Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1192126
24 I ICT TODAY FIGURE 7: Georgia Tech's MPLC-based modal adapter in small form factor or in standard 19'' 1RU racks. 3 MPLC-based technology is used to increase the transmission capacity and to achieve bandwidth gains of existing multimode fibers by performing perfect center launching on legacy multimode fibers. could upgrade a single pair of multimode fibers. This type of module must be simply spliced to the existing multimode optical fibers and inserted into the existing distribution drawer, which helps to conserve space in network bays that are often already very full. Compared to recabling, this project was less complex for the installer; it required less time and had fewer cost constraints for the end customer. "All buildings with OM1 multimode fibers are up and running well on 10Gb/s network speeds," says Robert Toledano, Engineer III at Georgia Tech, who was in charge of the upgrade project for the multimode infrastructure. He adds, "This was a significantly less complex and expensive option; the project costs of using MPLC technology plus labor costs were approximately 75 percent less than the associated costs of recabling." NEW HORIZONS FOR ICT PROFESSIONALS AND END USERS The MPLC-based controlled mode launching technology has also been tested and validated by many in the ICT industry at speeds of 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s on long recommended that the equipment be spliced to the existing multimode fibers to ensure that the modal alignment between the cores of the optical fibers were efficient. It should be noted that this type of technology does not require specific equipment or the installation of a splicing program. Modal adapting equipment, provided in standard 1RU 19'' rack, then became the new patch panel for the upgraded multimode fibers. On the remote site, no modal adapting equipment was needed. The patch panel that the multimode fibers connect to was preserved. The patch cords that connected the distribu- tion panel and the active equipment were simply replaced by standard singlemode patch cord, since the transmis- sion over the multimode fiber was now approaching the features and characteristics of singlemode fiber. The transceivers usually use LC type connectors. Therefore, singlemode LC/ST or LC/SC cords or any other necessary connector type can be employed depending on the project's specific multimode connectivity. Upon transmission, the modal adapter served as a perfect center launcher while acting as a perfect mode filter on the receiver, retaining only the information transmitted on the fundamen- tal mode. For a link longer than 800 meters, a modal adapter was required at both ends of the fiber link to ensure optimal mode conditioning. As shown in Figure 7, Georgia Tech's 1RU racks contained the different modal adapters installed in the bay with all the multimode fiber panels that were upgraded. Note that there were also modal adapters in the form of compact modules which