Most Popular Articles

Atari bringing back devices with Sigfox IoT agreement

Jun 1, 2016 by Telecom News / 700 Views

By Tim Skinner Telecoms.com

Retro gaming giant Atari will soon be entering the IoT arena following a partnership with Sigfox, the low power WAN provider. Famed for its trailblazing old-school computers and gaming consoles in the 1980s and 1990s, an announcement from Atari said it will soon be developing and launching consumer IoT services. While tangible details weren’t particularly forthcoming, and won’t be for the time being, Atari did hint at a move back to hardware having been primarily, if not solely, focused on software and gaming for the best part of the last 20 years. Atari said the initial product line will include offerings in areas such as home, pets, lifestyle and safety. By combining with Sigfox, Atari plans on developing a wide range of new products, from the very simple to the highly sophisticated, which users can track at any time. Sigfox says that by connecting to its network, products will benefit from an extended battery life and no need for paring or connectivity configuration. “By partnering together and using SIGFOX’s dedicated IoT connectivity, we are going to create amazing products with our brand,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari. “We look forward to our collaboration with SIGFOX and releasing new products to the mass market on a global scale.” It’s fair to assume Atari is targeting a move back into hardware and away from gaming, although more information will be released in due course. Atari says development of the new product line will begin in 2016.

Read more »
AT&T Foresees Opex Savings from SDN and NFV of 40% to 50%

Jun 3, 2016 by Telecom News / 694 Views

By Joan Engebretson Telecompetitor.com

AT&T expects to see opex savings from SDN and NFV in the range of 40% to 50% but it will take a few years to reach that goal, said Krish Prabhu, president of AT&T Labs, yesterday. Prabhu discussed the prospects for software defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) in a question and answer session at the Cowen and Company Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, which was also webcast.

Opex savings from SDN and NFV will occur when network functions are controlled through software, replacing today’s approach that relies more heavily on manual operations, Prabhu said.

“Opex savings will materialize when [functions] are fully automated,” said Prabhu.

AT&T has established a goal of virtualizing 75% of its network by 2020 and by that point, the company expects to see margins increase – apparently because of opex savings – Prabhu noted.

Opex Savings from SDN and NFV Will Exceed Capex Savings
The results that AT&T expects from SDN and NFV on the capex side are not as ambitious as what the company forecasts for opex.

Krish Prabhu

Prabhu doesn’t expect to see any capex savings from SDN and NFV, but that statement only tells part of the story. AT&T is expecting to handle four to eight times more traffic on its network within a few years than it handles today – and the company expects to accommodate that growth without increasing capex as a result of implementing SDN and NFV, Prabhu said.

Prabhu’s comments are quite similar to those made by Verizon CFO Fran Shammo recently. Shammo told investors that Verizon’s capex also would remain flat despite the implementation of SDN because of additional investment required to add small cells to the company’s wireless network.

AT&T also expects to invest substantially in small cells moving forward. Prabhu noted, for example, that while the company has built 90% of the macrocells it expects to need, it has only built 5% to 10% of the small cells it anticipates deploying.

DIRECTV Now
A key contributor to AT&T’s increasing bandwidth needs could be the company’s planned linear OTT video offering dubbed DIRECTV Now, which customers will be able to stream to a variety of wired and wireless devices.

According to Prabhu the company will be ready to meet bandwidth demand when the service launches later this year. On the wireless side, he noted that the company has 40 MHz of spectrum in the AWS-3 and WCS bands that will be available to support the new service.

Read more »

Fiber Optic Patch Panels Tutorial

Feb 8, 2016 by Articles / 679 Views

What Is Fiber Optic Patch Panel?

Fiber optic patch panel, or fiber optic patch bay, is a common cable management facilities. It includes a series of connection points of electronic equipment and the mainly connections are fiber optic patch cables. The patch panel allows circuits to be easily arranged and rearranged by simply plugging and unplugging the path cables, or changing the circuit of select signals without the use of expensive dedicated switching equipment. It can be an opened box used to protect the bare fiber and the optical fiber cables, meanwhile it protects spaces for fusion splicing and components connections by fiber adapters. During the unused condition, all fiber optic connectors, fiber patch cables and adapters should be kept away from dust. Fiber optic patch panels help with the installation density of the fiber optic cabling and provide more convenient organization and management.

A typical fiber optic patch panel has some jacket on the front side to receive short patch cables while on the back of the panel. There are either jacks or punch down blocks that receive the connections of longer and more permanent cables. The patch panels are often used to connect several computers by linking them via the panel, which enables the LAN to connect to the Internet or another WAN.

