490nm-TX/1570nm-RX. These bidirectional SFP transceivers are intended mainly for connecting high-speed hubs, Ethernet switches, and routers together in different wiring closets or buildings using long cabling runs, and developed to support longer-length on fiber backbones. Compared with commonly used dual fiber SFP transceiver modules, the BiDi SFP transceiver allows end users to reduce the total cost on fiber cabling infrastructure by requiring half of fiber cables, providing increased transmission capacity very convenient without installing new fibers.
120km Cisco BiDi SFP
The Cisco GLC-BX120-U and GLC-BX120-D are 1490nm and 1550nm bidirectional SFP transceivers that are used with single mode optical fiber. They also use two wavelength 1490nm-TX/1550nm-RX(1550nm-TX/1490nm-RX) simultaneously. These BiDi SFP modules can support transmission distance up to 120 km, which are connected through pluggable LC connector type optical interface. They have a DFB (Distributed Feedback) type transmitter, an APD (Avalanche Photo-Diode) type receiver, an LD (Laser Driver), a limiting amplifier and digital diagnostic monitor. Those BiDi SFP transceivers are Class 1 laser safety product which complies with US FDA regulations, SFP MSA, SFF-8472 and RoHS standards. More importantly, 120km SFP modules have the same or even lower transmit power as compared to 80km SFP. It is the reason that 120km modules extend the range thanks to receiver not transmitter. 120km modules have much better receiving sensitivity than 80km modules.
BiDi SFP transceiver serves as an ideal and feasible solution in situations where only limited fibers or limited conduit space is available. And the deployment of BiDi optical transceivers efficiently enhances the bandwidth capacity of the existing optical fiber infrastructure and help to achieve economical and reliable performance of the optical network. Although BiDi transceivers may be more expensive than common transceiver modules, they can save you the cost on fiber cables from the long run.

Introduction to Fiber Optic Sensor

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In recent years, fiber optic sensor has been deployed successfully in the supervision of structures. Because it is immune to electromagnetic interference and can handle extreme conditions, so it is gaining popularity as the sensor of choice for many industries. Fiber optic sensor is a sensing device that converts light rays into electronic signals. It is usually used for measuring physical quantities such as temperature, pressure, strain, voltages and acceleration etc. This blog is to introduce fiber optic sensor’s classification, characteristics and applications.
Classification
Fiber optic sensor can be mainly classified by sensing location, operating principle and applications. Depending on location of sensor, there are intrinsic and extrinsic fiber optic sensors. Considering the operating principle and demodulation technique, fiber optic sensors can be further divided into intensity, phase, frequency and polarization sensors. Based on application, fiber optic sensors can be classified in physical, chemical, bio-chemical sensors.
Characteristics
Fiber optic sensor offers unique characteristics that make it very popular and sometimes become the only viable sensing solution. Some inherent characteristics of fiber optic sensor are shown as following:
Harsh environment stability to strong electromagnetic interference immunity, high temperature and chemical corrosion, as well as high pressure and high voltage etc.
Very small size, passive and low power.
Excellent performance such as high sensitivity and wide bandwidth.
Long distance operation.
High sensitivity.
Multiplexed or distributed measurements – which are used to offset their major disadvantages of high cost and end-user unfamiliarity.
Applications
Fiber optic sensor has a variety of applications that can be found in equipment from computers to motion detectors. Several applications are specifically shown as following:
Mechanical Measurement – such as rotation,acceleration, electric and magnetic field measurement, temperature, pressure, acoustics,vibration, linear and angular position, strain, humidity, viscosity etc.
Electrical & Magnetic Measurements
Chemical & Biological Sensing
Monitoring the physical health of structures in real time.
Buildings and Bridges – concrete monitoring during setting, crack monitoring, spatial displacement measurement, neutral axis evolution, long-term deformation monitoring, concrete-steel interaction and post-seismic damage evaluation.
Tunnels – multipoint optical extensometers, convergence monitoring, shotcrete vaults evaluation, and joints monitoring damage detection.
Dams – foundation monitoring, joint expansion monitoring, spatial displacement measurement, leakage monitoring, and distributed temperature monitoring.
Heritage structures – displacement monitoring, crack opening analysis, post-seismic damage evaluation, restoration monitoring, and old-new interaction.
Detection of Leakage

MPO/MTP Fiber Cabling Basics

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With the ever increasing need for even greater bandwidth in data centers, multi-mode fiber cables (MMFs) have proven to be a practical optical solution to support such fast-changing and fast-growing bandwidth demand. MTP/MPO fiber cabling, ideal for quick and reliable MMF connectivity, provide an effective way for 40GbE network solutions, ensuring a high-performance and high-speed network. This blog includes basic information about MPO/MTP fiber cabling solutions.
MTP/MPO Connector Background
The term MTP is a registered trademark of US Conec used to describe their connector. The US Conec MTP product is fully compliant with the MPO standards. As such, the MTP connector is a MPO connector.
MTP/MPO Fiber Cabling System Introduction
MTP/MPO fiber cables, as an important part of the MPO/MTP cabling system, are designed to go on reliable and quick operations for the multi-fiber connection system in data centers. Each MTP fiber cable contains 12 fibers or 6 duplex channels in a connector, thus requiring less space. Besides, MTP/MPO fibers are manufactured with outstanding optical and mechanical properties, which makes them able to offer more improved scalability. What’s more, it is easy to have cable management and maintenance on them. Generally speaking, MTP/MPO fiber cables can save a lot of money and space to some extent.
MTP/MPO Fiber Cabling Categories
When it come to types, MTP/MPO fiber cables fall on MTP/MPO trunk cables and MTP/MPO harness cables.
MTP/MPO trunk cables, available in 12-144 counts, are intended for high-density application. By using MTP/MPO trunk cables, the installation of a complete fiber optic backbone is accessible without any field termination.
MTP/MPO harness cables, also called MTP/MPO breakout cables or MTP/MPO fanout cables, available in 8-144 counts, are used for breaking out the MTP into several connections. They provide connection to equipment or panels that are terminated with other standard connectors. As terminated with MTP/MPO connectors on one end and standard LC/FC/SC/ST/MTRJ connectors (generally MTP to LC) on the other end, these cable assemblies can meet a variety of fiber cabling requirements.
MPO/MTP Fiber Cabling for 40GbE
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ba 40 Ethernet Standard was ratified in June 2010. The IEEE 802.3ba standard specifies MPO connectors for standard-length MMF connectivity. MMF employs parallel optics using MPO interconnects for 40GbE transmission. More specifically, 40G is implemented using eight of the twelve fibers in a MPO connector. Four of these eight fibers are used to transmit while the other four are used to receive. Each Tx/Rx pair is operating at 10G.
fiber-mart MPO-based fiber cabling solutions provide a fast , simple and economical way for 40G applications. Certainly, fiber-mart 40G fiber cabling solutions are not limited to MPO/MTP fiber cables. Copper cables are also recommended. Take CAB-Q-Q-1M for example, Arista CAB-Q-Q-1M is the QSFP+ to QSFP+ passive copper cable assembly for 40G links. Or one of other fiber-mart 40G fiber cabling products: JG329A, fiber-mart compatible HP JG329A runs over passive breakout copper cable for 40-gigabit links.
MTP/MPO Jumpers
The MTP jumpers serve to create the connection between the device ports and the structured cabling via the connector panel.