WHICH FIBER PATCH CORD SHOULD BE USED FOR DIFFERENT TRANSEIVER TYPES?

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Fiber Optic Networks have many
features, ready to fulfill every customer’s needs for bandwidth, stability,
reliability and most important cost-effective network architecture. There are
many manufacturers that are offering their products on the market. Fortunately,
most of their products are compatible between them, meaning we can mix and
match different products from different manufacturers. However choosing the
correct equipment for a specific network design is not a simple task. We must
be really good prepared and we must know the properties of every single
component of the fiber optic network in order to achieve a stable network
architecture with possibility for future upgrades.

One of the key aspects to focus on when
designing and deploying a fiber optic network is the connection between the
main transmission components, the optical transceiver and the optical fiber
cable. The fiber optic transceiver is a type of self-contained, hot swappable
component that has the capability to convert electrical input into optical
signal and vice versa, and with the help of lasers transmit these optical
signals (optical light) down the optical cable. They are a key component for
the fiber optic network and its performance. They are inserted in devices like
servers, storages, switches and routers in a dedicated port on the device
itself. There are many Form-Factors of transceivers with various properties,
however the most commonly used are SFP+, QSFP and QSFP28 transceivers. The SFP+
transceivers are Small Form-Factor transceivers capable for speeds up to 16
GB/s and up to 80 kilometers, depending on the fiber type. The QSFP and QSFP28
transceivers are Quad Small Form-Factor transceivers capable for speeds
up to 40 GB/s and 100 GB/s. QSFP has a range of up to 40 kilometers and QSFP28
has a range of up to 10 kilometers on Single-mode fibers.

When it comes to fiber optic cables, or
fiber optic patch cords, they are composed of a fiber optic cable with a fiber
optic connector ending on each end. According to the application they would be
used for, they can be divided in several categories:

 

Multi-mode or Single-mode

Simplex or Duplex

According their connectors

When buying an optical cable we must know
the distance they would be used for because this is the deciding factor when
choosing Multi-mode of Single-mode fibers. Multi-mode fibers can come in four
different modes, OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4 and each of these four modes have
different reach capabilities. However Multi-mode fibers are used for short
reach because of their bigger core which transmits wider wavelength.
Single-mode fibers are used for long reach distances because they transmit a
narrower optical light via their smaller, around 9 micrometers, core. Simplex
and duplex option explains the number of fiber cores consisted in a fiber optic
cable. As the name suggests, simplex consists of one fiber core, while duplex
consists of two fiber optic cores. According to their connectors there are many
different types of cables. The most common used are cables with duplex LC
connectors and the MPO/MTP trunk and breakout fiber optic cable solution. There
are also cables with SC, ST, FC, E2000 and other connectors.

 

When choosing the correct patch cords
it’s important to know the compatibility with the transceivers. Their
compatibility could be found in their datasheets. When choosing cables with
appropriate connectors we should keep in mind that the MPO/MTP
connector solutions are the future of optical networking because they
can support speeds up to 100 GB/s and they provide a solid ground for future
network upgrades. Today for 40 GB/s a 12-fiber MPO/MTP connector is used
because only 8 fibers are needed for successful connection, four used for
transmitting, four used for receiving and four are left unused. For 100 GB/s
solutions the use of 24-fiber MPO/MTP connectors is a must. These MPO/MTP
connectors provide a seamless upgrade to 40 GB/s and 100 GB/s solutions. The
MPO/MTP connectors are generally used with various QSFP type of transceivers,
especially with QSFP28 because QSFP28 transceivers support bandwidth bigger
than 40 GB/s, up to 100 GB/s.

 

The LC connector stands for Lucent
Connector because it was firstly designed by Lucent Technologies. This connector
has a body build similar to RJ jack style. These connectors are generally used
in telecom rooms and network closets of a given organization. They are most
commonly used for reach up to 10 kilometers on Single-mode fibers and with SFP+
transceivers.

 

Today many leading IT managers are
searching for a cost-effective solution while not thinking about the future.
Even though it’s more expensive to purchase, the MPO/MTP solution provides a
seamless upgrade to new technologies and greater money savings on a long run.
Also because of the way they are functioning they consume less space and make
the whole maintenance process less complex.