Fibres & Cabling

US Conec, a developer of optical interconnects, has unveiled the new MTP-16 multi-fibre optical connector at ECOC 2015 in Valencia, Spain. The MTP-16 connector offers the highest density physical contact for multi-fibre connector format on the market today, the company says.

“Comprised of the proven US Conec MT Elite ferrule technology, the MTP-16 connector hardware is ideal for structured cabling applications supporting parallel or duplex links that require low insertion loss,” said Shelly Buchter, product manager at US Conec.

To meet the challenges associated with escalating data rates and the ongoing need for higher bandwidth in the data centre, CommScope has introduced SYSTIMAX cabling and connectivity products based on its LazrSPEED 550 WideBand multimode fibre (WBMMF).

CommScope demonstrated the capabilities of the new fibre alongside Finisar’s new short-wavelength division multiplexing (SWDM) transceivers at OFC 2015. The emerging WBMMF standard enables up to four times more bandwidth at longer distances than standard multimode fibre.

At the BICSI Fall Conference and Exhibition 2015, Las Vegas, OFS announced the commercial availability of LaserWave FLEX WideBand multimode fibre, designed to meet the demanding requirements for today’s OM4 applications inside data centres, as well as next-generation short-wavelength division multiplexing (SWDM) applications.

R&M, the Swiss developer and supplier of cabling systems, has improved the FO Field field-installable fibre-optic connector. FO Field version 1.1 is now compatible with all cable types available on the market, including rigid 900µm buffered fibres with sheathing made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

OFS has announced the commercial availability of its new InvisiLight MDU Solution, offering virtually invisible and faster fibre routing inside residential and business multiple dwelling units (MDUs). This product will be offered as part of the InvisiLight Optical Solutions portfolio.

FibreFab has developed the QuickFlip LC connector, a new and intuitive method of rapidly changing connector polarity in fibre-optic networks.

As modern fibre-optic networks become increasingly complex, there is a need to easily change the polarity of duplex fibre channels in the field. Perhaps there has been a mistake in design or a need to connect the fibre to a particular piece of equipment that requires the opposite polarity.

Aerial cable specialist AFL has introduced a higher fibre count of up to 96 fibres for its CentraCore OPGW (optical ground wire) cable. This type of cable is designed to replace traditional static/shield/earth wires on overhead transmission lines and provide a communications pathway for telecommunications purposes.

Swiss connectivity systems provider R&M is introducing a new HD traffic access point (TAP) module for supervision of network and application performance.

This module enables ongoing monitoring of network and application performance using passive optical tapping that is fully integrated into the structured cabling infrastructure. The TAP Module is part of the HD product family and compatible with the same HD and R&MinteliPhy hardware as a standard module, allowing for scalable port diagnostic capability.

The EDGE8 from Corning is the industry’s first modular, tip-to-tip optical cabling system to feature an eight-fibre (Base-8) cabling design, the company claims. Aimed at data centres and storage area networks (SANs), the Base-8 design maximises per-rack-unit density for better network scalability and improved link performance.

AFL has introduced an aluminium coil bracket for optical ground wire (OPGW) splice enclosures including its Opti-Guard and SB01 products. The aluminium coil bracket is much lighter, making it easier to ship and install.