Fiber optics in the LAN and

Data Center

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LAN vs Data Center
• Fiber optics in the LAN share
many concepts and
components of today’s Data
Centers
• LAN is still basically CAT5-5e-6-
6A twisted pair copper to
provide 1Gbe to the desktop
• LAN will move to 2.5Gbe and
5Gbe as Multispeed switches
drop in price

2
 LAN vs Data Center
• LAN switch uplinks and
servers typically use fiber
for 10Gbe or higher
• Data Centers are using
fiber almost exclusively
due to bandwidth
demands:
• 100-400Gbe uplinks
• 25-50Gbe to servers
• 10Gbe to VMs

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Two broad categories of fiber cable in the LAN
and Data Center:
• OS (optical single mode) cables
• OM (optical multimode) cables

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 Core size is important
• Single mode fiber uses smaller
core: 8-10 micron (umeter)
• Increases fiber cable distance for
effective data travel

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Fiber cores….

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OM1 Fiber cable: legacy

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OM2 cable

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OM3 Fiber cable

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OM3: Where can we use it?

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OM4 Fiber cable

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OM3: Where can we use it?

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OM1 –OM4 cable standards

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Optic problems

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 OM3-4 fiber cables
• OM3 and OM4 are both laser-
optimized multimode fiber (LOMMF)
and were developed to accommodate
faster networks such as 10, 40, and
100 Gbps.
• Both are designed for use with 850-nm
VCSELS (vertical-cavity surface-
emitting lasers) and have an aqua
jacket color.

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OM4+ color = Violet

designed to push 40/100G fiber signals up to 300 meters

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OM5

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OM5: newest fiber cable

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Buying cable but know your cable type

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Single-mode, 8–10-micron cable
• Single-mode cable provides 50 times more
distance than multimode cable does.
• Single-mode cable is typically used in high-
bandwidth applications and in long-haul network
connections

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OS1 and OS2 fiber optic cables
Name OS1 OS2
Standards ITU-T G.652A/B/C/D ITU-T G.652C/D
Construction Tight buffered Loose tube
Application Indoor Outdoor
Attenuation 1.0db/km 0.4db/km
Distance 2 km 10 km
Price Low High

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Fiber jacket colors

Fiber Type Color Code

Non-military Applications Military Applications Suggested Print Nomenclature

OM1 62.5/125µm Multimode Orange Slate 62.5/125

OM2 50/125µm Multimode Orange Orange 50/125

OM3 50/125 µm (850 nm Laser-

Aqua Undefined 850 LO 50/125
Optimized) Multimode

OM4 50/125µm (850 nm Laser-

Aqua/Violet Undefined 850 LO 50/125
Optimized) Multimode

OS1/OS2 Single Mode Yellow Yellow SM/NZDS, SM

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Non-standard color cables
• Manufactures make fiber
cable in non-standard
colors

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Connector color code

Strain
Fiber Types Polish Style Connector Body Relief/Mating
Adapter

OM1 62.5/125 UPC Beige/Grey Beige/Grey

OM2 50/125 UPC Black Black

OM3/OM4
50/125 laser UPC Aqua Aqua
optimized
Single Mode UPC Blue Blue

Single Mode APC Green Green

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 Outer Jacket is important
• Both NEC
(National
Electrical Code)
and local
building codes
dictate the
types of jacket
material that
you can use on
fiber cables.

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 Plenum space
• NEC electrical code
and local building
codes dictate the
type jacket type on
cables you use.

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 Fiber cable jacket types
Material Characteristics and Uses

Most commonly used material for outer jacket. It is low cost, strong, flexible, fire resistant
PVC (Polyvinylchloride)
and can be used in many applications.

Very good electrical properties while maintaining high insulation. PE cables may be firm
PE (Polyethylene)
and solid but are more flexible.

Has more flame-resistant properties than the PE cable and primarily used for plenum
PVDF (Polyvinyl Difluoride)
areas.

PUR is very flexible and scratch resistant that is mainly used in low-temperature
PUR (Polyurethane)
environments.

