Allentown, Pa. - Five industry suppliers of fiber optic components announced that each will provide new small form-factor (SFF) fiber optic components that use the LC connector interface. The companies include IBM Microelectronics, Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group, Methode Electronics Inc., MRV Communications (Chatsworth, Calif.) and Sumitomo Electric Lightwave (Research Triangle Park, N.C.).
Designed by Bell Labs, the research and development arm of Lucent, the LC connector is a high-density optical connector used for singlemode and multimode fiber optic applications in both public and private networks. The LC connector interfaces with next-generation optical transceivers that measure 0.50" wide, as opposed to 1.0" wide a generation ago. This doubles the port density of network interface cards, hubs, routers, switches, 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 PCBs 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 (Santa Ana, Calif.), more than two million multimode and singlemode LC connectors, including cable assemblies, are currently used in the United States alone - far more than any other SFF connectors 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 singlemode and multimode LC connectors will reach $111 million by 2003.
Lucent is currently shipping its 2417 singlemode SFF fiber optic family of transceivers with the LC interface. The devices support Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) applications.
IBM is also shipping its LC-based multimode SFF pin through-hole optical transceivers for Fiber Channel and Gigabit Ethernet applications.
Methode`s LC-based transceiver product line includes multimode and singlemode devices in MLC-25 SFF and MPDT-20 dual-port gigabit interface converter (GBIC) product families, for data rates from 1 to 2.125 Gbps, and RJ-14G RJ-format and SF2 SFF product families in 10 to 100 Mbps applications.
Sumitomo Electric Lightwave is expanding its LC-based SCM6000 transceiver family with products that will include devices for 622, 1,250 and 2,400 Mbps applications. Sumitomo is providing its singlemode SCM6000 products with the LC interface in a 2 x 10 pinout 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.
MRV Communications is developing a line of singlemode transceivers exclusively using the LC interface. The product offering consists of transceivers using Fabry Perot (FP) or distributed feedback (DFB) lasers operating at 1,300 or 1,550 nm. Devices are available for OC-3, OC-12, OC-48 and Gigabit Ethernet applications.
Molex Inc. is also supporting the LC connector.
