Deploy 40GBASE-UNIV Transceiver to Achieve More Cost-effective Data Center Upgrade

Due to server consolidation, virtualization, and performance improvements, there is a growing need in the data center for 40GbE switch connections. For many data center operators, this upgrade and conversion is more challenging based on two primary factors. Firstly, the potential for a reconfiguration of the physical layer of the network based on reduced reach of the OM3/OM4 multimode optics from 10GBASE-SR (300/400 m) to 40GBASE-SR4 (100/150 m). Secondly, the existing fiber optic cabling plant may need to be upgraded based on the additional fiber count needed to support the IEEE-defined 40GBASE-SR4 parallel optics. These two factors bring the 40GBASE-UNIV optical transceiver to market.

What Is 40GBASE-UNIV QSFP+ Transceiver?

The 40GBASE-UNIV QSFP+ is a pluggable optical transceiver with a duplex LC connector that can operate with both single-mode fiber and multimode fiber. Generally, the transmission distance could be up to 150 m over OM3/OM4 and up to 2 km over SMF. It has 4 channels of 10G multiplexed inside the module to transmit and receive an aggregate 40G signal over a single pair (2 strands) of fiber. It is called “Universal” because of its ability to operate with both SMF and MMF without the need for any software/hardware changes to the module or any additional hardware in the network. The 40GBASE-UNIV QSFP+ offers a very cost-effective connectivity solution and unique value proposition for data centers to migrate from 10G to 40G with minimal disruption over existing single-mode and multimode infrastructure.

Benefits of 40GBASE-UNIV QSFP+ Transceiver

40G transmission over 2 fibers—Existing 40G transceiver for short reach, such as 40GBASE-SR4, utilizes four independent 10G transmitters and receivers for an aggregate 40G link, requiring a total of 8 fibers per link. It uses an MPO-12 connector and requires a parallel multimode fiber (OM3 or OM4). This is four times more fiber than is required for 10G short reach links (see Figure 1). The 40GBASE-UNIV transceiver also uses four transmitters and four receivers but has built in optical multiplexing and de-multiplexing, which results in a duplex connector and hence operates over the same duplex fiber infrastructure as 10GBASE-SR.

Figure. 1

Save cost—Besides the reduced number of fibers per 40G link, the 40GBASE-UNIV transceiver offers significant cost savings in the overall fiber cable infrastructure. Customers retain the existing structured cabling system as is for 10G to 40G migration, but they have to change the patch cables and patch panel infrastructure to use a 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+.

The Figure 2 shows typical 1-trunk cable infrastructure for QSFP+ SR4, and Figure 3 shows the associated cabling cost with 40G link as in Figure 2.

Figure. 2

Figure. 3

Figure 4 shows typical 1-trunk cable infrastructure for QSFP+ UNIV, and Figure 5 shows the cabling cost associated with 40G link as in Figure 4.

Figure. 4

Figure. 5

A saving of over 75% on the cabling equipment alone is realized from the UNIV transceiver. The significant cost savings make the 40GBASE-UNIV transceiver an ideal choice for 40G leaf-spine connections with existing multimode fiber.

Easy migration to 100G with single-mode fiber—As data rates increase from 40G to 100G and beyond to 400G, there is a strong desire for data centers to move to single-mode for cost effectiveness and to future proof the fiber infrastructure. Due to the limitations of multimode transceivers to support existing distances with ever increasing data rates, migrating to 100G and 400G in the future will be simpler with single-mode fiber. However, the major pain point in this transition has traditionally been the optics cost. Single-mode transceivers typically cost up to 4 times more compared to multimode transceivers. The 40GBASE-UNIV transceiver has broken this barrier with the following reasons:

• Cost of the optical transceiver is less than 2 times of multimode transceiver
• Same optics for SMF and MMF
• Investment protection as the same optics can be used when migrating from MMF to SMF
• Compatible with industry standard 40GBASE-LR4 and the LR4-Lite (1km version)

Figure 6 shows typical 1-trunk single-mode fiber cable infrastructure for QSFP+ UNIV, and Figure 7 shows cabling cost associated with a 40G link using all single-mode fiber infrastructure as in Figure 6.

