How to Optimize Your Network Performance with LC Assemblies?

High-density and compact data center cabling has become the consequent trend as the rapid development of fiber optic communication. Under this trend, LC assemblies, like the LC connector, LC adapter and LC attenuator, are more and more popular in the applications of cable television (CATV), fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) Markets. Today this post intends to explore how to optimize network performance with LC assemblies.

LC Adapter for Easy Installation

It’s familiar to us that fiber optic adapters are used to connect fiber optic components with the same or different interfaces. Due to their ability to interconnect two connectors, they are widely applied in optical management systems. And nowadays there are various LC adapters available in the market for both single mode and multimode applications. Take the quad LC adapter for example, Quad LC adapters, designed for high-density applications, provide 4-position LC adapter solution in a traditional duplex SC footprint. The mating sleeve can connect four duplex or eight simplex LC fiber optic cables, saving more space and bring more flexibility.

LC Attenuator for Better Transmission Quality

As we all know, signal strength needs to be reduced in some case. For instance, if a transmitter delivers too much light power, at the receiver end the power must be reduced by using fiber optic attenuator. Or it may degrade the bit error ratio (BER). LC attenuator is a type of widely applied fiber optic attenuator. It is designed to provide horizontal spectral attenuation over the full spectrum vary from 1260nm to 1620nm in single mode transmission. Therefore the LC attenuators can expand the capacity of optical networks by using the E-band (1400-nm window) for optical transmission.

LC HD Plus+ Fiber Cable for High Density Application

Designed with flexible “push-pull tab” uniboot connector, bend insensitive fiber and ultra-low insertion loss, LC HD plus+ fiber cables are the best choice for high-speed, high-bandwidth 1GbE and 10GbE networks in data centers. People with working experiences in data centers may know it’s not an easy task to add or remove one connector in numerous network cables. But with the push-pull tab uniboot connector, this problem can be solved perfectly. Firstly, the LC uniboot connector encloses two fibers firmly in a single cable, saving cable management space greatly. Secondly, the push-pull design enables connectors to be extracted or inserted into the port freely, which simplify the connectivity problems of limited access to the connector.

LC Mux/Demux for More Flexibility in WDM Network

CWDM and DWDM Mux/Demux play an important role in combining data rate of different wavelengths over the same fiber cable to increase network capacity. No matter CWDM or DWDM Mux/Demux, there are several types of ports on them to ensure the normal function: channel port and line port. Of course, some Mux/Demux also have an expansion port and monitor port. A LC Mux/Demux means the LC Mux/Demux has LC connector for interfacing. It’s known to us that LC design is popular in fiber optic links. Mux/Demux with LC interface is easy to install and add WDM capacity to an existing network.

The following picture shows how to use two CWDM Mux/Demux at the same time to increase the wavelengths and expand the network capacity. The 8 CH and 4CH CWDM Mux/Demux are connected using the expansion port (LC interface).

Summary

LC interface is the result of increased demands for smaller easier-to-use fiber connectivity. And a wide range of optical components with LC interface are widely used in optical networks. This article just introduces parts of them. Some other LC assembles such as optical transceivers, LC pigtails and LC adapter panels are available in Fiberstore. If you want to know more details, please visit FS.COM.

Sources:http://www.fiber-optic-components.com/how-to-optimize-your-network-performance-lc-assemblies.html

Introduction to Fiber Optic Adapter

As we know, fiber optic connector is an important fiber optic component used to connect two fiber optic lines together. Apart from connector, there is also another important optical component—fiber optic adapter. Fiber optic adapter, sometimes also called coupler, is a small device designed to terminate or link the fiber optic cables or fiber optic connectors between two fiber optic lines. Here I’d like to introduce some basic knowledge about fiber optic adapters.

Function

Fiber optic adapters are typically connecting cables with similar connectors such as SC adapter to SC connector, LC adapter to LC connector and so on. Some adapters, called “hybrid”, can link different types of connectors, for instance, ST to SC or LC to SC. When attempting to connect two cables with different connector types, it is necessary to use a hybrid adapters.

There are also adapters that can be used to attach a bare fiber optic cable to a power adapter. This piece allows the cable to fit into a connection slot, whether into a mating sleeve or into an electronic device. The fiber-optic cable can be fit into an adapter that works with any of the standard shaped connectors.

