How to use fiber optic transceivers?
Publish Time: 2024-07-04
Fiber optic transceivers can easily integrate copper-based cabling systems into fiber optic cabling systems, with strong flexibility and high cost-effectiveness. Generally, they can convert electrical signals into optical signals (and vice versa) to extend the transmission distance. So, how to use fiber optic transceivers in the network and correctly connect them to network devices such as switches and optical modules?How to use fiber optic transceivers?Nowadays, fiber optic transceivers have been widely used in various industries, including security monitoring, enterprise networks, campus LANs, etc. Fiber optic transceivers are small in size and occupy little space, so they are very suitable for deployment in places such as wiring rooms and chassis with limited space. Although the application environment of fiber optic transceivers is different, the connection method is essentially the same. The following describes the common connection methods of fiber optic transceivers.Use aloneUsually, fiber optic transceivers are used in pairs in the network, but sometimes they need to be used alone to connect copper cabling to fiber optic equipment. As shown in the figure below, a fiber optic transceiver with 1 SFP port and 1 RJ45 port is used to connect two Ethernet switches, where the SFP port on the fiber optic transceiver is used to connect to the SFP port on switch A, and the RJ45 port is used to connect to the electrical port on switch B. The connection method is as follows:1. Use a UTP cable (Cat5 or above) to connect the RJ45 port of switch B to the electrical port on the fiber optic transceiver.2. Insert the SFP optical module into the SFP port on the fiber optic transceiver, and then insert another SFP optical module into the SFP port of switch A.3. Then insert the fiber optic jumper into the fiber optic transceiver and the SFP optical module on switch A.
Use in pairsA pair of fiber optic transceivers is usually used to connect two network devices based on copper cable wiring to extend the transmission distance. This is also a common solution for using fiber optic transceivers in the network. The steps on how to use a pair of fiber optic transceivers with a network switch, optical module, fiber optic patch cord, and copper cable are as follows:1. Use a UTP cable (Cat5 or higher) to connect the electrical port of switch A to the RJ45 port of the left fiber optic transceiver.2. Insert an SFP optical module into the SFP port of the left fiber optic transceiver, and then insert another SFP optical module into the SFP port of the right fiber optic transceiver.3. Use a fiber optic patch cord to connect the two fiber optic transceivers.4. Use a UTP cable to connect the RJ45 port of the right fiber optic transceiver to the electrical port of switch B.
Note: Most optical modules are hot-swappable, so there is no need to turn off the power of the fiber optic transceiver when inserting the optical module into the corresponding port. However, it should be noted that when removing the optical module, the fiber optic patch cord needs to be removed first; insert the fiber optic patch cord after inserting the optical module into the fiber optic transceiver.Precautions for using fiber optic transceiversFiber optic transceivers are plug-and-play devices, but there are still some factors to consider when connecting them to other network devices. It is best to choose a flat, safe location to deploy the fiber optic transceiver, and you also need to leave some space around the fiber optic transceiver for ventilation.The wavelength of the optical module inserted into the fiber optic transceiver should be consistent. That is, if the wavelength of the optical module on one end of the fiber optic transceiver is 1310nm or 850nm, the wavelength of the optical module on the other end of the fiber optic transceiver should also be consistent. At the same time, the speed of the fiber optic transceiver and the optical module must also be the same: a gigabit optical module must be used with a gigabit fiber optic transceiver. In addition, the type of optical module on the fiber optic transceivers used in pairs should also be the same.The jumper inserted into the fiber optic transceiver needs to match the port of the fiber optic transceiver. Usually, SC fiber optic jumpers are used to connect the fiber optic transceiver to the SC port, while LC fiber optic jumpers need to be inserted into the SFP/SFP+ port on the fiber optic transceiver.It is necessary to confirm whether the fiber optic transceiver supports full-duplex or half-duplex transmission. If a full-duplex optical transceiver is connected to a switch or hub that supports half-duplex mode, it will cause serious data packet loss.The operating temperature of the optical transceiver needs to be kept within the appropriate range, otherwise the optical transceiver will not work. The parameters of optical transceivers from different suppliers may be different.How to troubleshoot and solve optical transceiver failures?The use of optical transceivers is very simple. When applying optical transceivers to the network, if they do not work properly, you need to troubleshoot the problem. You can troubleshoot and solve it from the following six aspects:1. The power indicator light is off and the optical transceiver cannot communicate.Solution:Confirm that the power cord is connected to the power connector on the back of the optical transceiver.Connect other devices to the power outlet and check whether the power outlet is powered.Try using another power adapter of the same type that matches the optical transceiver.Check whether the voltage of the power supply is within the normal range.2. The SYS indicator on the optical transceiver is off.Solution:Typically, an off SYS indicator on a fiber optic transceiver indicates that an internal component on the device is damaged or not working properly. You can try restarting the device. If the power does not work, contact your supplier for assistance.3. The SYS indicator on the fiber optic transceiver keeps flashing.Solution:An error has occurred on this unit. You can try restarting the device. If that does not work, remove and reinstall the SFP optical module, or try replacing an SFP optical module. Or check whether the SFP optical module matches the fiber optic transceiver.4. The network between the RJ45 port on the fiber optic transceiver and the terminal device is slow.Solution:There may be a duplex mode mismatch between the port of the fiber optic transceiver and the port of the terminal device. This occurs when an RJ45 port using auto-negotiation is connected to a device with a fixed duplex mode of full duplex. In this case, simply adjust the duplex mode on the terminal device port and the fiber optic transceiver port so that both ports use the same duplex mode.5. The device connected to the fiber optic transceiver is not communicating.Solution:The TX and RX ends of the fiber jumper are connected in reverse, or the RJ45 port is not connected to the correct port on the device (please note the connection method of the straight-through cable and the crossover cable).6. Intermittent connectionSolution:It may be that the optical path attenuation is too large. In this case, an optical power meter can be used to measure the optical power at the receiving end. If it is near the receiving sensitivity range, within the range of 1-2dB, it can be basically determined that the optical path is faulty.It may be that the switch connected to the fiber optic transceiver is faulty. At this time, replace the switch with a PC, that is, the two fiber optic transceivers are directly connected to the PC, and the two ends are pinged. If there is no intermittent connection phenomenon, it can be basically determined that the switch is faulty.It may be that the fiber optic transceiver is faulty. At this time, the two ends of the fiber optic transceiver can be connected to the PC (not through the switch). After the two ends have no problem with pinging, send a large file (more than 100M) from one end to the other end, and observe its speed. If the speed is very slow (a file below 200M takes more than 15 minutes to send), it can be basically determined that the fiber optic transceiver is faulty.Fiber optic transceivers can be flexibly deployed in different network environments, but their connection methods are basically the same. The above connection methods, precautions, and solutions to common faults are just a reference for how to use fiber optic transceivers in your network. If a fault that cannot be solved occurs, please be sure to contact your supplier for professional technical support.