Figure. 6

Figure. 7

Conclusion

The 40GBASE-UNIV transceiver enables data centers to run at 10G today to seamlessly upgrade to 40G without having to re-design or modify the cable infrastructure. It also offers a transition path for customer planning migrations to single-mode fiber in data centers with a single transceiver that bridges the gap between multimode and single-mode optics. FS.COM provides 40GBASE-UNIV transceivers and the associated optics for 40G and 100G connectivity. All of the optics are tested on the corresponding equipment to ensure the excellent performance with the customers’ devices.

 Originally published: www.fiberopticshare.com

Keyed LC Connectivity Solutions Ensure a Secure Fiber Network

In recent years, physically discrete fiber connection systems have emerged to meet the ever growing demand for fiber network security. As network security can be improved with sophisticated software tools, making the right decisions in the early stage of the infrastructure design becomes imperative, for the sake of protecting the ever increasing amount of sensitive data being exchanged over today’s networks. The keyed LC connectivity solution, topic of this article, offers network users security at the physical layer.

What Is Secure Keyed LC Connectivity System?

The secure keyed LC system is designed specifically for mission critical circuits where networks are segregated by color for identification and protected from accidental moves, adds, or changes. Generally, the secure keyed LC components are available with 12 different keying options each carrying a different color to facilitate network administration. The keyed LC connectors and adapters are color coded and keyed to allow same color patching only. Different colored adapters and connectors cannot mate to allow circuit access. The twelve color-coded key combinations prevent inadvertent or unauthorized access to networks and provide fast and easy network identification.

Benefits of Keyed LC Connectivity Solution

The keyed LC connectivity solution allows manageable and easily identifiable network segregation by use of a range of physically unique keyed connector and adapter combinations. Each color features a unique keying pattern that only allows matched color mating. Networks can effectively be limited to certain groups, access levels or customers in a co-location environment, which provides an increased level of security and stability by protecting against incorrect patching of circuits. The keyed LC solution comprises a range of network equipment to enable deployment of a high performance low loss network. Hybrid solutions allow for integration of the keyed LC solution into an existing network or on the interface side only.

FS.COM Keyed LC Connectivity Solutions

The secure keyed LC connectivity system is designed to respond to an urgent need for products that perform well for use in secure fiber networks. It offers great performance and reliability and can be installed very efficiently in all areas of a fiber cabling infrastructure. FS.COM keyed LC connectivity solutions are as follows.

• Keyed LC Fiber Patch Cables

The keyed LC fiber patch cables with color coded secure connectors and matching adapters prevent unauthorized access to secure fiber networks. They are used in interconnect or cross-connect fiber networks within a structured cabling system. We have the keyed LC fiber patch cables in single-mode 9/125 um, multimode 62.5/125 um, 50/125 um and laser-optimized 50/125 um for the most demanding network performance.

• Keyed LC Fiber Optic Adapters/Couplers

The keyed LC fiber optic adapters are keyed on both the front and back to prevent installation errors and avoid a possible security breach. Each coupler is color coded for identification and features a mechanical key. Our keyed couplers utilize a ceramic sleeve suitable for both single-mode and multimode applications.

• Keyed LC Fiber Adapter Panels

The keyed LC fiber adapter panels are a widely recognized modular solution for restricted fiber cross-connect systems. They have specific color codes and functional keyed features to identify and manage restricted network cross connections. Application-specific networks with levels of security can be supported with keyed LC connections in the data center, equipment room and telecommunications room. FS.COM keyed LC fiber adapter panels are available in 12 fibers, 16 fibers and 24 fibers.

