FO Technology, Products, News & Tips          4 May 2010

Fiber Optic Technology Laser Safety It should not be a surprise to learn that high-power lasers generate enough power density to cut almost any material, even steel. What may be a surprise is that the power density of light exiting an optical fiber can easily be high enough to vaporize any organic material. That has several implications. First, considering that your eyes are made from organic compounds, it's easy to see that protecting your eye from any exposure to laser light in a fiber optic system is of paramount importance. Once burned, the retina will not regenerate.   Perhaps more surprising is the fact that the optical power density in modern fiber optic systems (the optical power divided by the area of the fiber core) is sufficient to cut steel under the right conditions! The literature suggests that steel can be cut with a power density of 1,000,000 Watts per square inch. That sounds like a lot until you realize that +20dBm (100mW) in a 9µm core matches that power density.   A practical result of this line of reasoning is that cleaning an optical connector that is carrying light can and most likely will destroy the connector. The organic tissues and/or alcohol will explode when contacting the end of the connector (these are really tiny explosions, so you won't notice them) and destroy the end of the ceramic ferrule. We had such a unit returned to us last week.   Bottom line... ALWAYS protect your eyes and NEVER clean an optical connector carrying light.

Fiber Optic Products   OTOT-300C General Purpose Return Path Transmitter   Olson Technology, Inc. is introducing the OTOT-300C, General Purpose Return Path Transmitter. This transmitter offers 5-300MHz bandwidth and provides 20dB adjustable gain, a -20dB Test Point and a voltage monitor of laser power (1V/mW).   The OTOT-300C is housed in a rugged cast Aluminum housing. It is available with 1310nm FP and DFB lasers, 1550nm DFB lasers and CWDM lasers. Optical output powers range from 1mW (0dBm) to 3mW (+5dBm). The unit is powered from +12Volts DC. The OTOT-300C is compatible with Olson's OTOR-300 Triple Return Path Receiver as well as most manufacturer's analog Return Path Receivers.   OTOT-1000-FF 1GHz 1550nm DM CATV Transmitter The Olson OTOT-1000-FF now has several upgraded features. The OTOT-1000-FF now features SBS Suppression up to +16dBm and the DWDM ITU channels now range from 22 to 46.

Fiber Optic News Olson Technology's web site has been upgraded to include a large amount of free fiber optic educational material. To access this content, click on the Fiber Optic Technology text at the top of the home page. You'll find the world's most complete illustrated Fiber Optic Glossary, and over a dozen authoritative white papers/articles to help you better understand fiber optic technology.   Olson manufacturers a wide range of fiber optic transport products that can solve most of your needs.   Contact the fiber optic experts at Olson Technology today.

Fiber Optic Tips Did you know that many of the newer fiber types, such as Corning NZ-DSF LEAF fiber, are not suitable for 1310nm CATV transmission?  Most 1310nm CATV transmission is done on NDSF fiber such as SMF-28 or SMF-28e. The NZ-DSF fibers are excellent for transmission in the 1550nm window, but have high dispersion at 1310nm, making them unsuitable for analog transmission at that wavelength. Certainly CATV signals could be transmitted at 1550nm, but the cost of a 1550nm transmitter is considerably higher than the same function at 1310nm.   Contact the experts at Olson Technology, Inc. if you have questions.

Olson Technology, Inc. Headquarters
24926 Highway 108 • Mi-Wuk Village, CA 95346
USA (800) 545-1022 • TEL (209) 586-1022 • FAX (209) 586-1035 • www.olsontech.com • sales@olsontech.com 

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