Author Archive Fiber-mart

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Things to Consider Before Buying Fiber Patch Cords

Somethimes called Fiber Jumpers, Patch Cords are used to connect network devices or end devices to a cabling system. These cables generally have various connectors that can be applied to each end. These include; LC, SC, ST or MTRJ connectors. Available in simplex (single cord) or duplex (dual cords) depending on your [ Continue reading…]

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Passive Optical Networks – Moving Beyond the LGX Form-Factor

Traditionally, products have gone down the path of modularity for two reasons: cost and/or ease of replacement without effecting existing services.  When the LGX form factor was first created for optical splitters, it made sense to have a modular approach for the first reason and to a lesser extent, the [ Continue reading…]

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Optical Switches: Symmetric and Asymmetric

While there are a number of aspects that can be discussed in regards to optical switching technology, the focus of this article is to provide information about two key categories of optical switches – symmetric and asymmetric.  The concept is very straightforward, but still important to understand when determining which [ Continue reading…]

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Solving Optical Multicast Challenges

There are many scenarios in today’s networks that require the replication of an optical signal, also known as optical multicast. Some of those scenarios include video feeds or data streams that need to reach multiple endpoints simultaneously. In other scenarios an expensive 40/100Gbps port may need to be replicated. In [ Continue reading…]

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Using Network Simulation Platforms for Testing Fiber Optic Equipment

As the use of fiber optic equipment in communications systems continues to grow worldwide, network simulation testing has become vitally important for vendors seeking to offer their equipment for use in the field.   In the past, many engineers and technicians wold simply use exposed bare optical fiber spools that [ Continue reading…]

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Optical Fiber Solutions for OTDR Training

Learning to operate an OTDR properly is a critical skill for field technicians managing and servicing fiber optic networks.  The OTDR is used frequently to determine length and loss characteristics, including testing optical fibers for faults and related issues that can negatively affect network performance.   There are a number of excellent [ Continue reading…]

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Best Practices for Simulating a Physical Fiber Optic Network

Prior to deploying new equipment into a live fiber optic network, communications equipment manufacturers, service providers, and carriers must ensure that their systems will work exact as intended.  As a result, these organizations strive to exactly simulate the live network in a laboratory environment.  While the consensus in the industry agrees [ Continue reading…]

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Chromatic Dispersion in Optical Fibers

Chromatic dispersion is a phenomenon that is an important factor in fiber optic communications.  It is the result of the different colors, or wavelengths, in a light beam arriving at their destination at slightly different times.  The result is a spreading, or dispersion, of the on-off light pulses that convey digital [ Continue reading…]

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An Introduction to Large Core Optical Fibers

The most common multimode optical fibers, which allow multiple light modes to propogate along the link simultaneously, are designed with a core diameter size of 50µm for for high-speed communications networks.  You may recognize these types of fibers by industry specifications such as OM2, OM3, and OM4 or by brand names [ Continue reading…]

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Get The Most Out Of Bare Optical Fiber Spools

If your company is like most that are involved with building or utilizing fiber optic systems, chances are you have a few spools of bare optical fiber laying around the lab.  Since it is critical to ensure fiber-based equipment works as intended prior to deployment in the field, it is a [ Continue reading…]

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