• Keyed LC Cassettes

The keyed LC cassettes are designed to prevent unauthorized and inadvertent changes in highly sensitive applications such as data centers and secure IT networks. FS.COM MTP/MPO cassettes with keyed LC adapters provide mechanical security and prevent inadvertent cross connection between MTP and LC discrete connectors.

 

Originally published: www.fiberopticshare.com

High-density Cabling Solutions – Push-Pull TAB and LC Uniboot Fiber Patch Cables

In today’s data center and SAN environments, space is often at a premium, making density more critical than ever. Deploying high-density fiber optics offers advanced performance and reliability. This article will introduce two types of high-density fiber patch cables, which are push-pull TAB fiber patch cables and LC uniboot fiber patch cables.

Push-Pull TAB Fiber Patch Cables

The Push-pull TAB fiber patch cables have a special “pull” tab design, which features push-pull tab connector that offers maximum accessibility in high-density installations. It has the same components and internal-structure with the traditional patch cords, except a tab attached to the connector used for pushing or pulling the whole connector. With this design, the technician is able to finish the installing and removing procedures with only one hand and no additional tool are needed.

Two types of push-pull TAB fiber patch cables are available in the market. One is LC-HD TAB fiber patch cable, and the other is MPO-HD TAB fiber patch cable. The LC-HD TAB fiber patch cable is designed for the LC-HD switchable and movable connector. And its slim uni-boot design saves much space and makes cables more easily to be managed. With MTP/MPO connectors accommodating 12 fibers or 24 fibers, the MPO-HD TAB fiber patch cables provide up to 12 or 24 times the density, thereby offering savings in circuit card and rack space.

Benefits of Push-Pull TAB Fiber Patch Cables

Compared with traditional fiber patch cables, the push-pull TAB patch cables are superior in the following aspects.

Easy to Release — Inserting and disconnecting patch cables can be challenging for fiber optic technicians in high-density environments such as 48-port 1U patch panels. The flexible "pull-tab" of the patch cables allows for the connector to be disengaged easily from densely loaded panels without the need for special tools. The technicians just need to push the tab forward to latch and gently pull the tab to release the connector from extremely dense fiber optic panels. Moreover, each fiber optic patch cable can be quickly identified by the labeling on the pull-tab.

Density Increase — As the connector of the patch cable can be released by using a simple pull tab, it eliminates the need for finger access to the connectors latch mechanism. Therefore, adapters can be mounted much closer than spacing required in the past.

Space Saving — The traditional connectors require a small vertical space above and below the adapters. While the low profile push-pull TAB patch cables, together with the pull tab, allow adapters to be stacked with absolutely no vertical space.

LC Uniboot Fiber Patch Cables

The LC uniboot fiber patch cables are utilized to achieve more effective cable management in high-density network environment. With a more compact design, they can reduce cable management space by 68% when compared to traditional duplex zipcord assemblies. These assemblies contain two LC connectors encased in a common housing with one boot, terminated on a single, round, two-fiber cable, therefore allowing duplex transmission within a single cable.

Benefits of LC Uniboot Fiber Patch Cables 

The LC uniboot fiber patch cables provide the following benefits with the special design and structure.

Polarity Reversible and Reduce Cable Congestion — With a finger latch release, the LC uniboot fiber patch cables eliminate the need for tools when making the polarity change. They are color-coded and labeled “A” and “B” to provide visual references when making a polarity flip. On top of the unique reversing polarity feature, the uniboot option cuts the amount of cabling by half compared to conventional duplex cords, greatly reducing cable congestion in racks and cabinets.

Easy Identification and Installation — The LC uniboot fiber patch cables offer improved airflow and visibility of equipment in high-density networks, which has definitely had a positive impact. The unique serial number, part number and length labeled on both ends of the cable help for easy identification. This also helps cut installation time in half for most the users. They are perfect for high-density applications where the cable footprint is critical.

Hassle-free Networking Configuration — With two individual LC connectors into a single entity, this design allows for a much cleaner appearance and hassle-free networking configuration, due to their ability to ensure communication integrity by preventing misconfiguration of the transmission and receiving fibers.