LSZH (Low Smoke Zero LSZH is less toxic than PVC. It has a flame-retardant outer cover that doesn’t produce
Halogen) halogen when heated. Mainly used in confined installations.

A plenum area is a space used to move air to workspaces for the purpose of ventilation or to form air flow for an air
distribution system.
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Fiber cable jacket: (PVC/LSZH/OFNP/)

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Buying cable and knowing the code!

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30
Cable in a riser

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Building risers allow safe runs of
electrical, communication and
network cables through out the multi-
story building. Risers provide a fire
safety barrier between potential
electrical fires and people in the
building.

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NEC Code Description Cable Application Possible Substitute

Optical Fiber Non-conductive

OFNP Plenum, overhead, fiber only /
Plenum Cable

Optical Fiber Conductive Plenum Plenum, overhead, hybrid

OFCP /
Cable (fiber/wire)

Optical Fiber Nonconductive Rise

OFNR Riser, backbone, fiber only OFNP
Cable

Optical Fiber Conductive Rise

OFCR Riser, backbone, hybrid OFCP
Cable

Optical Fiber Nonconductive

OFNG General purpose, horizontal OFNP, OFNR
General-Purpose

Optical Fiber Conductive

OFCG General purpose /
General-Purpose

General purpose, horizontal,

OFN Optical Fiber Nonconductive OFNP, OFNR
fiber only

General purpose, horizontal,

OFC Optical Fiber Conductive OFCP, OFCR
hybrid
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Jacket type is critical

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Connectors

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36
SC connector
• Developed by Nippon Telegraph
and Telephone (NTT)
• a snap-in design that mates using
a push-pull action with a spring-
loaded ferrule
• excellent insertion loss
• the second most common fiber
connector type for simplex and
duplex applications.

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 LC
• LC the most popular
connector
• A 1.25mm ferrule size, low
insertion loss
• LC features a latch design
that offer pull-proof stability

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Many patch cables are sold locked together

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 MU Connector
• MU Connectors have a reduced footprint
and used mainly in dense applications.
• The connector is square and employs a
push-pull mating mechanism.
• Popular in Japan and Asia
• This connector is used for SONET, SDH,
LAN, WDM, CATV as well as ATM
applications

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MT-RJ connector
• The single polymer ferrule duplex MT-RJ connector includes alignment. It is
available in female / male connectors, or a plug-and-jack format
• MT-RJ developed by AMP is an inexpensive duplex multimode connector
that holds two fibers in a plastic ferrule and uses pins for alignment
• higher insertion loss, avoided by many equipment manufactures

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 CS connector
• CS connector by Senko
• ½ the size of an LC connector
• Designed for next gen 200/400G
transceiver QSFP-DD and OSFP

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E2000 Connector
• integrated spring loaded
shutter is a unique feature of
this connector.
• It protects the ferrule from dirt,
dust and scratches.
• As this connector uses a
monobloc ceramic ferrule,
problems associated with
different co-efficient of
expansion are eliminated.
• its return loss of 0.1 db is one
of the lowest in the industry.

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MTP and MPO fiber connectors

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MPO (multi-fiber push on) connector
• MPO or MTP connectors are all
about fiber density
• commonly have either 12 fiber or
24 fiber array
• Next gen connectors will have be
16 & 32 fiber array, this is
required for 400Gb applications

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MPO polarity
• Each MPO connector is either male (with pins) or female (without
pins) to ensure alignment of the fiber end faces during mating

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MPO/MTP straight-through cable
• Pin 1 to Pin 1, Pin 2 to Pin2 etc.., used on patch bays

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MPO/MTP cross-over cable
• Pin 1 to Pin 12, Pin 2 to Pin 11 etc.., used on switches, transceivers
and other electronic gear

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MPO to LC cassette

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Fiber connector tips: ferrule
• Physical Contact
• Ultra Physical Contact
• Angled Physical Contact
TINY CERAMIC STRUCTURE THAT HOLDS THE FIBER

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 Picking the right fiber connector:
PC, UPC or APC

