Category: FTTX

Getting to Know FTTx Network

Compared with copper wire, optical fiber’s dominant advantage is the overwhelming information carrying capability, and its high bandwidth and low attenuation easily offset its higher cost. FTTx (fiber to the x) architecture is a typical example of substituting copper by fiber in high data rate traffic. FTTx is a generic term for any broadband network architecture that uses optical fiber to replace all or part of the usual metal local loop used for the last mile telecommunications. The x can be substituted by another letter determined by the delivery topologies that are categorized according to where the fiber terminates. What are the termination places and which letter can be used to substitute x? This article will introduce some FTTx terms.

Different FTTx Architectures

Usually the FTTx items that we are going to introduce are used loosely, as some relate to each other, or just acronyms. Generally the FTTx configurations may fall into two groups: fiber laid all the way to the premises/home/building (FTTP/FTTH/FTTB) and fiber laid to the cabinet/node (FTTC/FTTN), with copper wires completing the connection. Also there are some other FTTx topologies, such as FTTZ (z for zone) and FTTD (d for desktop). The following figure shows simplified schema for four most common FTTx architectures.

FTTx-concepts_and_applications

FTTP: fiber-to-the-premises, is a loosely used term, which can encompass both FTTH and FTTB or sometimes is used a particular fiber network that includes both homes and businesses. It depends on how the context is used and specific location of where the fiber terminates. FTTP can offer higher bandwidth than any other broadband services, so operators usually use this technology to provide triple-play services.

FTTH: as indicated by the name fiber-to-the-home, fiber from the central office reaches the boundary of the living space, such as a box on the outside wall of a home. Once at the subscriber’s living or working space, the signal may be conveyed throughout the space using any means, such as twisted pair, coaxial pair, wireless, power line communication, or optical fiber. Passive optical networks (PONs) and point-to-point Ethernet are architectures that deliver triple play services over FTTH networks directly from a operator’s central office.

FTTB: fiber-to-the-building, -business, or -basement, is very similar to a FTTH. It is a form of fiber-optic communication delivery that necessarily applies only to those properties that contain multiple living or working spaces. The optical fiber terminates before actually reaching the subscribers’ living or working place itself, but does extend to the property containing that living or working place. The signal is conveyed the final distance using any non-optical means, including twisted pair, coaxial pair, wireless, power line communication. FTTB deployment will be the typical for MDU’s and MTU’s (multi-dwelling units and multi-tenant units).

FTTC: fiber-to-the curb or -cabinet, is a telecommunication system where fiber optic cables run directly to a platform near homes or any business environment and serves several customers. Each of these customers has a connection to this platform via coaxial cable or twisted pair. The term “curb” is an abstraction and just as easily means a pole-mounted device or communications closet or shed. Typically any system terminating fiber within 1000 ft (300 m) of the customer premises equipment would be described as FTTC. A perfect deployment example of FTTC is a DLC/NGDLC (digital loop carrier) which provides phone service.

FTTN: fiber-to-the-node or -neighborhood, sometimes identifies and sometimes distinguishes from FTTC. The optical fiber terminates in a cabinet which may be as much as a few miles from the customer premises. Customers typically connect to this cabinet using traditional coaxial cable or twisted pair wiring. The area served by the cabinet is usually less than one mile in radius and can contain several hundred customers. As mentioned before, if the cabinet serves an area of less than 1000 ft (300 m) in radius, the architecture is typically called FTTC/FTTK.

Features of FTTx in LAN Application

Different from a traditional fiber optic network that would be used in local area network (LAN) application, in most FTTx applications, only one optical fiber is used to pass data in two directions. This is very different from the LAN application where the transmit optical fiber sends data in one direction while the receive optical fiber sends data in the other direction. In a LAN application, data transmission over two optical fibers can be simultaneous. However, in an FTTx single optical fiber application, full-duplex operation is typically not possible. Usually half-duplex operation takes place, i.e., part of the time the optical fiber is carrying a signal in one direction and the rest of the time, it is carrying a signal in the other direction. Thus multiple wavelengths are typically used in FTTx systems. The downstream laser is always a different wavelength from the upstream laser. A longer wavelength is used for the former one, such as 1480nm or 1550nm (or both) and typically 1310nm is for the latter one.

