Panduit Earns UL Certification For Advanced Optical Fiber Characterization Capabilities
Tinley Park, IL - PANDUIT has earned accreditation from Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) for its capability to measure Differential Mode Delay (DMD) and calculate the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMBc) of laser optimized multimode fiber.
DMD is the difference in arrival times of the various optical modes that pass through fibers, and is the main parameter by which the performance of a multimode optical fiber system is measured. Fibers with low DMD provide optimal laser bandwidth to support longer distances and higher bit rates required across today's network backbones and storage areas. Passing the DMD test assures fiber performance for applications like 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel that specify the use of low-cost 850nm laser transmitters with laser-optimized multimode fibers.
PANDUIT Laboratories conducted significant research into DMD testing to develop a state-of-the-art measurement system that would characterize the DMD performance and EMBc of multimode fibers beyond the level achieved by commercially available systems. This customized, in-house testing system is used to support both product evaluation and further research initiatives to ensure the continued best-in-class quality and performance of PANDUIT Fiber Optic Solutions.
During its audit of the new DMD test stand, UL certified that PANDUIT Labs meets the performance and tolerance specifications outlined by TIA-455-220-A and IEC 60793-1-49 for measuring DMD of multimode fiber. This independent third-party certification further establishes PANDUIT leadership in delivering fiber solutions with the highest performance and reliability. Our capabilities far exceed the standards to which UL certifies testing systems, so customers can deploy PANDUIT Fiber Optic Solutions with the confidence that they were developed using the best systems and technologies available.
PANDUIT solutions push fiber technology beyond the design and manufacture of the glass itself. Ongoing Beyond The Glass™ initiatives encompass in-depth research, analysis, and testing to determine actual, real-world performance requirements of the optical network. The result of this comprehensive research and development program is used to develop new fiber optic product solutions that deliver reliable, assured performance.
PANDUIT research on DMD characterization extends these industry-leading initiatives. High accuracy DMD measurements result in more accurate calculations of EMBc to characterize fiber bandwidth. With its new DMD test system PANDUIT Labs has determined that a significant correlation exists between EMBc and measured Bit Error Rate (BER) of multimode fibers operating over 10 Gigabit Ethernet channels. PANDUIT will present preliminary results of this research at the International Wire & Cable Symposium (IWCS) in November 2007.
SOURCE: PANDUIT