Dark Fiber

TMCnet Contributor

MRV Communications, Inc., provider of packet switching, packet optical (POTS), physical layer and out-of-band networking equipment, services and optical components, has introduced Fiber Driver EM316T1E1-XY, belonging to company’s next-generation optical media converters family.

In a release the company claims the new driver brings in ultra high-speed protocol support with the flexibility of multi-rate and small form-factor pluggable (SFP) design. It combines two copper (RJ-45) 10/100 Ethernet ports and two modular SFP sockets that are configured with DIP switches to serve four traditional network roles.

The first mode acts as a copper-to-fiber converter, transforming copper T1/E1 to single mode or multimode fiber optics. The second mode acts as a T1/E1 multiplexer, allowing two-channel T1/E1 TDM to multiplex over redundant optical links. The third mode acts as a fiber-to-fiber repeater, providing fiber-optic repeating of the T1/E1 trunk(s) and T1/E1 to T1/E1 copper repeater.

Carriers planning to upgrade their fiber can utilise the WDM SFPs to put the bandwidth of both copper ports on a single fiber. The built-in signal repeating capability allows carriers to use the devices for distance extension applications.

In the release, Noam Lotan, director and CEO of MRV Communications (News - Alert) said, “As carriers migrate from copper to fiber and from media conversion to distance extension and fiber grooming, the feature rich XY media converters will allow them to deliver a wider variety of services over their existing access infrastructure,”

He said that by implementing a flexible media converter, telecom operators can optimize the bandwidth of existing copper cables without increasing CAPEX investment.

In addition, the new module features built in media conversion, signal repeating and lambda conversion with optional wave division multiplexing (WDM) technology available via an SFP, which marks it as the industry’s most flexible and feature rich T1/E1 fiber optic solutions, according to the company.

The company plans to bring out the EM316T1E1-XY module in calendar Q4 through its sales representatives worldwide. The media converter also supports the J1 standard for Japanese networks.

MRV provides its variety of solutions to high-speed carrier and enterprise networks and specialized aerospace, defense and other communications networks. Through its wholly owned SourcePhotonics, Inc. subsidiary, the company provides optical communications components for access and fiber-to-the-premises applications.