Summary

FTTx networks have been acknowledged to be the best choice for phone companies, cities, utilities and commercial service providers to upgrade subscriber connection. Fiber optic cables can carry data at high speeds over long distance while copper cables cannot. The data rate connection is usually limited by the termination equipment rather than the fiber itself, permitting substantial speed improvements by equipment upgrades before the fiber itself must be upgraded. FTTx architecture is being more widely deployed in network applications with its reasonable cost and unlimited performance. FS.COM provides a wide range of FTTx PON components, such as cable distribution and termination accessories, network interface device, PON splitters, etc. For more information you may visit our site or contact sales@fs.com.

Indispensable Solution for FTTx Applications – Fiber Termination Box

FTTx network architecture is now widely applied to telecommunications for long distance transmission. When using the fiber optic pigtails in FTTx network, it is very essential to protect the fiber terminations since fiber joints are fragile and easily contaminated by outside pollution. In response to the problem, an equipment named fiber termination box is created to house the fiber terminations in a safer place. There are also various types of fiber termination box (FTB) solutions for different applications. This article will provide the some detailed information about them to help you select the right device for your project.

Features of Fiber Termination Box

Fiber termination box provides an simple and clear way to manage the incoming and outcoming cables. Fiber bending radius is securely protected inside the box, thus signal integrity is also guaranteed. Since there is enough work room for fiber splicing and adapter patching, it is more flexible for technicians to use this device during work. Fiber termination box is a compact device offering a convenient access for installation, maintenance and subsequent termination. Fiber counts can be varied to satisfy the project requirements. When installed for different occasions, fiber termination box is also designed with different structures.

Classifications of Fiber Termination Box

Four common types of fiber termination boxes are widely used in FTTx networks, here will introduce them one by one. Hope you can find the most suitable type for your application.

Wall Mount Fiber Termination Box

From its name, we can know that this type of fiber termination box is wall-mountable for installation. The box consists of a front door and a side door. Both adapters and splice trays can be installed inside the box. It is typically used for applications like building entrance terminals, pre-connectorized cables, cross-connects, field connector installations, telephone closets, pigtail splicing, CATV, and computer rooms.

wall mount fiber termination box

Rack Mount Fiber Termination Box

Rack mount fiber termination box is rack-mountable to be installed into a rack mount unit. Unlike the wall mount type, rack mount box has a removable top cover which allows the access of splice tray from the upper side. It supports both cross-connect and interconnect architecture, and provides interfaces between outside plant cables and transmission equipment. Other applications including main distributions, intermediate distributions, telephone closets, CATV also supports the utilization of rack mount fiber termination box.

rack-mount-fiber-termination-box

Fiber Splitter Box

Splitting, splicing and terminating can all be done inside a small area of fiber splitter box for both indoor and outdoor use. Fiber splitter box is an optimal solution for network deployment in customer premises applications. It can distribute cables after installing splitters and also can draw out fiber optic cables by direct or cross-connections. Standard plug and play splitters are especially accepted inside the box.

fiber-splitter-box

Fiber Distribution Box

Fiber distribution box is the branch splice closure for distribution cables in FTTx network. It is widely applied to applications of aerial OSP network, medium to low-rise MDU buildings exterior attachments, and central riser closets or stairwells attachments of mid-rise to high-rise MDUs. It is a faster and easier solution than traditional OSP closures.

fiber-distribution-box

Fiber Termination Box Fiber Capacity

The fiber capacity of fiber termination box is often varied from 2 fibers to 192 fibers. Rack mount fiber termination box is usually available with the maximum fiber capacity of 192 fibers. Fiber splice trays can be stacked on top to increase fiber capacity. Therefore, fiber termination box is also a good solution for high-density applications when multiple fibers need to be well protected.

Conclusion

In summary, fiber termination box is an indispensable solution for FTTx network. Protecting and managing fiber splices and fiber splitters becomes much more efficient and flexible. In addition, choosing the right type of fiber termination box will also benefit the project deployment.

