@fibresystemsmag | www.fibre-systems.com


PRODUCTS UPDATE


EXFO adds CPRI test capabilities to NetBlazer


EXFO has added an enhanced common public radio interface (CPRI) protocol test functionality to its all-in-one Ethernet/optical FTB-700G series and FTB-800 NetBlazer series of portable field testers. This latest feature gives field technicians the capability to install and maintain mobile fronthaul networks by testing connectivity and data integrity between the remote radio head (RRH) and baseband unit (BBU) in new fibre-fed cell towers. Legacy cell towers with copper cabling are being upgraded to fibre-optic infrastructures. CPRI is a protocol that runs between the BBU and RRH which digitises incoming radio frequency signal over fibre. The enhanced CPRI test functionality reduces the need for unnecessary tower climbs, hence reducing maintenance costs and overall operational costs, according to EXFO.


OFS unveils MiDia Dry FX no-gel microcable


OFS has expanded its range of totally dry optical cables with a new microcable product line. The MiDia Dry FX microcable is based on an entirely dry cable technology, which replaces the gel- based filling and flooding compounds traditionally used to prevent the spread of water in outside plant cables.


This dry cable construction can help reduce fibre cable installation costs and improve safety


Luceo releases 4x28G BERT


Luceo Technologies has released the 4x28G pattern generator module EPG428-1 and the 4x28G error detector EED428-1. The new modules are fully compatible with its PARALLEX system for multichannel testing of optical components. The pattern generator covers the bandwidth range 2 – 28.2Gb/s per channel continuously. The upgrade to a 400G-compliant system (16x28G) is very simple: just add three modules each for pattern generator and error detector. Feedback from first product demos was good, the company claims. ‘Among the affordable 4x28G


Fibercore expands range of fibre coatings


Following the recent acquisition of Fibertronix, UK fibre maker Fibercore is now able to offer graded- index pure-silica core multimode fibre with an extended range of speciality coatings. The new coatings – including carbon, high- temperature acrylate and polyimide – enable Fibercore to offer fibres for some of the world’s harshest and most demanding applications, such


Setics upgrades FTTx planning and design software


The extended CPRI functionality facilitates the work of field technicians new to CPRI and fibre since the test instruments are designed and pre- configured to deliver comprehensive results with minimum training, EXFO claims. www.exfo.com


and productivity, the company says. Cable preparation is streamlined because the fibres emerge from their buffer tubes ready for fusion splicing or optical testing, eliminating the need for cleaning products while also leaving the work area and tools safer and cleaner. MiDia Dry FX is currently available in three constructions containing up to 144 fibres and comes as standard with OFS bend-insensitive AllWave+ fibre. www.ofsoptics.com


Setics has released Version 2 of Setics Sttar, its pre-planning, design and optimisation software for FTTx deployments. Designed by telecom experts, the latest version of the software incorporates feedback from clients on numerous projects, to make it even better at handling projects from the early pre-planning phases to more detailed engineering studies. In the context of the increasing number of ultra-fast broadband projects, particularly with the move to less dense and more complex areas (outside big cities), operators, building and engineering firms need to invest in studies while keeping them accurate and fast. This is where Setics Sttar comes into play: with its design- automation capabilities, it becomes possible to design the FTTx network in a fraction of the time required by purely manual processes. With a new user interface and new features, Setics Sttar V2 offers a new integrated graphical information front-end that allows users to visualise and then modify the FTTx network being created, making it possible to mix the design-automation functions with manual modifications.


BERTs this has the best signal performance and the lowest price - and I evaluated several,’ said an established manufacturer of 4x28 CFP2 transceivers and active optical cables. Designed mainly for


production applications, Luceo says the device offers the best combination of signal shape, functionality and affordable price when testing high-speed optical components. www.luceotec.com


Also included in this version are new options to define any type of network hierarchy easily, and a simpler way to define and apply complex engineering rules, depending on parameters like the type of infrastructure, number of fibres, or type of cable. Currently in beta testing, Setics Sttar V2 will be generally available in March 2015. www.setics-sttar.com


Zeus seeks partners for fibre coatings


as downhole distributed sensing and structural monitoring in radioactive environments. The expanded product range also includes new step-index multimode fibres, double-clad fibres for high-power amplifiers and fibre lasers, OEM amplifier gain blocks – a packaged passive optical unit for integration into amplifiers and fibre lasers – and fibre Bragg grating (FBG) products in both UV-written and femtosecond versions. www.fibercore.com


Zeus, a specialist in high-performance polymer coatings, has developed a process to coat optical fibre with polymers such as PEEK, PFA, ETFE, PVDF and 300°C NeoTem. These high-performance coatings enhance the fibres’ ability to withstand harsh temperatures and chemical environments. Many industries, including oil and gas, aerospace, medical and automotive, rely on fibre optics for both communication and sensing in extreme temperature conditions. The new coatings from Zeus will give engineers and designers an array of new options, the company claims. Zeus says its technology is capable of applying coatings to a wide range of fibre diameters and types.


‘Our business model is for us to manufacture these coatings in-house. We are seeking to partner with companies in a variety of industries to develop coating solutions to further their communications and sensing capabilities,’ the company told Fibre Systems. www.zeusinc.com


Issue 7 • Spring 2015 FIBRE SYSTEMS 35


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41