Do you know what fibre optic gear you need?

What do IT equipment purchasing decisions look like at your company? In many technology or manufacturing companies, the first thought is to wonder whether there is already suitable equipment in-house to complete the task. Alternatively, they may want to know whether they can buy something that will connect with existing equipment so that there is no need to buy an entirely new system. While, in most cases, you should be able to buy what you need, making it work with your existing equipment is more of a challenge. Connecting most pieces of electronic communication equipment will normally require a physical connection. Finding cables with suitable connectors to make a satisfactory connection is rarely easy. Often, you will need fibre optic gear, such as patch leads, to enable a connection.

Choosing your fibre optic gear

Whether you are connecting optic switches, a CATV system or something entirely different, you must have connectors to link the pieces of your kit together. All fibre optic gear is designed to minimise signal loss and allow the signal to carry over substantial distances, but there are still differences between types of fibre optic gear. Fibre optic gear, such as patch leads, are available in several configurations. As such, it is vital that you make the correct choice or your equipment is never going to work.

What factors should guide your choice?

There are two factors that you will need to consider carefully. Do you require duplex or simplex transmission, and how far do you want the signals to travel? Duplex fibre optic gear will need to have twice the number of connectors found in simplex fibre optic gear, especially if you require two-way communication between your equipment.

If you want your fibre optic gear to convey signals for extended distances, it would be best to choose single-mode patch leads for the task. If you don't need to send the fibre optic signals very far, you may find that multimode fire optic gear will produce a better response.

Making the right decision

If you aren't sure what fibre optic gear would be the right choice in your situation, it is best to speak to your engineering team and learn what specifications your equipment requires. Once you know what characteristics your fibre optic gear has, your local supplier will be able to help you. They can guide you to the perfect fibre optic gear for your needs.