How to Choose Optical Distribution Frame

Due to the development of high speed transmission, demands for high density patching have increased in recent years. However, the management of installed cables still remains a difficult task. To achieve a simpler way of cable organization, people often use the cost-effective optical distribution frame (ODF) to arrange optical cable connections. ODF plays an important part in building a safe and flexible operating environment for the optical network. Different kinds of ODFs are provided in the market, but you need to choose the right one according to the actual situation.

Functions of Optical Distribution Frame

ODF is mainly used for fiber optic terminal splicing, fiber optic connector installation, optical path adjusting, excess pigtail storage and fiber optic cable protection. When cable enters into the rack, ODF should mechanically fix the cable and install the ground wire protection. Fiber optic cables will also be divided into groups for better management. When it comes to the spliced fibers, extra parts will be stored as a coil and the fusion splices are well-protected in the ODF. Adapters and connectors are pluggable and optical path can be freely adjusted or tested. Moreover, enough space of ODF is provided to satisfy a clear connection.

Things to Consider for Choosing ODF

Selecting a right ODF is vital to future applications. Here are some recommended aspects for you to consider before purchasing:

1) ODF Types

Generally, there are three types in terms of its structure. They are wall mount ODF, floor mount ODF and rack mount ODF. Wall mount ODF shapes are like a small box installed on the wall. Because space is restrained, wall mount ODF only accepts small fiber counts. Floor mount ODF has a fixed and large fiber capacity in a closed structure. Rack mount ODF is more flexible to be installed on the rack to meet your requirements for different cable counts and specifications. This type is frequently used in the optical distribution system with 19 inches’ specification to accommodate the size of standard transmission rack.

rack-mount-optical distribution frame

2) Fiber Counts

High density fiber counts have become the trend for future data center. Today, a single ODF unit usually has 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96 or even 144 ports. Customized ODF according to your needs is also available in the market.

3) Easy Management

Using a high density device will definitely increase the difficulty of cable management. ODF should allow for easy access to the connectors on the front and rear ports for quick insertion and removal, which means that ODF must provide adequate space. Besides, ODF should have the right colored adapters to match with optical connectors in case of wrong connections.

4) Good Protection

One basic function of ODF is the protection function. A standard ODF should comprise protection devices to prevent fiber optic connections from dust or stress damages. For instance, the splicing connection is very sensitive to the outside environment and is important to the normal operation of a network, so the good quality of ODF protection device is of great importance.

Conclusion

In a word, optical distribution frame is now an indispensable equipment for the deployment of optical network. High-density ODF is especially popular in the industry. To find a suitable ODF with a lower price, careful selection is important. This article only provides some basic factors that may affect the application of ODF. For more information, please visit FS.COM.

Splice or Connector, Which to Choose for FTTH Drop Cable Installation?

To choose a right drop cable interconnection solution for FTTH network is very importance. Connectors and splice, as the two common ways to interconnect drop cables, are widely used at FTTH deployment. We all know that the splice can offer a permanent joint, while the connector can be easily operated by hand. But there is a proverb that says you can’t have your cake and eat it too, the providers have to choose between the two. So which should we choose? This paper is going to discuss them in details via talking about their own advantages and disadvantages.

Pros and Cons of Splice

Let’s first go with the splice. Splice is capable of great reliability and can provide excellent optical performance, so that it has been praised highly for many years. What is more, when the connector is not mated, splicing can protect the connector end-face from contaminants that can cause high optical loss or even permanently damage the connector. It just reduces these damages to a minimum. Another advantage of the splice is that it enables a transition from 250 µm drop cable fiber to jacketed cable.

And then let’s talk about its disadvantages. The main drawback of it is the lack of operational flexibility. For example, if you want to reconfigure a drop cable at the distribution point, you should remove one splice, rearrange fibers and splice two new fibers. This requires the technician to carry special splicing equipment for simple subscriber changes. And also, when you are in the process of splicing at the distribution point, you should be careful with the fiber in case of bending or breaking it. If a splice is used at an ONT, there must be space for a tray to hold and protect the splice. This increases the ONT size and potentially the cost.

