Five industry leaders announce next-generation small form factor fiber-optic components that interface with LC optical connectors
FOR RELEASE TUESDAY NOVEMBER 09, 1999
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Five leading suppliers of fiber-optic components today announced each will provide the industry with new small form factor (SFF) fiber-optic components that will use the LC connector interface. The companies include IBM Microelectronics, Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) Microelectronics Group, Methode Electronics, Inc. (NASDAQ: METHA), MRV Communications, and Sumitomo Electric Lightwave.
Designed by Bell Labs, the research and development arm of Lucent Technologies, the LC connector is a high-density optical connector used for single-mode and multimode fiber-optic applications in both public and private networks. The LC connector interfaces with next-generation optical transceivers that measure one-half-inch-wide as opposed to one-inch wide a generation ago -- thereby doubling the port density of network interface cards, hubs, routers, switches, as well as patch panels and wall outlets.
Using the LC connector with SFF transceivers not only increases port densities by up to 100 percent in fiber-optic communications systems, but it also allows network equipment engineers to design circuit boards and panel cutouts to accommodate copper connectors as well as fiber-optic ports. The LC connector utilizes an RJ-45 telephone-style housing - a common design in the telecommunications industry.
According to Fleck Research, a market analyst firm, well over two million multimode and single-mode LC connectors including cable assemblies are currently in use in the United States alone -- far more than any other SFF connector on the market. Additionally, Fleck Research estimates that over 100 complete premises network installations have been completed with LC-style connectors and hardware. The company forecasts that North American sales of both the single-mode and multimode LC connectors will reach $111 million by 2003, making it the most widely adopted connector in the industry.
"Until recently, there were at least five different connector designs for small form factor components," said Mike Peppler, product marketing manager with Lucent's Microelectronics Group. "Today, only two designs are seriously being considered by the market and as of this announcement, there are more fiber component suppliers supporting the LC interface than any other small form factor product."
Lucent is now shipping the 2417 single-mode, SFF fiber-optic family of transceivers with the LC interface. The devices support Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) applications and join a complete line of Lucent's LC-based cabling products including multimode and single-mode connectors, cable assemblies, adapters, wall outlets and patch panels.
IBM is currently shipping its LC-based multimode SFF pin through-hole optical transceivers for Fiber Channel and Gigabit Ethernet applications.
"As a leading supplier of high-quality, high-performance fiber-optic products, we intend to offer a complete family of LC-based SFF optical transceivers to help our customers remain competitive in the world of network communications," said Dale Crist, product development manager with IBM Microelectronics. "Our optical transceivers are designed to provide greater bandwidth, capacity, speed and security to the data and e-business transactions of today and the future. We're utilizing the LC-connector-interface because it can enable a simpler, more robust product design that meets the critical demands of our customers' networking applications."
"Methode has supported the LC-connector since its inception and will continue to support that interface for optoelectronic and connectivity products," said Jeff Vetter, director of optoelectronic components with Methode Electronics."
Methode's LC-based transceiver product line includes multimode and single-mode devices in MLC-25 SFF and MPDT-20 dual-port gigabit interface converter (GBIC) product families for data rates from one to 2.125 gigabits-per-second (gbps) and RJ14G RJ-format and SF2 SFF product families in 10 to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) applications. The company also offers a complete line of LC connectors, adapters, premise cabling products, loopback testers, and hybrid couplers. The latest products are a polymer ferruled, multimode LC-connector, an angled polish, single-mode LC connector, and 3.3-volt versions of Methode's transceiver products.
Sumitomo Electric Lightwave will expand its LC-based SCM6000 transceiver family. The new products include devices for 622, 1250, and 2,400-Mbps applications. The offerings will include various options for clock recovery and long-reach capabilities. Sumitomo has chosen to provide its single-mode SCM6000 products with the LC interface in a 2 x 10-pin-out package. The company is also planning to offer LC-type transceivers in a 2 X 5 footprint for multimode fiber starting with gigabit-per-second applications.
"With this package style, the entire product family can be offered with monitoring for both laser diode bias and rear-facet photodiode currents for 'telecom' users," said John Wyatt, senior vice president with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave. "While there are other small form factor transceiver designs, we feel that the LC-type transceiver is a key product offering with the optimum performance and broadest flexibility available."
MRV Communications is announcing a complete line of single-mode transceivers exclusively using the LC interface. The product offering consists of transceivers using Fabry Perot (FP) or distributed feed-back (DFB) lasers operating at 1300 or 1550 nano-meters (nm). Devices are available for OC-3, OC-12, OC-48 and Gigabit Ethernet applications.
"It's important to note that the small form factor interface battle is still being fought," said Artie Berne, North American sales manager with MRV Communications. "As a component supplier, we wanted to go with the design that gives us the best products for our customers. That's why we went with the LC across the board."
Other companies supporting the LC-connector also include Allied Telesyn, Molex, Transition Networks, and a host of other fiber-optic component suppliers. |