• the PC connector: the two fibres meet but the end faces are polished
to be slightly curved or spherical.
• This eliminates the air gap and forces the fibres into contact.
• lower Optical Return Loss (ORL)
• The back reflection is about -40 dB

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54
Optic problems

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 Picking the right fiber connector:
PC, UPC or APC

• UPC fibre connector: The end faces are given an extended polishing
for a better surface finish.
• The back reflection is reduced even more to about -55 dB.
• These connectors are often used in networks, switches and data
communications

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 Picking the right fiber connector:
PC, UPC or APC
• APC fibre connector: The latest technology is the Angled Physical
Contact (APC) connector.
• The end faces are still curved, but they’re angled at an industry-standard
eight degrees
• This maintains a tight connection, and it reduces back reflection to about -70
dB
• These connectors are preferred for single mode, CATV and HD video systems

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Note:
• An important thing to keep in mind is that APC and UPC connectors
cannot be mated together because doing so will cause poor
performance or may damage the connectors.

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Transceivers: the key to fiber optics

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Transceiver Basics

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Optic Transceivers and Fiber cables
• Optical transceivers are critical to LAN and
Data Center data speeds
• Size
• Electrical lanes /optical lanes
• Heat dissipation
• Costs
• Fiber
• Single mode
• Multimode

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SFP: Small form-factor pluggable form factor

• Requires a modular (plug-and-play)

slot shown in the picture:
• Some designs allow:
• (SFP) optical transceivers
• (SFP) transceiver with an RJ45 jack
• Direct Attach Cable (DAC)
• Active Optical Cable (AOC)

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What do they do?

Electrical signals Optical signals

• Ethernet 1/10/25/50/100 • SWDM
• InfiniBand • Various infrared
• Fibre Channel wavelengths

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A Serializer/Deserializer
• (SerDes pronounced sir-deez
or sir-dez) is a pair of
functional blocks commonly
used in high speed
communications to
compensate for limited
input/output

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Let’s build the newest fiber transceiver:
100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28

65
 Optic Transmitter: 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4dsYPgsoHU 66
• Four laser
diodes

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Cooling laser diodes to
maintain stable
wavelength light
transmission

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Lenses on the lasers
focus the light in the
direction of the fiber
cable

69
Tuning of lenses
to precise
wavelength is
critical

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Light has transverse via a fiber cable to a
receiver

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Mirrors reflect light
and send certain
wavelengths to the
colored filters which
allow only
prescribed
wavelength light to
pass

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• Focus the
demultiplexed
light

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• PIN diode
translates light
into electrical
signals

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ASIC chip design limits speeds

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High bandwidth transceivers can “breakout”
to many lower bandwidth transceivers

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MTP/MPO to LC
• 40Gbe breakout to four 10Gbe
• Or
• 100Gbe breakout to four 25Gbe

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10G SFP+ TUNABLE DWDM
• 10G SFP+ TUNABLE DWDM ZR80 KM, 47 CHANNELS, 100GHZ GRID, C-BAND, LC-DUPLEX, SINGLEMODE
• Universal tunable SFP+ Transceiver
• Use FLEXBOX to configure to almost any vendor
• For 10GBASE-ZR Ethernet links
• Set channels using your FLEXBOX - more on our blog
• Reduce spare part stock for your DWDM network
• Auto-Tunable feature enabled
• Supported Data Rates: 1.25 Gbit/s - 11.3 Gbit/s
• Up to 80 km via Singlemode OS2
• LC-Duplex Connector
• Operating Temperature from -40°C to 85°C

• YOUR PRICE 1,917.28 EUR

84
SWDM (short wave division multiplexing) for Multimode fiber

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Duplex Multimode Fiber in the Data Center
• Most data center interconnections today use multimode fiber (MMF) for
their optical interconnections. The connections typically run at 10 Gbps
over a duplex fiber pair – one transmit (Tx) fiber and one receive (Rx) fiber
– using the 10GBASE-SR Ethernet standard. Many of these data centers are
now upgrading to 40 Gbps or 100 Gbps. Using the parallel 40GBASE-SR4 or
100GBASE-SR4 standard would necessitate quadrupling the MMF
infrastructure.

