Common types of fiber Media Converters(i will write it as MC below) and selection guide
There are many types of fiber Media Converters, which support different protocols and transmission rates. They can be classified according to functions and transmission media. According to functions, they can be divided into managed and unmanaged fiber Media Converter, PoE Switch , Mini MC, industrial grade MC, etc.
Managed and unmanaged MC
Unmanaged fiber MCs are plug and play. It is easy for novices to install and troubleshoot. It allows network devices to automatically communicate in the network. However, unmanaged fiber MCs cannot provide with managed fiber optic transceivers. The same level of monitoring functions, fault detection and configuration functions. If it is only based on simple use or management needs, for small companies or parks, unmanaged fiber MCs can meet your needs. Managed fiber MCs support carrier-class network management, and can achieve effective control and maintenance in a fully managed backbone network and edge network. It can provide additional network monitoring functions, fault detection and remote configuration functions, but they are more expensive. For complex environments such as large data centers and enterprise networks, when better control and monitoring of network traffic is required, managed fiber MCs are the first choice for more security and reliability.
Non-PoE and PoE fiber MCs
PoE (Power over Ethernet) fiber MCs can also supply power to Ethernet devices, such as IP phones, video conferencing equipment, surveillance cameras, and Wifi devices, while transmitting data. Therefore, PoE fiber MCs can be widely used in the connection of security cameras and wireless access points in certain inaccessible areas. The following figure shows the common application scenarios of PoE fiber MCs.
Commercial and industrial fiber MCs
The industrial-grade optical MC is specially designed for harsh industrial environments. The operating temperature is -40°C to 85°C. It has a lightning and surge protection of no less than 4KV and an IP40 dust-proof power supply, even in more dangerous areas. For example, oil exploration, natural gas drilling, mining, etc., can also ensure the stability of network transmission. Commercial-grade optical fiber mcs are suitable for environments with operating temperatures ranging from -10°C to 55°C, such as enterprise networks, campus networks, and data centers.
Standard and mini fiber MCs
The chip of the mini fiber optic MC is better than the standard fiber MC, and its advantage is that it has the DIP switch function that can meet different needs. Due to its compact size, mini-type optical MCs are very popular in large-scale network environments.
According to the transmission medium, fiber optic MCs can be divided into fiber MCs (optical MCs) applied to the network connecting copper cables and optical cables and fiber MCs applied to the network connecting optical cables.
Optical fiber MC applied to copper cable to optical cable connection network
Optical MCs can convert electrical signals to optical signals (and vice versa) to extend the transmission distance. They are usually used in actual network environments where Ethernet cables cannot be covered and optical fibers must be used to extend the transmission distance. They are usually located in broadband metropolitan areas. In the application of the access layer of the network. Optical MCs can provide links for Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet equipment; TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) optical fiber MCs extend the transmission distance of traditional TDM telecommunication protocol copper cables; serial to optical conversion The optical fiber MCs can provide optical fiber for the serial protocol copper cable to expand the transmission distance, so the photoelectric conversion transceiver is very suitable for point-to-point connection.
Optical MCs used in connecting network between optical cables
The optical fiber MC used in the connection network between optical cables can realize single-multimode, single-dual fiber and wavelength conversion (mainly converting conventional wavelengths into WDM wavelengths). When the port of the old device is multi-mode, but a single-mode device must be used to connect, a multi-mode to single-mode converter is needed at this time. Multimode fiber optic MCs extend the local area network through fiber jumpers, which can reach a transmission distance of 2km, and are usually deployed in short-distance transmission networks. The single-mode optical fiber transceiver can reach a transmission distance of 2km to 100km, which is suitable for the transmission of enterprise networks or campus backbone networks. As shown in the figure below, single-mode and multi-mode fiber optic MCs are used to bridge two buildings and data centers.
Conclusion
Fiber optic MCs are a cost-effective solution for connecting optical fibers and copper cables in the network. Optoelectronic MCs can achieve photoelectric conversion (electric-to-optical conversion) to extend the transmission distance, while fiber optic MCs used in connecting networks between optical cables can Realize single-multimode, single-dual fiber and wavelength conversion. Since there are many types of fiber optic MCs, they can be used in different environments. Therefore, when choosing a suitable fiber optic MCs, you should fully consider your network requirements.