Conclusion

As the networking environment becomes increasingly dependent on high speed and high-density solutions, deploying the high-density fiber optic cables is undoubtedly an excellent choice. The Push-Pull TAB fiber patch cables and LC uniboot fiber patch cables can help to save space and reduce congestion, while providing manageability and flexibility. They offer the best solution for high-density applications in data centers.

Source: www.fiberopticshare.com/high-density-cabling-solutions-push-pull-tab-lc-uniboot-fiber-patch-cables.html

Basic Knowledge About EDFA

In optical communication network, signals travel through fibers for very large distances without significant attenuation. However, when the signals need to transmit several hundreds of kilometers, it becomes necessary to amplify the signals during transit. EDFA (erbium doped fiber amplifier), commercialized in the early 1990's, became a key enabling technology for optical communication networks, and has deployed in the field. It enables the optical signals in an optical fiber to be amplified directly in high bit rate systems beyond Terabits. This article will introduce EDFA from the following aspects.

How Does Signal Amplification Happen?

The erbium doped fiber (EDF) is at the heart of EDFA technology. It is a conventional silica fiber doped with erbium. When the erbium is illuminated with light energy at a suitable wavelength (either 980 nm or 1480 nm), it is excited to a long lifetime intermediate state, following which it decays back to the ground state by emitting light within the 1525-1565nm band (see the following picture). If the light energy already exists within the 1525-2565nm band, for example due to a signal channel passing through the EDF, then this stimulates the decay process (so called stimulated emission), resulting in additional light energy. Thus, if a pump wavelength and a signal wavelength are simultaneously propagating through an EDF, energy transfer will occur via the erbium from the pump wavelength to the signal wavelength, resulting in signal amplification.

Components and Roles in EDFA Design

In its most basic form, the EDFA consists of a length of EDF (typically 10-30m), a pump laser, and a component (often referred to as a WDM) for combining the signal and pump wavelength so that they can propagate simultaneously through the EDF. In principle, EDFA can be designed such that pump energy propagates in the same direction as the signal (forward pumping), the opposite direction to the signal (backward pumping), or both direction together. The pump energy may either by 980nm pump energy, 1480nm pump energy, or a combination of both. Practically, the most common EDFA configuration is the forward pumping configuration using 980nm pump energy, as shown in the picture below. This configuration makes the most efficient use of cost effective, reliable and low power consumption 980nm semiconductor pump laser diodes, thus providing the best overall design with respect to performance and cost trade-offs.

Besides the three basic components described above, this picture also shows additional optical and electronic components used in a basic single stage EDFA. The signal enters the amplifier through the input port, and then passes through a tap which is used to divert a small percentage of the signal power (typically 1-2%) to an input detector. The signal then passes through an isolator, before being combined with pump energy emitted by the 980nm pump laser diode. The combined signal and pump energy propagate along the EDF, where signal amplification occurs, and then the amplified signal exits the EDF and passes through a second isolator. The purpose of the two isolators, which allow light to pass only in a single direction, is to ensure that lasing cannot take place with the EDF. Furthermore, the output isolator also acts as a filter for 980nm light propagating in the forward direction, thus stopping the 980nm light from exiting the amplifier output port.

Operating Modes of EDFA

An EDFA is typically operated in one of the two operating modes: AGC (automatic gain control) or APC (automatic power control). In the AGC mode, the amplifier gain is kept constant, whereas in APC mode, the amplifier output power is kept constant. While APC mode is used in some single channel applications, AGC mode is far more common, and is always used in multi-channel WDM applications. The following diagram shows AGC in an EDFA. Information from the input and output detectors is used to calculate the actual gain, which is then compared to the required gain. Based on this comparison, the pump current is then adjusted to change the actual gain towards the required gain. This is a classical feed-back control loop which can be implemented using analogue or digital circuitry. The response time of the control loop is dictated by the response of the EDF to changes in the pump power, which may be quite long (1ms and longer) due to the long lifetime of the Erbium ions' quasi-stable state.

