Media ConverterMedia Converter

What is Media ConverterWhat is Media Converter

A media converter is a device which converts signals it receives from one media type to signals appropriate to another media type.

DistancesDistances

Over copper cabling distances are limited to 100m (330ft) between any two active devices and network perimeter (by using repeaters) can not exceed 205m (660ft) for 100mbps or double for 10mbps. By using optical fibers, distances between active devices may be extended to 2000m (6500ft) for 10mbps (even more in full duplex mode) and up to 2000m for 100mbps. By using single mode fibers (and proper interfaces) distances of tens of km may be obtained.

Extend Network DistanceExtend Network Distance

Multi-mode fiber

Multi-mode fiber

Switch

Single-mode fiber

(more than 40 km)

Switch

Single-mode fiber

(more than 40 km)

• Copper to fiber

• Multi-mode fiber to Single-mode fiber

Convert different media typeConvert different media type

+

Switch

Fiber

Copper

Server

Copper to fiber application

Multi-mode fiber

Multi-mode fiber

Single-mode fiberMulti-mode fiber to

Single-mode

fiber applicationSwitch

Switch

Multi-mode fiber

This is the classic fiber optic cabling and is far and away the most prevalent fiber type in use today inside buildings. It is the fiber type the IEEE, ANSI, TIA, and ISO standards organizations typically define in fiber LAN specifications.

Fiber Type (Multi-Mode)Fiber Type (Multi-Mode)

62.5/125 µm, 50/125 µmMultiple light pathsRelatively inexpensiveModal-bandwidth limitedPrimarily used for LANs

For more demanding applications a second fiber cable type “single-mode” is available. Single-mode fiber uses a smaller core diameter, between 8 and 12 µm (8 - 9 being the average), with the same cladding diameter as multi-mode.

Fiber Type (Single-Mode)Fiber Type (Single-Mode)

8-9/125 µmSingle light pathSomewhat more costlyMore difficult to terminateEssentially unlimited bandwidthPrimarily used for MAN/WANs

• 850 nm multi-mode: Standard for 10Base-FL 10 Mbps Ethernet and 100Base-SX 100 Mbps Short Wavelength Ethernet. Also used for 1000Base-SX Gigabit Ethernet.

• 1300 nm multi-mode: Standard for 100Base-FX 100 Mbps Ethernet. Also used by other high-speed LAN protocols such as FDDI, ATM/OC-3, etc.

• 1310 nm single-mode: Standard for 1000Base-LX Gigabit Ethernet. Also commonly used for applications where greater distance is required than can be achieved with multi-mode fiber.

• 1550 nm single-mode: Not an Ethernet standard, but used extensively for long-haul telecommunications at speeds of up to 40 Gbps (OC-768) and for all Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) applications.

WavelengthsWavelengths

Fiber StandardsFiber Standards

StandardData Rate

(Mbps)Cable Type

IEEE Standard Max. Distance

10BASE-FL 10 Multi-mode: 850nm; 62.5/125µm or 50/125 µm 2 km

100BASE-FX 100 Multi-mode: 1300nm; 62.5/125µm or 50/125 µm 2 km

100BASE-SX* 100 Multi-mode: 850nm; 62.5/125µm or 50/125 µm 300 m

1000BASE-SX 1000Multi-mode: 850nm; 62.5/125µm

Multi-mode: 850nm; 50/125 µm

220 m

550 m

1000BASE-LX 1000Multi-mode: 1300nm; 62.5/125µm or 50/125 µm

Single-mode: 1300nm; 8/125µm

550 m

5 km

1000BASE-LH 1000 Single-mode: 1550nm; 8/125µm 70 km

*100BASE-SX (short wavelength multi-mode) and 1000BASE-LH (long-haul single-mode) are not formally adopted standards, but are commonly understood and used in fiber optic networking

Fiber ConverterFiber Converter

• 10/100Mbps– Basic

• FL-620ST/SC, SFL-613SC20, FL-720SC20

– Smart• FL-M620

– Intelligent• FL-M500

• 1000Mbps– Basic

• FL-1000TL20, FL-1200SL20