Monthly Archives: May 2018

What Is a Patch Panel Used for?

Today, a good network will not run well without an efficient cable management. In data center, dealing with a variety of unorganized and disordered cables or wires is conducive to network operation. Patch panel, as a crucial element of an interconnected network cabling, plays an important role in the administration of the telecommunications network. But do you know what is a patch panel used for?

Brief Introduction of Patch Panel

Patch panel, also named as jack field, is a passive device with a number of ports that usually of the same type. It is a network part that commonly used in computer networking, recording studios, radio and television. A patch panel can be mounted in a network rack, lying above or below the network switch. Classified by the number of ports, there are 12-port patch panel, 24-port patch panel and 48-port patch panel.

example of what is a patch panel used for

What is a Patch Panel Used for?

A patch panel acts as a connector in network, which indicates that if anything goes wrong with it, the entire system may fail. It is absolutely the way that can transfer lines from one place to another successfully. It does provide several uses for network running.

  • Used for Managing Cables Easily

A variety of cables can be connected to one patch panel, which can reduce cable congestion. In addition, the patch panel can use a label such as location and desktop number for identification. For example, users can easily find the fault that may exist in the switch or in the cable through the labels when they encounter a connection error. Besides, using a patch panel allows users to change the configuration of the network or cabling to introduce more devices without having to rearrange the equipment or re-run. This will do helpful for protecting the equipment. Thus patch panel can create a cleaner and more organized way for cable management.

  • Used for Saving Space

Patch panel contains many ports, so users can save much valuable rack space by using a high-density patch panel. This is particularly useful in data center. And in another aspect, it can help to reduce network cost.

  • Used for Increasing Working Efficiency

Using a patch panel can help users connect and disconnect network to homes without going into actual location, which can greatly improve efficiency and work flow.

Fiber or Copper Patch Panel?

Patch panel can be applied in fiber and copper cabling systems. The main purpose of it is managing fiber optic cables. It is generally believed that fiber patch panel deserves a higher price than the copper one.

In terms of structure, for copper patch panel, each pair of cables has an independent port while the fiber one needs two for one pair of wires. This is because one port of fiber patch panel is used as the transmitting end while the other one acts as the receiving end. Although there is a slight difference, the two types both functioned as a terminate unit, offering an organized and efficient way for cable management.

Conclusion

Patch panel is a good solution for cable management. From the above, we know the answer of the question what is a patch panel used for. There is no doubt that the device is an essential component in cabling network due to its uses. It’s a great addition in getting a better network. FS.COM, who is always committed to creating a better telecommunication solution, offers many kinds of patch panel with good performance.

What Is OM3 Fiber?

Since the internet spread out across the globe, the aim of fiber to the building or home has been achieved through the installation of optical fibers. Besides, with the features of huge capacity, board transmission bandwidth and powerful resisting jam ability, there is no doubt that optical fibers have been the preferred transfer media of gigabit ethernet. OM3 fiber is one of the mainstream market optical fibers.

The Emergence of OM3 Fiber

OM3 fiber is a kind of multimode fiber which is usually applied in short distance. In data communication segment, multimode fibers are divided into several categories, OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4.

The earlier fibers, OM1 fiber has a core size of 62.5 micrometers while OM2 fiber features with a smaller core size of 50 micrometers. They are generally applied in premises applications supporting ethernet rates of 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps. The two types are ideal for use with LED transmitters due to their relatively large core size. However, as the increasing demand for bandwidth and higher throughput, especially along came the 10 Gigabit Ethernet, LEDs could not keep pace for they can not be turned on and off fast enough to support higher-speed applications. In response, the data communication industry begun to develop a high-speed laser light source called a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). LEDs typically support a maximum modulation rate of only a few hundred Mbit/s, but VCSELs can handle the modulation rate up to 10Gbit/s. As a result, OM3 fiber was born, which commonly refers to as “laser optimized multimode fiber”. OM3 fiber is designed for 10Gigabit Ethernet at lengths up to 300 meters.

OM3 fiber

OM3 Fiber vs OM4 Fiber

Fibers of OM3 and OM4 are both laser optimized 50/125 multimode fiber that are produced to accommodate today’s higher speed networks. This  means their core diameter is 50µm and the cladding diameter is 125µm. Compared with other multimode fibers, these two share a special coating that can prevent light from escaping the core. In addition, OM3 and OM4 are optimized for 850nm transmission and have aqua sheaths. The technology of OM3 and OM4 make it possible that the designs of laser transmission system can utilize multimode optical fiber without the use of mode conditioning cables.

With so many similarities, there are still some differences between OM3 fiber and OM4 fiber.

  • Transmission Distance

The main difference between OM3 and OM4 is the transmission distance because they have different internal constructions. OM4 employs a higher modal bandwidth of 4700 MHz/km while the modal bandwidth of OM3 is 2000 MHz/km, which means OM4 can carry more data or information within the same distance.

  • OM3 Enjoys a Price Advantage

As mentioned above, because of different constructions, the primary cost of OM4 rises. The price of OM4 is double that of OM3 fiber’s due to its manufacture technique and market fluctuations. In addition, considering that 90% data centers have their runs under 100 meters, OM3 may be a better choice for money saving.

Conclusion

At present, OM3 fiber has successfully made contributions to the implementation of today’s higher speed network. And with good performance like high data rate and lower price, it has become a must for data center upgrade. At FS.COM, the comprehensive range of products in OM3 fiber offer customers the ability to create the optimal network.