Fiber Switch Is Web-Configurable

Fidra, a fiber-optic switch designed to monitor, reroute, repeat, boost and disable as many as three fiber-optic communication pairs., is the latest addition to the Conolog Corporation product stable.

Industry-standard SFP modules allow Fidra to support various optical communications including single/multimode, LED/laser as well as multiple wavelengths, the N.J.-based company says. Common applications for Fidra include:

>> Transmitter disabling
>> Fiber-optic path routing
>> Wavelength and fiber-type conversion
>> Level monitoring
>> Local and remote loopback testing

Fidra allows for the testing and maintenance without the need to remove and reroute fiber cables, Conolog adds, and it helps eliminate damage to fibers and components caused by routine handling. System configuration is performed via the built-in Web server, allowing customers to use any Web browser to configure the Fidra switch.  

In addition, Fidra is programmable to route any receive signal to any of the three transmitters. All routing is performed at the physical layer, making communications transparent to the transmitting and receiving equipment, regardless of brand. “No protocol support is required and only microseconds of delay are added to the signal propagation time, making it ideal for differential relaying applications,” company literature says. “Testing and monitoring are streamlined, while providing safety to the technician and ease of implementation.”

While Conolog initially is targeting the utility industry, “it can be applied to any fiber application and therefore has broad appeal,” notes President Marc Benou.