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.

Quad Plastic LC Fiber Optic Adapters

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 fiber optic attenuator

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 HD Plus+ Fiber Cable

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).

stack-two-cwdm-mux

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.

Things About Fiber Optic Attenuators

An fiber attenuator uses a segment of attenuating fiber interposed in the optical path. The attenuating fiber is produced by using a solution doping technique to introduce transition or rare earth elements into the fiber’s core. The dopant reduces the transmission of the fiber. The degree of attenuation depends upon the material used as the dopant, the dopant level, and length of the attenuation segment. In a specific embodiment, an optical attenuator is provided having a first and second signal carrying optical fibers and an attenuating fiber segment, each of which has a core, a cladding substantially coaxial with the core, and a substantially planar end face. The attenuating fiber segment is fusion spliced between the first and second signal carrying optical fibers. In a second embodiment a portion of the cladding of the attenuating fiber is chemically etched.

How does a fiber attenuator work?

The power reduction are done by such means as absorption, reflection, diffusion, deflection, and dispersion, etc. Attenuators usually works by absorbing the light, like sunglasses absorb the extra light energy. Attenuators typically have a working wavelength range in which they absorb the light energy equally. They should not reflect the light since that could cause unwanted back reflection in the fiber system. Or by scattering the light such as an air gap. Another type of attenuator utilizes a length of high-loss optical fiber, that operates upon its input optical signal power level in such a way that its output signal power level is less than the input level.

Types Of Fiber Optic Attenuators

Optical attenuators can take a number of different forms and are typically classified as fixed or variable attenuators.

Fixed Attenuators Fixed attenuators have a fixed optical power reduction number, expressed in dB, such as 1dB, 5dB, 10dB, etc. A -3dB attenuator should reduce intensity of the output by 3 dB. Their applications include telecommunication networks, optical fiber test facility, Local Area Network(LAN) and CATV systems.

Fixed value attenuators are composed of two big groups: In-line type and connector type (or build out style). In-line type looks like a plain fiber patch cable, it has a fiber cable terminated with two connectors which you can specify types.

Connector type attenuator looks like a bulk head fiber connector, with a male connector interface on one end and a female interface connector on the opposite end. The connector style is typically fabricated with either air gap attenuation or doped fiber attenuation. It mates to regular connectors of the same type such as FC, ST, SC and LC. The female to female fixed attenuators work like a regular adapter. But instead of minimizing insertion loss, it purposely adds some attenuation. The male to female fixed attenuators work as fiber connectors, you can just plug in your existing fiber connector to its female side.

Variable Attenuators, the attenuation level can be adjusted, such as from 0.5 dB to 20dB, or even 50dB. Some variable attenuators have very fine resolution, such as 0.1dB, or even 0.01dB. This is critical for accurate testing. For precise testing purposes, engineers have also designed instrument type variable attenuators. These instrument type attenuators have high attenuation ranges, such as from 0.5 dB to 70dB. Variable attenuators are general used for testing and measurement, but they also have a wide usage in EDFAs for equalizing the light power among different channels.

The female to female variable attenuators are adjustable by turning a nut in the middle. The nut adjusts the air gap in the middle to achieve different attenuation levels. The in-line patch cable type variable attenuators work as regular patch cables, but your can adjust its attenuation level by turning the screw.

FiberStore supply a lot of fiber attenuators, such as FC, SC/APC, PC, UPC, MU, FC/APC, SC, LC/APC, LC attenuatorST fiber attenuator 850nm, etc. fixed value plug type fiber attenuators with different attenuation level, from 1dB to 30dB. If you would like to know VOA fiber optic price, please visit our website.

Detail of Bare Fiber Adapters

Fiber optic adapter is also called fiber optic coupler. It is used to provide a cable to cable fiber connection. People sometimes also name them to be mating sleeves and hybrid adaptors. Mating sleeves means this fiber optic adapter is used to connect the same type fiber optic connectors, while hybrid adaptors are the fiber optic cable adaptor types used to connect different kinds of fiber optic connectors.

Bare fiber adaptors provide a simple and effective way to use unterminated fibers with commercial receptacles. Simply strip, clean and deave your fiber and insert into the bare fiber adaptor. They are recommended for power meter connections, temporary system repairs or wherever a quick fiber connection is required.

FiberStore has recently improved the bare fiber adaptor design to now use a magnetic clamping mechanism. The new design gently yet firmly holds the fiber in place without harming soft acrylate coatings, and is even easier for operators to use. The magnetic damp applies to stress to the fiber, which makes it ideal for PM fiber related measurements including extinction ratio (ER), polarization dependent loss (PDL) and polarization mode dispersion (PMD).

Bare fiber adaptors with the spring clamp accommodate up to 900 micron OD jacketed fiber. Bare fiber adaptors with the magnetic clamp accommodate 250 micron to 400 micron OD jacketed fiber. 900 micron OD tight buffer and custom jacket sizes are available.

Bare fiber adapters are used as the medium to link the bare optical fiber to fiber optic equipment. The bare fiber optic adapters have the bare optical fiber inside on one side; the other side of the adapter is a connector that can plug into the equipment. FiberStore supply SC, ST, LC, and FC bare fiber optic adaptor, they are used to quickly and easily terminate the fiber to the equipment.

Features
  • Easy to use
  • Low cost
  • Reusable and easy to clean
  • Magnetic clamp applies no stress to the fiber
  • Compatible with PM fiber (magnetic clamp version only)
  • Variety of connector types (FC, SMA, LC, ST, SC, E2000)
  • Variety of fiber sizes available
  • 900 micron tight buffer versions available
Applications
  • Temporarily connactorizes bare fiber
  • Testing bare fiber, fiber on the reel, fiber before and after installation
  • Production line of fiber optic devices
  • For fast and temporary fiber optic connections in communication system
  • Temporary connections to OTDRs, Power Meters, Talk sets, Demo Equipment and Dark Fiber

As a professional fiber optic products manufacturer, FiberStore also can supply APC LC connectorLC attenuator and more, welcome to visit our websit and sign up.