Types of Fiber Optic Patch Panels

According to the installation ways, there are mainly two types of fiber optic patch panels: wall-mounted patch panels and rack-mounted patch panels.

Wall-Mounted Fiber Optic Patch Panel
Wall-mounted fiber optic patch panels basically keep 12 different fibers separated from one another. If the amount of the fiber is more than 12, the extra fibers can be moved to a second panel or an engineer can use a panel that is designed to hold more fibers separately. The wall-mounted patch panels can be constructed to hold up to 144 fibers at once.

Wall-mounted fiber optic patch panels use the inside fiber optic adapters panels, patch cables and pigtails to realize the function of optical fiber distribution. They are used for protective connections for the fiber cables and pigtails in fiber optic cabling and user terminal applications. The patch panels are installed on the indoor wall and terrace to provide a flexible fiber management system for transitional outside plant cable to inside cable and connector assemblies.

Rack-Mounted Fiber Optic Patch Panel
Rack-mounted fiber optic patch panels hold the fibers horizontally and are often designed to open like a drawer. The sliding-opened structure offers engineers an easy access to the optical fibers inside. The rack-mounted patch panels are optional with different kinds of fiber optic adapter ports and pre-installed inner trays and accessories. And fiber optic pigtails of different types are optional, such as SC, FC, ST, LC, E2000 etc. Also, rack-mounted patch panels can be customized by the quantity of optical fibers.

Rack-mounted fiber patch panels are used to terminated and distributed optical fiber cables. They are convenient to organize and connect the fiber optic links. These patch panels are applied to many fiber optic products, such as DWDM MUX DEMUX, Rack Chassis Splitter, Optical Distribution Frame(ODF) etc. They are fully stable with no risk of movement and offer secure environment for fiber optic adapters, patch cables and pigtails.

According to different applications, fiber optic patch panels can be classified as following:

Loaded Fiber Optic Patch Panel
Loaded fiber optic patch panels are usually designed for fitting on a standard 19" rack and can provide the best protection for fiber optic applications. There are rubber grommets on the back of loaded fiber optic patch panels to protect the fiber cables from damage. Each loaded patch panel has fiber splice trays and cable routing spools. What's more, it includes zip ties, cable routing clamps and mounting screws, fiber splice sleeves and installation instructions. There is a special black textured which can be installed a sleek look in the server rack of these loaded fiber patch panels.

Swing-Out Fiber Optic Patch Panel
Swing-out fiber optic patch panels are lightweight and robust patch panels. They are designed for the installation of up to 48 standard optical fibers. These patch panels offer an economic alternative to metal fiber enclosures. The lower tray is designed to gain access to preformed fiber and splice management areas, at the same time, make it easy for installation and dressing of fiber optic cables. All common adapter panel/plate types, includes LC, SC, and ST can be changed with the front plates that can accommodate 6 or 12 duplex, or 12 simplex adapters each.

Swing-Out Patch Panel

Fixed Fiber Optic Patch Panel
Fixed fiber optic patch panels are 19" rack-mountable for connecting up to 24 optical fibers. They are suitable for use with manufactured pigtails or field installation connectors. The installation size is adapted by using appropriate mounting brackets, while the chassis will not be changed. Fixed patch panels are easy to use and more artistic while they can also keep rugged design. These patch panels are easier to terminate, providing greater capacity and easier fiber cable managements. Generally, fixed rack-mounted patch panels do not slide out, but we do offer sliding patch panels for even quicker access to the fiber terminations.

Slide-Out Fiber Optic Patch Panel
Slide out fiber optic patch panels fit with standard 19" or 23" racks and are designed to support both patching and splicing in one unit. Each slide-out patch panel has a slide-out master panel with an integrated tray stop to prevent over extension of fiber cables. The slide-out patch panel also has a two-piece top and swell latch door to allow for easy access to the adapter panels.

High-Density Fiber Optic Patch Panel
High-density fiber optic patch panels have been engineered to be able to significantly increase density for both patching and splicing. High-density patch panels maximize the amount of adapter panels per rack unit of height, so by utilizing LC quad style adapters you can effectively terminate up to 96 fibers per rack unit of space. There are several other features that make a high density fiber patch panel in an exceptionally nice product to work with. The sliding tray has locking positions to prevent over-extending the fibers. High-density patch panels also have a split top design which allows for easier cable management, and improved strain relief for the cable ingress.

Fiber Optic Patch and Splice Combos Patch Panel
Fiber optic patch and splice combos patch panels fit with standard 19" or 23" racks and are designed to support both patching and splicing in one unit. Fiber patch and splice combos have to support termination panels in an upper slide-out shelf with a lower compartment for splice trays in a slide-out shelf. This allows for a full front access application. Blank panels are available to fill unused panel positions.

