AT-3606F and AT-3606F/SMA Connectivity
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Fiber Optic (10BASE-FL) Wiring Specifications
The IEEE FOIRL standard limits a fiber segment length to 1 km
(3,280 ft.). That is, the fiber optic cable that connects two hubs is limited
to 1 km (3,280 ft.). On the other hand, the more recent IEEE 10BASE-FL
standard limits a fiber segment length to 2 km (6,560 ft.). Note, however,
that this only applies to topologies in which one 10BASE-FL node
connects to another 10BASE-FL node. You can intermix 10BASE-FL
and FOIRL nodes, but if the cable connects a 10BASE-FL node at one
end and a FOIRL node at the other, the segment length is limited to 1 km
(3,280 ft.).
AT-3606F and AT-3606F/SMA hubs support 62.5/125 micron and 50/125
micron duplex optical fiber cable (
duplex
refers to fiber optic cable pairs).
Normally, duplex fiber optic cable is labeled TX or TD (transmit) and RX or
RD (receive). This means it has a dedicated transmit cable and a dedicated
receive cable. You must connect the receiving port (RX or RD) on one
device to the transmitting (TX or TD) port on a second device for proper
connectivity.
To connect a network device to one of the fiber optic ports on the AT-3606F
Series hub:
1.
Attach both connectors at one end of the cable to the TX and RX ports
on the network device.
2.
Connect one of the paired connectors at the other end of the cable to the
RX port on the hub.
3.
Check for On Line indicator to illuminate.
4.
When the On Line indicator illuminates, connect the other of the
paired connectors to the TX port on the hub.
or
5.
If On Line stays off, unplug the connector from RX and use the other of
the pair.
Fiber Optic
Connectors
Fiber optic hubs use one pair of ST or SMA type connectors per port
connection.
ATI offers hub models with either ST or SMA ports because many existing
(usually older) networking environments use SMA (or Biconic) connectors
that are not physically compatible with ST connectors. ST connectors have
recently become popular because they have less attenuation and
vulnerability to human error than SMA connectors.
If you are presently in a network that uses both systems, an ST-SMA,
hybrid cable is commercially available; it allows easy conversion from one
type of connector to the other. This cable is a one-meter duplex fiber optic
cable with ST connectors on one end and SMA connectors on the other.