• With the advent of SWDM, today’s 10 Gbps MMF infrastructure can be re-
used for 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps without any additional fiber. This presents
large capital and operational cost savings for the data center operator.
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https://www.belden.com/ 88
 Optical Internetworking Forum

• Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) promotes the development and

deployment of interoperable networking solutions and services
through the creation of Implementation Agreements (IAs) for optical
networking products, network processing elements, and component
technologies.
Type‐2 IC‐TROSA. 100‐600 GB/s coherent
laser/modulator/driver/receiver in a single integrated
fiber‐free package

https://www.oiforum.com/

89
Transceivers: the next generation

Type‐1 Optical BGA IC‐TROSA. 100‐600Gb/s

coherent modulator/driver/receiver in a single integrated
SMT package 90
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DAC vs AOC
• Direct Attach Copper (DAC) cables which are the least expensive way
to create a high-speed 25G/50G/100Gb/s interconnect, but have a
maximum reach of about 3-5 meters
• Active Optical Cables (AOCs) pick it up from there and can reach up to
100-200 meters and are the least expensive, optical links available.
They are widely used in HPCs and more recently became popular in
hyperscale, enterprise and storage systems.

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What are AOC Features and
Advantages?
• Compared to less expensive DAC cables, AOCs offer:
• Longer reach capability than DAC 3-7 meter limits
• 3m – 100-meters multi-mode technology
• 100-200 meters with single-mode, Silicon Photonics
• Lower weight, thinner cable and bend radius enabling
• increased airflow cooling and easier system
• maintenance
• Compared to more expensive optical transceivers,
• AOCs offer:
• Dramatically lower priced solution than two optical
• transceivers and connectorized fiber based links
• Lower power consumption at 2.2 Watts versus up to 4.5 Watts for optical transceivers (4-channel)
• Lower operational and maintenance cost

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103
QSFP-DD is a new module and
cage/connector system
• QSFP-DD is a new module and cage/connector system similar to
current QSFP, but with an additional row of contacts providing for an
eight lane electrical interface. It is being developed by the QSFP-DD
MSA as a key part of the industry’s effort to enable high-speed
solutions.

http://www.qsfp-dd.com/ 104
105
8000 Series Ethernet Adapters -
10/40GbE Network Adapters
• Bandwidth up to 40Gbps
• Latencies below 1μsec
• XtremePacket Engine provides 1000s of flows/virtual NICs per adapter
• APIs to software defined the adapter enabling a wide range of capabilities
• UKB enables extreme application acceleration
• Telemetry for packet capture, monitoring and analysis
• NIC-level security through packet filtering and secure server lockdown
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X2 Series Ethernet Adapters
• Sub-microsecond latency
• Near-zero jitter
• Highly scalable
• Predictable, deterministic system
performance
• Industry's highest message rates
• Precision Time Stamping for accurate
synchronization
• NVMe™ /TCP storage ready
• SolarCapture® Pro network performance
monitoring

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108
CFP8
• Use of a 16x25G electrical interface provides first-to-market
advantage for the CFP8
• CFP8's thermal management is good, in that more space means more
surface area for heat to spread and air to flow so that thermal loads
can be spread around.
• The tradeoff is that CFP8 — the biggest 400GbE interconnect form
factor of them all — offers the lowest port density of the four form
factors being considered in this article. The electrical connector used
for CFP8 has a single row of contacts on top and bottom in the
conventional style.