Signature Series Patch Panel
The Signature Series fiber patch panel offers a solution in which you can adapt the fiber patch panel to many fiber adapter panels or fiber module footprints you want in a way that has never been offered before. This new fiber patch panel series is engineered to allow adaptation to a wide variety of fiber patching applications as well as fiber module installations, including a bulkhead that fits Corning adapter plates. You can now adjust to any of these scenarios with just a simple swap of the fiber bulkhead bracket. The unique master panel design allows for easy and secure routing of fiber without obstructions or compromising your bend radius.

LGX Fiber Optic Patch Panel
LGX fiber optic patch panels are rack-mountable patch panels designed to support the storage of splice trays. They provide high-density fiber connectivity solutions. LGX patch panels have universal mounting hardware to hold fully terminated LGX cassettes. This maximizes the performance of networking space while saving valuable installation time.

Identify Types of Network Cables and Connectors

Feb 26, 2016 by Articles / 676 Views

There are three types of network cables: fiber, twisted pair, and coaxial.

Fiber is the most expensive of the three and can run the longest distance. A number of types of connectors can work with fiber, but three you must know are SC, ST, and LC.

Twisted pair is commonly used in office settings to connect workstations to hubs or switches. It comes in two varicties: unshielded (UTP) and shielded (STP), The two types of connectors commonly used are RJ-11 (four wires and popular with telephones), and RJ-45 (eight wires and used with xBaseT networks—100BaseT, 1000BaseT, and so forth). Two common wiring standards are T568A and T568B.

Coaxial cabling is not as popular as it once was, but it's still used with cable television and some legacy networks. The two most regularly used connectors are F-conectors (television cabling) and BNC (10Base2, and so on).

Fiber

Fiber-optic cabling is the most expensive type. Although it's an excellent medium, it's often not used because of the cost of implementing it. It has a glass core within a rubber outer coating and uses beams of light rather than electrical signals to relay data. Because light doesn't diminish over distance the way electrical signals do, this cabling can run for distances measured in kilometers with transmission speeds from 100 Mbps up to 1 Gbps higher.

Often, fiber is used to connect runs to wiring closets where they break out into UTP or other cabling types, or as other types of backbones. Fiber-optic cable can use either ST, SC, or LC connector. ST is a barrel-shaped connector, whereas SC is squared and easier to connect in small spaces.The LC connector looks similar to SC but adds a flange on the top (much like an RJ-45 connector) to keep it securely connected.

Note: In addition to these listed in the A + objectives, other connectors are used with fiber. FC connectors may also be used but are not as common. MT-RJ is a popular connector for two fibers in a small form factor.

Twisted Pair

There are two primary types of twisted-pair cabling (with categories beneath cach that are shielded twisted pair (STP) and unshielded twisted pair (UTP). In both cases, the cabling is made up of pairs of wires twisted around each other.

UTP offers no shielding (hence the name) and is the network cabling type most prone to outside interference. The interference can be from a fluorescent light ballast, eletrical motor, or other such source (known as eletromagnetic interference [EMI]) or from wires being too close together and signals jumping across them (known as crosstalk), STP adds a foil shield around the twisted wires to protect against EMI.

STP cable uses IBM data connector (IDC) or universal data connector (UDC) ends and connects to token ring networks. While you need to know STP for the exam, you are not required to have any knowledge of the connectors associated with it. You must, however, know that most UTP cable uses RJ-45 connectors, which look like telephone connectors (RJ-11) but have eight wires instead of four.

Two wiring standards are commonly used with twisted-pair cabling:T568A and T568B (sometimes referred to simply as 568A and 568B). These are telecommunications standards from TIA and EIA that specify the pin arrangements for the RJ-45 connectors on UTP or STP cables. The number 568 refers to the order in which the wires within the Category 5 cable are terminated and attached to the connector. The signal is identical for both.

T568A was the first standard, released in 1991. Ten years later, in 2001, T568B was released. Pin numbers are read left to right, with the connector tab facing down. Notice that the pin-outs stay the same, and the only difference is in the color coding of the wiring.

Note: Mixing cables can cause communication problems on the network. Before installing a network or adding a new component to it, make sure the cable being used is in the correct wiring standard.

Coaxial

Coaxial cable, or coax, is one of the oldest media used in networks. Coax is built around a center conductor or core that is used to carry data from point to point. The center conductor has an insulator wrapped around it, a shield over the insulator, and a nonconductive sheath around the shielding. This construction allows the conducting core to be relatively free from outside interference. The shielding also prevents the conducting core from emanating signals externally from the cable.