Conclusion

A brief introduction to the EDFA, one of the most important components in WDM communications, is given in this article. Of the various technologies available for optical amplifiers, EDFA technology is by far the most advanced, and consequently the vast majority of optical amplifiers deployed to date are based on this technology. FS.COM provides various EDFA, including DWDM EDFA, CATV EDFA, etc. Visit www.fs.com for more details.

Article source: www.fiberopticshare.com/basic-knowledge-edfa.html

Hot 100G Fiber Optic Transceivers for Data Center

With the increasing demands for higher speeds, and greater scalability, many service provider networking environments and enterprise data centers are undergoing an infrastructure transformation to get higher levels of performance and reliability. As speed and performance needs increase, optical transceivers have become an integral part of overall system design. And then 40G and 100G fiber optic transceiver have become preferable choices for more and more data centers as 1G and 10G cannot meet the needs of the bandwidth-hungry applications. Adopting 100G transceivers not only accelerates data flow throughout your data center or enterprise, but also provides CAPEX (capital expenditures), OPEX (operating expenditures) and time savings. This article focuses on the hot 100G transceiver modules for data centers.

100G CFP/CFP2/CFP4

When the IEEE finished the first 100G standard for Ethernet networks, the transceiver industry launched an alphabet soup of form factors. The CFP emerged first, "C" for 100, and FP for "Form factor, Pluggable". The CFP transceiver is specified by MSA between competing manufacturers. The CFP was designed after SFP interface, but is significantly larger to support 100 Gbit/s. While the electrical connection of a CFP uses 10 x 10 Gbit/s lanes in each direction (RX, TX), the optical connection can support both 10 x 10 Gbit/s and 4 x 25 Gbit/s variants of 100 Gbit/s interconnects.

With improvements in technology allowing higher performance and higher density, the development of the CFP2 and CFP4 specifications appeared. While electrical similar, the CFP2 and CFP4 specify a form-factor of 1/2 and 1/4 respectively in size of the CFP. The three modules are not interchangeable, but would be inter-operable at the optical interface with appropriate connectors.

100G QSFP28 Transceiver

The QSFP28 is the exact same footprint as the 40G QSFP+. The "Q" is for "Quad". Just as the 40G QSFP+ is implemented using four 10 Gbit/s lanes, the 100G QSFP28 is implemented with four 25 Gbit/s lanes. With an upgraded electrical interface to support signaling up to 28 Gbit/s signals, the 100G QSFP28 makes it as easy to deploy 100G networks as 10G networks. When compared to any of the other alternatives, the 100G QSFP28 increases density and decreases power and price per bit. So it is fast becoming the universal data center form factor for the following reasons.

The QSFP28 increases front-panel density by 250% over QSFP+. The form factor is the same and the maximum number of ports is the same, but the lane speeds are increased from 10 Gbit/s to 25 Gbit/s. The increase in panel density is even more dramatic when compared to some other 100 Gbit/s form factor: 450% versus the CFP2.

The QSFP28 transceivers can be based on either VCSELs (for shorter distances on multimode fiber) or silicon photonics (for longer distances on single-mode fiber). The advent of silicon photonics enables QSFP28 transceivers to support any data center reach up to 2 km or more. Silicon photonics provides a high degree of integration.

Fiberstore 100G Transceiver Solution

As a professional manufacturer and supplier in optical communication industry, Fiberstore provides a complete range of 100G fiber optic transceivers to meet the potential requirements. We have already prepared the stock of the CFP and CFP2 modules, which can be shipped immediately after ordering. For 100G QSFP28 transceivers, we have 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 and 100GBASE-LR4 QSFP28 transceivers. With our serious cost control, the prices of all our 100G fiber optic transceivers are much more affordable than the similar products in the market. Furthermore, with the mature coding technology, they can be compatible with many major brands. For more details, please visit www.fs.com or contact over sales@fs.com.