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 OSFP

• While the OSFP form factor does not provide backwards compatibility to existing form factors, it is designed for
maximum thermal and electrical performance.
• The "O" is for "octal" — it is being designed to use eight electrical lanes to deliver 400GbE — and "SFP" is for "small form
factor pluggable." OSFP is aimed at the upcoming generation of equipment that will operate with 50-Gbps electrical
signaling, which is in definition mode right now in the various standards-development projects.
• OSFP is a conventional style of electrical interconnect, leveraging best practices that the industry has learned in the past
from SFP and QSFP connectors. The electrical connector in OSFP has a single row of contacts on both top and bottom,
and it provides robust electrical and signal-integrity performance. Because it's faceplate pluggable and field replaceable,
it has a single-receptacle electrical connector.
• One of the nontraditional aspects of OSFP is that it integrates thermal management (heat sinking) directly into the form
factor to help cool the module, similar to the microQSFP form factor that predates it. An OSFP integrated heat sink is
intended to enable modules with up to 15 W of power in a switch chassis with conventional front-to-back airflow. This
accomplishes two things over a more conventional riding heat sink: It eliminates the high thermal resistance between
the module and the heat sink, and, secondarily, once the air exits the back of the module form factor, it is available for
cooling the silicon switch or compute chips that are downstream inside the equipment enclosure.
• The OSFP receptacle does not offer backwards intermate-ability to existing modules since it favors optimizing the
electrical, packging, and thermal aspects over legacy application support.

110
 QSFP-DD
• Backwards compatibility is the primary appeal of the QSFP-DD form factor.
• The QSFP form factor is today's industry workhorse for delivering 40 and 100GbE. The "Q" is for “quad" — a nod to
the four-channel electrical interface, with each lane running at 25 Gbps for 100GbE. QSFP-DD adapts the same basic
concept as its predecessor, but doubles the electrical contact density, via eight differential pairs capable of 50 Gbps
each, to achieve 400GbE, while allowing existing QSFP modules to be plugged into the same cage.
• Because it is predicated on delivering the benefit of backwards compatibility, QSFP-DD receptacles and cages need
to look like and be configured to receive the existing 40 and 100GbE modules. This is accomplished by extending
the length of the QSFP-DD module slightly to add an extra recessed row of contacts on both the top and bottom of
the connector. The QSFP-DD specification defines both single-height and stacked configurations of the
cage/connector system, each supporting QSFP modules with the original rows of contacts, plus supporting QSFP-DD
modules via the additional recessed row of contacts.
• The connector's recessed row of contacts is an alternative approach for an I/O electrical interconnect, and it
demands significant innovation in the area of signal integrity to meet the 50-Gbps channel requirements currently
being defined by the IEEE and the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF). In addition, the baseline requirement to
offer backwards compatibility to existing 40 and 100GbE modules means that the mechanical envelope is limited
for possible expansion for the new 400GbE optical and electrical subcomponents.
• The QSFP-DD MSA has specified two versions. Type 1 is extended in length only enough to accommodate the
recessed extra row of contacts for the electrical interface; Type 2 is extended 15 mm further outside of the
equipment faceplate for additional packaging volume inside the module. Thermal management is achieved through
improvements to cage design, building on the experience of system designs with QSFP; the module can use riding
heat sink technology. External non-integrated heat sinks can be incorporated as part of an optimized system design.
The specification's design is intended to support modules up to at least 12 W. Thermal resistance of a riding heat
sink in the past has been at 5 W power levels, and aiming for 10 to 12 W is a significant increase in technical
performance.
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 COBO

• Embedded optical modules are a key differentiation for COBO, potentially addressing thermal management
challenges.
• The COBO form factor is named for the Consortium for On-Board Optics, an organization that is defining an
interchangeable and interoperable optical module that is installed internally to line-card equipment in a
controlled environment by technicians (as opposed to the pluggable modules described above for the other
three approaches). The goals are to facilitate higher module port density, improved thermal management, and
better power efficiency. This is achieved by mounting the modules around the switch silicon and only putting
optical connectors on the faceplate for improved equipment airflow. The COBO form factor holds potential key
benefits for the new cloud market model but changes the established equipment-build paradigm.
• Because the module is immune to faceplate-density challenges, there is more freedom in defining its footprint.
Consequently, COBO is developing both 400-Gbps and 2x400-Gbps capable footprints. Like the OSFP and QSFP-
DD form factors, it aims to support an eight-wide electrical interface for 400GbE and is intended to support a
similar array of optical interfaces. The high-speed connector that COBO has chosen for this form factor is, like
OSFP, a connector with a single row of contacts on top and bottom that can provide the design simplicity needed
to achieve good signal integrity performance. A separate low-speed connector is used for the management
interface and power contacts. The COBO form factor is intended to support power levels above 15 W.