Note: Before you read any further, accept the fact that the odds are incredibly slim that you will ever need to know about coax for a new installation in the real world (with the possible exception of RG-6, which is used from the wall to cable modem). If you do come across it, it will be in an existing installation and one of the first things you'll recommend is that it be changed.
Read more »
Fiber Optic Overview

Feb 6, 2016 by Articles / 673 Views
Fiber Optic Communication - The Future Of Networking & Data Transmission

Fiber optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information.

First developed in the 1970s, fiber-optic communication systems have revolutionized the telecommunications industry and have played a major role in the advent of the Information Age. Because of its advantages over electrical transmission, optical fibers have largely replaced copper wire communications in core networks. Optical fiber is used by many telecommunications companies to transmit telephone signals, Internet communication, and cable television signals. Researchers have reached internet speeds of over 100 petabits per second using fiber-optic communication.

Fiber's advantages has led to its use as the backbone of all of today's communications, telecom, Internet, CATV, etc. - even wireless, where towers are connected on fiber and antennas are using fiber up the towers.

Optical Fiber - The Better Solution

This photo from the infancy of fiber optics (to the right) was used to illustrate that one tiny optical fiber could carry more communications signals than a giant copper cable. Today one single mode fiber could carry the same amount of communications as 1000 of those old copper cables!

Fiber offers thousands of times more bandwidth than copper cables and can go more than 1000 times further before needing repeaters - both of which contribute to the immense economic advantage of fiber optics over copper. You can do a similar analysis for using wireless transmission also, but wireless is limited by the available wireless spectrum which is overcrowded because of everyone's desire to use more mobile devices.

Why Convert From Copper Cable To Fiber Optic Cable?

If you need some convincing before you make your first fiber optic cable purchase keep the following facts in mind.

Optical Fiber - Much More Efficient & Secure

Fiber optic cable operates much more efficiently and is more secure than traditional copper cabling. Fiber can transmit far more information over greater distance and with a higher clarity while offering a more secure connection. Fiber optic cable is resistant to electromagnetic interference and generates no radiation of its own. This point is important in locations where high levels of security must be maintained. Copper wire radiates energy that can be monitored. In contrast, taps in Fiber optic cable Fiber are easily detected. Copper cable, is also subject to problems with attenuation, capacitance, and crosstalk.

Optical Fiber - Does Not Require Grounding

Since fiber is made of glass, which is a bad electrical conductor, it does not require grounding and shields itself from other electrical interference. Fiber cables can be run near electrical cables without fear that it will weaken or interrupt the signal.

Optical Fiber - Corrosion Resistant

Fiber optic cable does not corrode and is not as sensitive to water or chemicals. This means you can safely run fiber cable in direct contact with dirt or in close proximity to chemicals (with the proper outer jacket materials).

Optical Fiber - The Safer Choice

Since fiber is not a good conductor of electricity, an installer or user will be safe from electrocution if there is a break in the outer jacket and the fiber is exposed.

How Fiber Optic Communication Works

The process of communicating using fiber-optics involves the following basic steps: Creating the optical signal involving the use of a transmitter, relaying the signal along the fiber, ensuring that the signal does not become too distorted or weak, receiving the optical signal, and converting it into an electrical signal.

Fiber (or fibre) consists of a strand of pure glass a little larger than a human hair. Fiber optic cable employs photons and pulsing laser light for the transmission of digital signals. Photons pass through the glass with negligible resistance. As light passes through the cable, its rays bounce off the cladding in different ways as shown below. The optic core of fiber optic cable is pure silicon dioxide. The electronic 1s and 0s of computers are converted to optically coded 1s and 0s. A light-emitting diode on one end of the cable then flashes those signals down the cable. At the other end, a simple photodetector collects the light and converts it back to electrical signals for transmission over copper cable networks.

Step index multimode was the first fiber design but is too slow for most uses, due to the dispersion caused by the different path lengths of the various modes. Step index fiber is rare - only POF uses a step index design today.

Graded index multimode fiber uses variations in the composition of the glass in the core to compensate for the different path lengths of the modes. It offers hundreds of times more bandwidth than step index fiber - up to about 2 gigahertz.

Singlemode fiber shrinks the core down so small that the light can only travel in one ray. This increases the bandwidth to almost infinity - but it's practically limited to about 100,000 gigahertz - that's still a lot!

Optic Fiber Cable Construction

Optical fiber consists of a core and a cladding layer, selected for total internal reflection due to the difference in the refractive index between the two. In practical fibers, the cladding is usually coated with a layer of acrylate polymer or polyimide. This coating protects the fiber from damage but does not contribute to its optical waveguide properties.