Pros and Cons of Connector

Unlike splice, connector can provide great operational flexibility in that they can be mated and unmated repeatedly, allowing them to be reused over and over again. When you need to connect a drop cable, you can used the connector to mate without any tools.

Also, connector has its own disadvantages, just as every coin has two sides. The biggest problem of it is the material cost. Therefore, providers must weigh the material cost of connectors along with the potential for contamination and damage against their greater flexibility and lower network management expense.

Conclusion

From the above analysis, now we can draw a conclusion. Splice is more suitable for no fiber rearrangement circumstances, such as greenfield or new construction application. While connector can offer flexibility both at the curb and at the home since it can be plugged and unplugged multiple times.

In a word, drop cable interconnect solution plays an so important part in FTTH network that you should be very careful when you choose the way to do the connection. The right choice will help you to save costs and operate more efficiently. But whether you need a splicer or connector, you can always find it in Fiberstore. For more information, visit FS.COM.

Originally published at http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/splice-or-connector-which-to-choose-for-ftth-drop-cable-installation.html

FTTH: Bringing You the Life-enhancing Benefits

FTTH, which is short for fiber to the home, is an ideal fiber optic architecture as the fiber optic service to home. It can transport large amount of data from caller to caller fast and reliable. In the light of present situation, there are more than 10 million homes all over the world adopted FTTH network in that it holds many advantages over current technologies. Here let us figure them out.

FTTH_architecture

Benefits of FTTH

Some experts has pointed that fiber-to-the-home connections are the only technology with enough bandwidth to handle projected consumer demands during the next decade reliably and cost effectively. Of course, we all know that FTTH is a passive network that do not need active components. This feature makes it dramatically minimize the network maintenance cost and requirements. What is more, it features local battery backup and low-power consumption, which indeed bring much convenience to people’s lives. But, are that all its advantages? I am afraid that these simple advantages can’t convince people that FTTH can bring the life-enhancing benefits to their lives. And so do you. So, what are its remarkable benefits? Please take a look at the blow words.

The first thing you should know that it is less susceptible to corrosion or power surges from lightning and other sources, resulting in greater reliability. Because of its higher stability and less interruptions, it replaces copper infrastructure with new technology, allowing for future evolution of technology.

Second, it can provide virtually unlimited bandwidth capacity. As we mentioned above, it can support large amounts of data and keep up with consumer and technology demands, which makes it access to more advanced communication products like streaming video, internet TV, quality video conferencing, “smart home” technology, IP video home monitoring, gaming and so on.

Third, it brings profits to your home and the community. According to the Fiber-to-the-Home Council, we have got a amazing data that FTTH has increased the home value as much as $5,000. With the advanced technology, it made the “global village” come true. Even at ultra-rural areas, people still can compete on a global scale in their work or business.

Two Factors You should know before deploying FTTH

Now that we have learned the benefits of FTTH, I guess some people may intend to deploy FTTH network. Fiber deployment is a trade-off driven by the cost of the service relative to the potential revenue per subscriber. So before you deploy it, please read the below tips which can help you avoid loss.

Deploy the fibers in the high economic density of the service area. The number of houses and enterprises that a fiber passes by will be translated into the number of money. So , if you deploy your network in a high economic density place, you will get your investment back and make high profits soon.

Deploy your network in the place where has existed current fiber/copper wiring. It is easiest to serve a given area by following the current conduits and loops and staying with the rough topology of the old installation. This method will save you a lot of money compared with restarting wiring for your network. So if you can’t run the fiber directly to the home, just take it is to the node where the loops currently collect.

Conlusion

Recently, FTTH has been adopted by thousands of families, and the continuous prosperity will last for a long time. If you want to deploy a FTTH network, you can come to Fiberstore to get the needful tools. In Fibersotre, you can find the most cost-effective FTTH solutions including FTTH fiber cables, fiber optic splitters and some others. They are all tested in good condition with reasonable prices. So, if you choose Fiberstore, you just choose your better FTTH network with low cost.

Originally published at http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/ftth-bringing-you-the-life-enhancing-benefits.html