112
Vendors for transceivers, cables, etc
• https://www.flexoptix.net/en/
• https://www.fs.com/
• https://www.cablesandkits.com/

113
114
Myths about Fiber
• Fiber is difficult to terminate –terminating fiber with SSF is easier than
any Category or coax solution available today.
• Fiber is fragile (pull & bend) –Fiber is stronger and more durable.
Fiber is much more forgiving with SSF than Coax or Category cables.
• Fiber Termination tools are expensive – With fiber termination
today, a onetime investment of $500 to $1000 will pay for itself for
years to come.
• All equipment that utilizes fiber is expensive –For the most part, yes
they are, but the greater initial output can save you huge amounts of
time. We have found equipment solutions in the market that range
only 10-20% more in cost.
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Fiber connectors and
cleaning
• Cleaning is critical to good light
transmission and reception

116
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQCRrGLgWVY
Visual Fault Locator - Cable Continuity Tester
• High power visible laser can help detect cable faults
• Many start at $21.00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5jGPOqQBJo 117
Visual Fault Locator
• Easy to use and
effective when testing
lots of patch cables

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OTDR ,Fiber Optic Cable Tester with VFL and
Optical Power Meter
• An OTDR maps the
cabling and can
illustrate termination
quality and location
of faults that may
hinder network
performance

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OS Fiber Cables

• As for OS cables, they come in OS1 or OS2 builds.

• OS1 is a bit antiquated. It is designed for distances less than 2km, and it hits a
top transmission speed of 10Gbps. For jobs in that range, there are usually
OM designs that are more cost-effective.
• OS2 is the standard for long-range networking. The cables can carry signals up
to 200 km, and they can achieve transmission rates in excess of 10Gbps.

• The purpose of OS2 fiber cabling is to do work that is best suited by

singlemode fiber optics. It’s the easy go-to for long-range, high-speed
work.

120
Precautions to Take When Using Fiber
• A few properties particular to fiber optic cable can cause problems if you aren’t
careful during installation:
• Intrinsic power loss —As the optic signal travels through the fiber core, the signal inevitably
loses some speed through absorption, reflection, and scattering.
• This problem is easy to manage by making sure your splices are good and your connections are clean.
• Microbending—Microbends are minute deviations in fiber caused by excessive bends,
pinches, and kinks.
• Using cable with reinforcing fibers and other special manufacturing techniques minimizes this problem.
• Connector loss—Connector loss occurs when two fiber segments are misaligned.
• This problem is commonly caused by poor splicing.
• Scratches and dirt introduced during the splicing process can also cause connector loss.
• Coupling loss—Similar to connector loss, coupling loss results in reduced signal power and is
from poorly terminated connector couplings.
• Remember to be careful and use common sense when installing fiber cable.
• Use clean components. Keep dirt and dust to a minimum.
• Don’t pull the cable excessively or bend it too sharply around corners.

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CREDITS
Special thanks to all the people who made and released these awesome resources:
❑ Photographs by Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels
❑ Video loops and backgrounds by Coverr, Videezy, Pexels.com, Findingfootage.com, Videvo.net,
Lifeofvids.com, Beachfrontbroll.com
❑ Music by Free-Stock-music.com, YouTube music Audio Library, Epidemicsound.com,
Incompetech.com,
❏ Soundcloud.com, Audionautix.com
❑ My “TechSavvy Productions” channel loop created by Jason Knize and Jose Guzman.
❑ All the wonderful and talented people who freely share their photos, videos etc to the creative
community.
❑ YouTube which allows this amazing video platform for content creators.

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Credits: Gratitude
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4dsYPgsoHU
• Lecture on transceivers

• https://www.ad-net.com.tw/16-types-fiber-optic-connectors-choose/
• Great list of connectors and examples

• Vendors for transceivers, cables, etc

• https://www.flexoptix.net/en/
• https://www.fs.com/
• https://www.cablesandkits.com/
123
 Thank you for watching!

mrvanderpool901@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCAXBGYIJnScl0IFKXOIlsQ
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