Individual coated fibers (or fibers formed into ribbons or bundles) then have a tough resin buffer layer and/or core tube(s) extruded around them to form the cable core. Several layers of protective sheathing, depending on the application, are added to form the cable.

Rigid fiber assemblies sometimes put light-absorbing ("dark") glass between the fibers, to prevent light that leaks out of one fiber from entering another. This reduces cross-talk between the fibers, or reduces flare in fiber bundle imaging applications.

A “dopant” is added to the core to actually make it less pure than the cladding. This changes the way the core transmits light. Because the cladding has different light properties than the core, it tends to keep the light within the core. Because of these properties, fiber optic cable can be bent around corners and can be extended over distances of up to 100 miles.

A typical laser transmitter can be pulsed billions of times per second. In addition, a single strand of glass can carry light in a number of wavelengths (colors), meaning that the data-carrying capacity of fiber optic cable is potentially thousands of times greater than copper cable.

Types Of Fiber Optic Cable
- Plastic cable, which works only over a few meters, is inexpensive and works with inexpensive components.
- Plastic-coated silica cable offers better performance than plastic cable at a little more cost.
- Single-index monomode fiber cable is used to span extremely long distances. The core is small and provides high bandwidth at long distances. Lasers are used to generate the light signal for single-mode cable. This cable is the most expensive and hardest to handle, but it has the highest bandwidths and distance ratings.
- Step-Index multimode cable has a relatively large diameter core with high dispersion characteristics. The cable is designed for the LAN environment and light is typically generated with a LED (light-emitting diode).
- Graded-index multimode cable has multiple layers of glass that contain dispersions enough to provide increases in cable distances.
Cable specifications list the core and cladding diameters as fractional numbers. For example, the minimum recommended cable type for FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) is 62.5/125 micron multimode fiber optic cable.That means the core is 62.5 microns and the core with surrounding cladding is a total of 125 microns.
- The core specifications for step-index and graded-index multimode cables range from 50 to 1,000 microns.
- The cladding diameter for step mode cables ranges from 125 to 1,050 microns.
- The core diameter for single-mode step cable is 4 to 10 microns, and the cladding diameter is from 75 to 125 microns.
Indoor Vs. Outdoor Optic Fiber Cable Applications

For indoor applications, the jacketed fiber is generally enclosed, with a bundle of flexible fibrous polymer strength members like aramid (e.g. Twaron or Kevlar), in a lightweight plastic cover to form a simple cable. Each end of the cable may be terminated with a specialized optical fiber connector to allow it to be easily connected and disconnected from transmitting and receiving equipment.

For outdoor applications or use in more strenuous environments, a much more robust cable construction is required. In loose-tube construction the fiber is laid helically into semi-rigid tubes, allowing the cable to stretch without stretching the fiber itself. This protects the fiber from tension during laying and due to temperature changes. Loose-tube fiber may be "dry block" or gel-filled. Dry block offers less protection to the fibers than gel-filled, but costs considerably less. Instead of a loose tube, the fiber may be embedded in a heavy polymer jacket, commonly called "tight buffer" construction. Tight buffer cables are offered for a variety of applications, but the two most common are "Breakout" and "Distribution".

Breakout Cables normally contain a ripcord, two non-conductive dielectric strengthening members (normally a glass rod epoxy), an aramid yarn, and 3 mm buffer tubing with an additional layer of Kevlar surrounding each fiber. The ripcord is a parallel cord of strong yarn that is situated under the jacket(s) of the cable for jacket removal. Distribution Cables have an overall Kevlar wrapping, a ripcord, and a 900 micrometer buffer coating surrounding each fiber. These fiber units are commonly bundled with additional steel strength members, again with a helical twist to allow for stretching.

A critical concern in outdoor cabling is to protect the fiber from contamination by water. This is accomplished by use of solid barriers such as copper tubes, and water-repellent jelly or water-absorbing powder surrounding the fiber.

Finally, the cable may be armored to protect it from environmental hazards, such as construction work or gnawing animals. Undersea cables are more heavily armored in their near-shore portions to protect them from boat anchors, fishing gear, and even sharks, which may be attracted to the electrical power that is carried to power amplifiers or repeaters in the cable.

Modern cables come in a wide variety of sheathings and armor, designed for applications such as direct burial in trenches, dual use as power lines, installation in conduit, lashing to aerial telephone poles, submarine installation, and insertion in paved streets.

To purchase your fiber cables, please click link below:

Fiber Patch Cables

Read more »