Features

By linking two connectors precisely, fiber optic adapters allow the light sources to be transmitted at most and lower the loss as much as possible. At the same time, fiber optic adapters have the merits of low insertion loss, good interchangeability and good reproducibility.

Types

There are various kinds of fiber optic adapters according to different standards. As we all known, in one complete cabling system, the fiber optic adapter panel shapes or types should be in accordance with the fiber optic connectors or cables to make sure the fluent fiber optic connection. Therefore, fiber optic adapters have different classifications.

Connector types

According to the connector types, fiber optic adapters can be divided in to FC-FC, SC-SC, LC-LC, ST-ST, MTRJ, etc. Common shapes of the adapters are square, rectangular, or round. These simple types of adapters are often referred to as mating sleeves because they allow two cables to connect to one another. Some of these common line to line connectors are also built to connect three or four cables together.

Polish type

According to polish type, there are PC, UPC and APC fiber optic adapters. Generally, PC and UPC adapters are designed with blue, and APC are green. It’s known to us that whenever a connector is installed on the end of fiber, loss cannot be avoided. Some of this light loss is reflected directly back down the fiber towards the light source it generates. These back reflections, or optical return loss (ORL), will damage the laser light sources and also disrupt the transmitted signal. Therefore, various polish profiles are used, but it depends on the type of fiber and the application. Generally speaking, a typical hand polished connector will measure at 30 dB.

Fiber type

According to fiber type, fiber optic adapters have single-mode and multimode. The single-mode adapters offer more precise alignment of the tips of the connectors. It’s no problem to use single-mode adapters to connect multimode cables, but it’s better not use multimode adapters to connect single-mode cables, for such connection can cause misalignment of the small single-mode fibers and increase attenuation.

Fiber count

According to the fiber count, optical adapters can be classified into simplex, duplex and quad. Simplex fiber optic adapters usually connect single fibers together, and duplex adapters link two fibers together. Under some occasions, four fibers needed to be connected, then quad fiber adapters can be applied.

Conclusion

As the life pace is getting more and more fast, there is an increasing needs for high speed information transmission. From the above description, we have got an overview about fiber optic adapter. A single optical fiber adapter maybe hold a dozen of cables. If we splice multiple adapters together, it can even make hundreds or thousands of connection. As long as we know what kind of connections, multimode or single mode, simplex or duplex as well as the connector types, we can try to make fiber optic adapters play an more important role in our daily cabling systems.

Fiber Optic Adapter

Fiber optic adapters , also called couplers, are used in fiber optic connection, the typical use is to provide a cable to cable fiber connection. They can connect single fibers together (simplex), two fibers together (duplex), or sometimes four fibers together (quad). Most fiber optic adapters consist of two optical connectors and one coupler. They can connect cables with similar or different connectors. Some fiber optic adapters are typically connecting cables with similar connectors (SC to SC, LC to LC, etc.). Some adapters, called “hybrid”, can connect different types of connectors (ST to SC, LC to SC, etc.). When the connectors have differing ferrule sizes (1.25mm to 2.5mm), such as LC to SC adapters, the adapters are significantly more expensive because of a more complicated design/manufacturing process.

LC to LC Fiber Optic Adapter

The LC-LC adapter, also known as LC-LC coupler, is made with female duplex LC connections on both sides to connect two duplex LC patch cords together. This adapter allows for connecting of similar connector types for high speed networks. By connecting two fiber optic cables with LC plugs, this fiber optic adapter will allow you to further expand the scope of your network. They are widely used in optical fiber transmission system, CATV network and optical fiber access network.

LC to SC Fiber Optic Adapter

As we have known that fiber optic adapters can connect cables with similar or different connectors. Those adapters connecting different joints also called “hybrid adapters”. Take LC to SC fiber optic adapter for example, this kind of adapters generally used to joint LC and SC connectors. And they are widely used in telecommunication networks, test equipment, active device, fiber to the home.

MPO Fiber Optic Adapter

As the life pace is getting more and more fast, there is an increasing needs for large information transmission. A variety of fiber optic adapters also produced. MPO fiber optic adapters is one of them. MPO fiber optic adapter provide a fast and easy way to connect one male MPO fiber cable (with alignment pins) to one female MPO fiber cable (without alignment pins).Constructed of light weight yet durable plastic, these adapters can be mounted in a 0.6″ X 0.4″ panel cut out. They can be used with MPO connectors that have 4, 6, or 12 fibers.