Article source: www.fiberopticshare.com/hot-100g-fiber-optic-transceivers-for-data-center.html

Why Does AOC Meet With Great Favor in 40G Network?

Nowadays more and more data centers are deploying 40G Ethernet links due to the growing need for higher network bandwidth. A variety of technologies and solutions can be chosen for 40G transmission, which includes 40G QSFP+ transceivers, 40G direct attach cables (DACs) and 40G active optical cables (AOCs). All of the three are used to achieve 40G interconnections in data center, and 40G AOCs are very popular and have a broad prospect. Actually, AOCs are widely used in many fields and play an important role in promoting the traditional data center to step into optical interconnection. This article will explain why AOCs meet with great favor in 40G Network.

Definition of AOC

AOC is a type of optical transceiver assemblies terminated with transceiver-style plugs to be used in the same ports where optical transceivers are inserted. 40G AOC can be terminated with 40G QSFP+ connector on one end and on the other end, besides QSFP+ connector, it can be terminated with SFP+ connectors and LC connectors. Moreover, 40G AOC is a 4-channel parallel active optical cable and each channel is able to transmit data at 10Gb/s per direction, providing an aggregated rate of 40Gb/s over multimode fiber ribbon cables. AOCs incorporate active electrical and optical components to boost and receive signal via optical fiber. And they are embodied the latest technology capable of providing the highest data rates.

What Makes AOC Popular?

Using electrical-to-optical conversion on the cable ends to improve speed and distance performance of the cable without sacrificing compatibility with standard electrical interfaces, the active optical cables are becoming one of the most popular cabling solutions in the data center space. The reasons are as follows.

Lower Cost

Compared with 40G QSFP+ transceivers, the 40G AOCs are much more cost-effective solutions for the data center. First, the QSFP+ transceivers terminated to the cable are cheaper than the 40G QSFP+ transceivers because there are no lasers in the terminated transceivers. The lasers in the transceivers are very expensive. Second, the AOC eliminates the separable interface between transceiver module and fiber cable. This means that the transceivers are permanently attached to the fiber cables and no fiber optic patch cables are needed. The 40G QSFP+ transceivers need to be used with fiber optic patch cables which may be expensive (see the picture below). Third, AOCs can provide protection from environmental pollutants and other user trouble during installation due to no air holes between the fiber optic transceivers and cables.

Higher Performance With Lighter Weight

As is known to all, DACs are heavy, bulky and require significantly higher power, which makes it difficult to physically manage the data center. And the nature of electrical signals and electromagnetic interface (EMI) also limits DAC’s performance and reliability. However, AOCs are originally invented to replace copper technology and to facilitate high-speed data connectivity for storage, networking, and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. They have lighter weight, a smaller size, EMI immunity, a lower interconnection loss, and reduced power requirements.

More User-friendly

AOCs consist of a complete fiber-optic data link (transceivers plus cable) that can be plugged into existing ports, which enables a very rapid introduction of optical connections. Moreover, the AOCs can provide users with access to all the great advantages of fiber in a plug-in format, such as high bandwidth, relatively thin, light-weight cable and so on. Used in a largely electrical data communications infrastructure, AOCs enable the end users to literally plug into the power and security of a fiber-optic link without any special knowledge of fiber optics.

Summary

With lower cost, higher performance and lighter weight, the AOC meets with great favor in 40G network. It is one of the best solutions to quicker and efficient communication systems. Fiberstore supplies a wide range of solutions for 40G network including the 40G QSFP+ transceivers, 40G DACs and AOCs. The AOCs are highly recommended to be used in data center interconnections. Futhermore, all of our optical assemblies are tested in original-brand switch to ensure the 100% compatibility to your device.

Article source: www.fiberopticshare.com/1813.html

Fiber Optic Cable and Connector Cleaning Guide

Why Is Fiber Optics Cleaning Important? 

Reliable and efficient fiber installations are critical to the high performance network. Cleaning fiber optic components is essential for quality connections between fiber optic equipment. It is one of the most basic and important procedures for the maintenance of fiber optic systems, because any contamination in the fiber optic connection will cause failure of the component or failure of the whole system. Some basic cleaning procedures for fiber optic cable and connector will be described in this article.

Fiber Optic Connector Cleaning Steps

Step 1: Inspect the fiber optic connector, component, or bulkhead with a fiberscope.

Step 2: If the connector is dirty, clean it with a dry cleaning technique.

Dry cleaning: Using a reel-based cassette cleaner (see the picture below) with medium pressure, wipe the connector end face against a dry cleaning cloth (single swipe per exposure) in one direction. For angled physical contact (APC) polished connectors, ensure that the entire end face surface mates with the cleaning cloth. Dry cleaning will generally remove airborne contamination and should be attempted first. Inspect the connector end face for contamination after cleaning.

Step 3: Inspect the connector.

Step 4: If the connector is still dirty, repeat the dry cleaning technique.

Step 5: Inspect the connector.

Step 6: If the connector is still dirty, clean it with a wet cleaning technique followed immediately with a dry cleaning in order to ensure no residue is left on the end face.

Wet cleaning: Lightly moisten a portion of a lint free wipe with fiber optic cleaning solution (or > 91% Isopropyl Alcohol) and applying medium pressure, first wipe the end face against the wet area and then onto a dry area to clean potential residue from the end face. For APC polished connectors, ensure that the entire end face surface mates with the cleaning wipes. Wet cleaning is more aggressive than dry cleaning, and will remove airborne contamination as well as light oil residue and films.

Step 7: Inspect the connector again.

Step 8: If the contaminate still cannot be removed, repeat the cleaning procedure until the end face is clean.

Note: Never use alcohol or wet cleaning without a way to ensure that it does not leave residue on the end face. Or it will cause equipment damage.

Fiber Optic Patch Cords Cleaning Steps

Step 1: Make sure that the lasers are turned off before you begin the inspection.

Warning: Invisible laser radiation might be emitted from disconnected fibers or connectors. Do not stare into beams or view directly with optical instruments.

Step 2: Remove the protective end cap and store it in a small resealable container.

Step 3: Inspect the connector with a fiberscope.

Step 4: If the connector is dirty, clean with a cartridge or pocket cleaner.

Reminder: For cartridge cleaners, press down and hold the thumb lever. The shutter slides back and exposes a new cleaning area. For pocket cleaners, peel back protective film for one cleaning surface. For manual advance cleaners, pull on the cleaning material from the bottom of the device until a new strip appears in the cleaning window.

Step 5: Hold the fiber tip lightly against the cleaning area.

Reminder: For single, non−APC fiber connectors, rotate the fiber once through a quarter turn, 90 degrees. For APC connector end faces, hold cleaning area at the same angle as the end face.

Step 6: Pull the fiber tip lightly down the exposed cleaning area in the direction of the arrow or from top to bottom.

Warning: Do not scrub the fiber against the fabric or clean over the same surface more than once. This can potentially contaminate or damage your connector.

Step 7: Release the thumb lever to close the cleaning window, if you use cartridge type cleaners.

Step 8: Inspect the connector again with the fiberscope.

Step 9: Repeat the inspection and cleaning processes, as necessary.

Warning: Throw away any used cleaning material, either cards or material cartridges, after use.

Summary

As cleaning is important for fiber optic network, choose the suitable cleaning tools for the fiber optic connectors and fiber optic patch cords would be significant. Fiberstore has various fiber optic cleaning tools, such as pen cleaner, cassette cleaner, etc. All of these cleaning tools are with high quality and reasonable price. Moreover, most of them are in stock. You can enjoy the same day shipping after order. Contact sales@fs.com or visit www.fs.com for more detailed information.

Article source: www.fiberopticshare.com/fiber-optic-cable-and-connector-cleaning-guide.html